THE GOOD GERMAN
US, 2006, 105 minutes, Black and white.
George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Tobey Maguire, Beau Bridges, Tony Curran, Leland Orser, Jack Thompson, Robin Weigert, Dave Power.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Patrons wandering into The Good German unprepared might be taken aback, thinking that they had come into a retrospective of Hollywood 40s films by mistake. They would see the standard box size screen, black and white photography, hear a swelling Warner Bros old time score and notice the costumes and hair styles of the period. But, that is what director Steven Soderbergh intended. The word that so many critics decided to use is ‘pastiche’. The Good German is a pastiche of the style and post-war themes of such films as Casablanca, The Third Man and Notorious (two of which starred Ingrid Bergman). It even has a Casablanca ending – which is definitely not the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
So much comment has been given to the style of the film – and so high are the reputations of the films that have served as inspiration that critics spend a lot of time regretting how this one is not as good as the old classics. (Would they have recognised them as classics at the time or given them a few thumbs down?)
This means that not enough attention is given to the themes of the film. Sixty years after the end of World War II and a history of the more noble stories that emerged from the war, some of the darker stories of victory and occupation now emerge. It is interesting to note that Robert de Niro’s The Good Shepherd appeared very recently with some explorations of and ugly stories of war espionage and the establishing of the CIA.
The Good German provides a complex plot based on the fact that men and women who have survived a war can be mistrustful and likely to lie in most of their responses simply to protect themselves. The setting of the film is Berlin just after the May German surrender until the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima on August 6th 1945. The occasion is the Potsdam conference where Truman, Churchill and Stalin met to decide the fate of post-war Germany, of divided post-war Berlin, and the Eastern European countries.
George Clooney, in a rather laidback performance, is a journalist who had spent time in Berlin before the outbreak of war. Toby Maguire, in a rather brief role, plays a frighteningly callous young GI who tells us that the war has been great for him. Maybe a nice young man back home, in Berlin he is revelling in the black market profits where, as he says, having money can enable you to be your real self. But, he is naively self-confident and no match for the intrigues of both the Americans and the Russians.
A sudden thought at this point in the film is wondering what is happening now in Iraq, who is doing the wheeling and dealing in plans and contracts for reconstruction, in black market activities. If then, why not now? A sobering distraction from the events of 1945.
The other central character is, as in each film noir of the mid-40s, the femme fatale. She is the woman of mystery who obscures the truth, tempts men only to destroy them. This time it is Cate Blanchett in yet another very different role. She is an actress who immerses herself, appearance, accent, look to play convincingly a London teacher or a reformed Sydney drug addict – or Queen Elizabeth – and always be convincing.
Here she is the wife of an SS officer who is linked with a notorious concentration camp which exploited prisoners in labour for the development of rockets and nuclear bombs. History reminds us that both Americans and Russians were desperate to get hold of these scientists to compete in the Cold War arms race.
Director Steven Soderbergh admires the classic styles and themes of the past. While his film might be a cinematic experiment, it offers war themes and deceits to be pondered.
1.The impact of the film? Interest in the story, characters and themes? World War Two? The critical hammering the film received? The presentation of the war and aftermath sixty years later?
2.The title, was there a good German? Who? Ironic? The war itself, the role of Germany, the role of the Germans? The patriotic German?
3.The work of Stephen Soderbergh, his career, direction, cinematography, the achievement as a pastiche of 40s noir films?
4.The black and white photography, the influence of such films as Casablanca, The Third Man, The Search? The German locations and style – and their being done in the studios and with digital effects? The framing, the editing? Casablanca? The musical score? (The sense of realism in the past – the 21st century realism – especially in the use of language, crass language?
5.The focus of the film: the story from the point of view of Jake, then from Lena, from Tully? The Rashomon style? Where did the truth lie? The experience of the war, the effect on Germany, the experience of defeat, the Allies and the sense of victory, domination, the Americans, French, Russians? The British? Post-war Berlin, lying in ruins? The rebuilding of Germany and Berlin? The dividing of Berlin? The positives, the negatives? The black market? Corruption? Administration, deals, secrecy? Violence and assassinations ordered by authorities? Berlin and its past, political intrigue, violence and exercise of power? Decadence?
6.The situation of the Potsdam conference? Tully, the ordinary young American, his spiv-like behaviour, becoming a villain away from home and his upright background? His work, personality, driver, advising Jake, knowing what was happening? Documents? Meeting Jake at the airport, talk, help, contacts, his relationship with Lena, the other prostitutes? The deals, selling Lena to the Russians? The money? The clubs, his violent outbursts against Jake? The dangers? His self-confidence, naivety, his death – Lena killing him? His body in the river?
7.Jake, the George Clooney style? Jake’s background, journalist, the military? His task at Potsdam? Arrival, interactions with Tully, with the authorities? The aspects of local authority and his interactions? Colonel Muller and his being in control, manipulating Jake, manipulating events, contacts with the Russians? Lieutenant Schaeffer and his following Jake? Jake and the club, meeting Lena, the past relationship, her work for him, lost contacts? The deals, the information from Tully, the beating? The impact of his ear and its being wounded? Congressman Breimer and his presence, contacts? His becoming more involved, the revelation of Lena’s past, her husband, the technical work, the slave camp, her involvement? Her protection of her husband? As a prostitute, her flatmate? Jake and his trying to get to the bottom of things? The finding of Tully’s body, his being arrested, interrogated?
8.The subplot of Lena’s husband, saying that he was dead, his being hidden in the sewers, her help? His being used by the Nazis? Her own Nazi background, his belonging to the SS and her being saved? His documents, the commander of the camp, the scientific developments and the American wanting to get hold of him for their own work? The Russians vying against the Americans? The plan, for the Russians, for the Germans?
9.Lena’s flatmate, her attitudes, discussions with Jake, information? The Scottish pimp and his brutality?
10.The Russian authorities, the death of Tully, the money? Tully believing the general? Naivety – and Jake trying to investigate?
11.Jake and his pursuit of the truth, the lies from Lena, his love for her, the night with her? The truth about her husband? The final truth about herself and the betrayal of the Jews?
12.Lena and her story, as a person, devious, her work with Jake before the war, her skills at her work for the paper? Marriage, protecting her husband, protecting herself from the concentration camps, her Jewish background? Survival by prostitution, with her roommate, with the pimp? Survival above all? The relationship with Tully, Tully betraying her, his death? Her finally helping her husband, her being wounded, his death? Hiding – and the farewell at the airport and revealing the truth to Jake?
13.The set-up, Colonel Muller, his control, Schaeffer, Jake following him, tracking down Emil? The chase, the shooting, the danger? Jake and his killing Schaeffer?
14.The end, the inversion of the Casablanca story and scene, Lena and the truth – and her going off to safety? Jake and his having done a deal with the documents, with the authorities, with the lawyer who got the documents for him, for safe passage for Lena?
15.The relevance of this story to the 21st century, American involvement in wars, Iraq, the rebuilding of a country, contracts, the black market, violence?
16.The impact of film noir in the 40s, ironic and sardonic perspectives of life? Entertainment value? Challenge to audience assumptions?
