There are ten German movies you cannot afford not to watch before you die. German movies have received more Oscars than any other movies; this shows how highly rated they are. While it is possible to enjoy the movies in your home country, you are likely to enjoy it much more if you are to watch them when you are on a visit to German cities such as Bavaria. You can read more about Bavaria to know what you can do on your visit to the city and where you can enjoy these movies within the city. In this list of ten movies, you are sure to find something for yourself.
Das Boot
Das Boot (The Boat) 1981 is a highly-rated classic that tells the story of the deeds of German U-boats in the Second World War. Even though the setting of the movie is a long time ago, it still manages to have a contemporary feel to it. Besides, because of the marine boats that were made, this war classic is one of the most expensive German movies. The actors and actresses were made to act in exact replicas of the characters who lived then, so the movie looked more authentic. When you lay your hands on it, you will know more about why you should watch the movie.
Der Untergang
Der Untergang (Downfall) 2004 is a movie whose fame has spread beyond Germany to the other parts of the world. The movie is considered to be eerily compelling, as it sooner became an internet sensation. The actor who played Hitler in the movie did a great job. However, when people started to parody it, it got them in the soup. If you want to know more about Hitler’s manner of speech, you should check out the movie. It has a lot of Hitler’s speeches.
Die Falscher (The Counterfeiters) 2007
This movie is Austrian but made in Germany. Besides, it made use of the German language. It is the fascinating story of war operations by a political group called the Nazis. They had planned to destroy the British economy by creating fake pounds and causing inflation. It also portrays the life of a Jewish man, a counterfeiter who was forced to coordinate this risky operation in a concentration camp.
Nirgendwo in Afrika
Nirgebndwo in Afrika (Nowhere in Africa) 2002, just as the name portrays, is a movie that was set in Africa, remote Kenya precisely. It has a beautiful mixture of Swahili, German and English. It chronicles the migration experience of a Jewish refugee family who escapes to Kenya from Germany at the onset of the second world war. It is an emotional movie as it bothers on the details of the family’s relationship with the natives.
Good Bye Lenin 2003
This movie is both economical and emotional: it is a tragicomedy that portrays a young Easterner called Alex. Alex wanted to hide the fall of the Berlin wall and the decline of the communist society for his sick mother, who was also a diehard socialist. As capitalism sprung up, the young Easterner began to get nostalgic about Germany.
Das Leben der Anderen
Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others) 2006 is rated to be one of Germany’s best in the movie industry. It portrays the terrifying times when the East German secret police, the Stasi, were active in the 1980s. A Stasi agent is sent to spy on a playwright from Berlin but could not effectively do so. It is a thriller you want to watch.
Barbara 2012
This movie depicts what it feels like to live in East Germany. It is slower and more arthouse. It tells the story of a physician, Barbara, who went to the West and found herself on the erring side of the State. She is put in a rural, isolated hospital, which makes the story more heartfelt.
Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex (The Baader-Meinhof Complex) 2008
Most people see the Cold War as a peaceful one compared to the other wars before it. However, this movie talks about the opposite: it focuses on the progress of an extreme youth movement which the State considered to be an insurgent group. This movie gives deep insights into how these radical youths think.
Die Welle
Die Welle( The Wave) 2008 is a thriller based on true events. It portrays the life of a Californian high school teacher who wanted to provide his students’ deep insights into Nazism. It poses the question of whether Nazism could still find a place in this modern-day world. It is horrifically alluring.
Unsere Mutter, Unsere Vater
Unsere Mutter, Unsere Vater (Generation War) 2013 is a mini-series broadcast on TV. Focusing on the differences in the journeys of five German friends, it sparks a lot of moral questions. It is set between 1941 and 1945. It has caused a great division between critics as they cannot agree on what the movie is saying.