Year of Release: 2016
Director: Vincent Pérez
Screenplay: Vincent Pérez, Achim von Borries and Bettine von Borries, based on the novel Every Man Dies Alone (also known as Alone in Berlin) by Hans Fallada
Starring: Emma Thompson, Brendan Gleeson, Daniel Brühl, Mikael Persbrandt
Running Time: 103 minutes
Genre: Period drama, war
Berlin, 1940: Otto (Gleeson) and Anna Quangel (Thompson) are an ordinary, working class couple. When they receive news of the death of their only son in battle, the Quangels disillusionment with the Nazi regime increases, and they decide to take a stand. The couple write postcards criticising the regime and distribute them all over Berlin. Tenacious Gestapo detective Escherich (Brühl) is assigned to investigate and put a stop to the postcards.
Based on the acclaimed novel by Hans Fallada, this is loosely based on the true life case of Otto and Elise Hampel who wrote and circulated postcards criticising the Nazis throughout Berlin from 1940 until 1943, and the film is dedicated to them. Given the subject matter you would expect this to be a dour, grim film, and it certainly is. It is powerful though, and it's call to rebellion and protest, no matter how small it may seem, is still relevant today. The film captures a grey, paranoid world where everyone lives under suspicion. It features some great performances, and the story is an interesting one. It's a small scale drama, that occasionally feels like a television film, and lacks the punch that the book had, however it is a strong and relevant piece of work.
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