Kurt Weill's romantic ballad never seemed so mournful or out-of-place as background music for "Phoenix", a German language drama playing at the few theaters not catering to Hollywood refuse. It is another late model indie film in which the hero is a heroine, a female rather than a muscular, tough-talking guy.
Nina Hoss plays Nelly Lenz, who used to be in love with her husband until WWII intervened and she was packed off to a concentration camp. We pick up the story shortly after the war as she is released to an aid worker/friend who is trying to get her to a hospital. She is suffering from a gunshot wound to her face, as well as PTSD. Tough call to say which is worse. Her main thought is to find her husband and to be in love once more, but, as they say, you can't go home again. Check other reviews for events that follow.
Had not seen Nina Hoss before - she works primarily in German films. Her performance as a woman torn body and soul was magnificent and is an Oscar-worthy achievement. Her husband, played by Ronald Zehrfeld, is almost as good. I thought the set design recreating Berlin wrecked by war was as good as you can see, almost as good as in "Four In A Jeep"(1951), although that one was filmed in the actual wreckage of Berlin.
The story, while absorbing, moves slowly but the overall effect is like a hypnotic spell (I would imagine). I was especially taken by the ending, which packs a wallop. Some reviews state that the director did not know how to end the picture. I think this was the only way. According to Weill's lovely lyrics,
"The curtain descends, everything ends, too soon, too soon".
Nina Hoss plays Nelly Lenz, who used to be in love with her husband until WWII intervened and she was packed off to a concentration camp. We pick up the story shortly after the war as she is released to an aid worker/friend who is trying to get her to a hospital. She is suffering from a gunshot wound to her face, as well as PTSD. Tough call to say which is worse. Her main thought is to find her husband and to be in love once more, but, as they say, you can't go home again. Check other reviews for events that follow.
Had not seen Nina Hoss before - she works primarily in German films. Her performance as a woman torn body and soul was magnificent and is an Oscar-worthy achievement. Her husband, played by Ronald Zehrfeld, is almost as good. I thought the set design recreating Berlin wrecked by war was as good as you can see, almost as good as in "Four In A Jeep"(1951), although that one was filmed in the actual wreckage of Berlin.
The story, while absorbing, moves slowly but the overall effect is like a hypnotic spell (I would imagine). I was especially taken by the ending, which packs a wallop. Some reviews state that the director did not know how to end the picture. I think this was the only way. According to Weill's lovely lyrics,
"The curtain descends, everything ends, too soon, too soon".