Country: Germany
Review: Christian Petzold is a respectable German filmmaker, recognized for his originality and naturalistic style. “Yella” and “Jerichow” were very well accepted by the critic and represented a boost in his career. “Barbara” can be compared to “Yella” in some aspects - slight suspense, a natural performance from Nina Hoss, a changeless pace and a Silver Berlin Bear – but without the same satisfactory results. The story takes place in West Germany, 1980. Barbara, after having applied to leave the country, is forced to abandon her life in Berlin, to be confined to a small village in the countryside. Closely watched by Stasi agents, she continues to prepare her escape to Denmark, but some occurrences will change the course of her plans. Too slow and often cold, almost everything in “Barbara” looked like a bit premeditated, making it a film to watch without expecting too much enjoyment.
