Barbara (2012 German film)

Recently, I finally managed to see the 2012 German film Barbara, after purchasing the DVD.

The film, directed by Christian Petzold, is set in the German Democratic Republic, circa 1980.  Barbara (played by Nina Hoss) is a physician, who formerly worked at a prestigious hospital in East Berlin, but she has been "banished" to a small clinic near the Baltic coast, apparently as punishment for having submitted an application to leave East Germany. Essentially the movie centres on Barbara's relationship with her colleague Andre, who has some secrets of his own, and on the activities of some people wishing to escape from the DDR.

The first things which was noticeable to me about this movie were its "autumnal" hues, characteristic of many films about East Germany. Apart from being easy on the eye, this property also helps to capture the supposed drabness of life in the DDR.

Another strand which runs throughout Barbara is a pervasive atmosphere of wariness and guardedness amongst the characters. People may have been conditioned to suspect the motives and intentions of others, expecting to be betrayed or placed under surveillance of some kind.

If a mood of mutual suspicion and distrust was indeed a feature of the East German system, then this is shrewdly and effectively conveyed in this picture. Tension is created and accentuated by a certain quietness, and an uneasy tranquility.

Much of the dialogue is sparse and clipped, as if nobody wants to say anything incriminating or susceptible to misinterpretation. The unease and circumspection are palpable. However, this is all done in such a way that the viewer senses that most citizens knew the score and the realities of the security apparatus, and that there was an unspoken assumption amongst people about the degree to which people's lives were infiltrated and manipulated.

The "provincial" setting makes a welcome change from the concrete canyons which often dominate movies about East Germany. We see some different facets of the country and the system. Many of the scenes in the countryside are accompanied by very breezy weather conditions, and this complements the subject matter quite well.

Nina Hoss gives a highly believable and sensitive performance as Barbara, and Ronald Zehrfeld is also excellent in the role of Andre Reiser, The plot unfolds subtly and gradually, not giving too much away, but it is beautifully realised, and the result is an understated but highly affecting story.

To sum up, Barbara is an absorbing, elegantly produced and at times moving film.