Analysis Of Goodbye Lenin

oodbye Lenin!, set in East Berlin during the crash of the Berlin Wall opens up the

eyes of viewers to the harships endured in the Deutsche Demokratische Republik,

which was governed by communist rule. It focuses on the life of Alexander Beyer, a

young man from East Berlin. This essay will address the images of Germany, the

Germans and the “Germanness” the film presents and the relevance of these images to

the present day viewer. The historical context of Goodbye Lenin is the prevailing

factor of the plot and gives the viewer little awareness of the political age. It gives

individuals with past experience of this time an opportunity to reflect nostalgically

and recall the good and bad of Germany’s history and revolution. The social conetext

The audience learns that families and

friends were isolated from their loved ones. The political context is not as evident in

Goodbye Lenin!, as Alex and his sister, Ariane, have little concern about politics.

Goodbye Lenin! captures the struggle of a dedicated son to keep up with his mother’s

deteriorating health. His father had run-off with his “enemy-of-the-state girlfriend”,

leaving his mother to raise two children alone. The film traces the changes in Berlin

after the fall of the Berlin Wall, which took place while his mother lay unresponsive

in a coma. The viewer observes how Alex desperately attempts to shield