Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

mail-156 As the film covers 30 years, the key emotional points of such a story are incredibly accurate. The film's tone is brilliantly handled, the delicate weakening of the spirit, the darkening of the world, the East buildings subtly not changing but getting older while the West becomes subtly more modern. Unless one lived through much of the story, much may be missed. But every detail is important. Credit to the director, the writer and the actors for incredible performances: the repressed anger, the repressed joy, the repressed hope... everything just below the surface. Forever, the question, who could have done what differently? There was never an answer then, and there is no answer now.

Mitch-38 *Potential spoilers ahead* Long, but really not absorbing, drama of the Berlin wall, as seen through the eyes of young lovers. Set up against such an oppressive atmosphere as the new DDR (Communist East), the story spans almost thirty years.Frankly, it was numbing to see the protagonist (Konrad) bumbling about to and fro, as to whether he really wanted to leave the "Worker's Paradise." Well, as the saying goes: Indecision is a decision. Konrad's father is a party member, and he is bright. He'll achieve and live well, if he stays politically on the right side of the party. No one could condemn Konrad if he did. Nobody purposely tries to make their life miserable, unless they like pain. This issue really lies at the heart of exactly what is wrong, with DAS VERSPRECHEN. The plot tends to amble, and we are introduced to characters with names and backgrounds. They enter the story, and without or very limited explanation, they pass through the checkpoint into oblivion. Unfortunately, so does the unwilling viewer. By the time we are way into the movie, and Konrad still tries to fool himself, by defending his unwillingness to go to the West on a trip of his shoe laces. It is then, when the viewer not only has lost any empathy or respect for him, but also might draw the ire of the viewer, as well. THE PROMISE ponders way to much, and the passion of the characters tend to taper, due to the plodding script. It is recommended, however don't expect to be sitting on the edge of your seat. If you do, you might nod off and fall off.

moveebob Ms. von Trotta directs with a very sure hand this very large canvas political drama about the divisions the German wall put between friends on both sides and how foolish its arbitrariness was. Wonderful acting and well worth spending time with. Stunningly photographed, as well.

Gonzalo Melendez (gonz30) THE PROMISE (Das Versprechen) by Margarethe von Trotta is must viewing. There is no easier and more entertaining manner to understand recent German, and Central European, history than by watching this film. It plays very well on video, and the interesting locales and action will excite those who dislike subtitles. THE PROMISE is an epic drama focusing on divisions: in love, in a nation, in its capital city, in its politics, and in love. Indeed a love story is the vehicle used for this extraordinary epic, recounting the three decades between the Berlin Wall's first barbed wire, and its fall. Some critics, forgetting what a historical epic requires, dismiss the film as cliche-ridden. Well, of course, "War and Peace", "Gone with the Wind", "Dr. Zhivago", were successful due to the use of composite characters or cliches. These are necessary to explain history in a medium like the cinema. Ms. von Trotta is to be congratulated not only for this and other great political films (i.e."Rosa Luxemburg") but for being one of the only German filmmakers to tackle the controversial topic of German reunification. A declared socialist from Western Germany, Ms von Trotta lends the film a point of view that is as unbiased as I can imagine. Don't miss it. A lot of people did because of the film's timing. The last thing I guess most Germans wanted to see at the movies in 1994 was a reminder of the results of reunification. For this reason, this great film was unfairly denied its place in European Film History.