Such a frustrating disappointment

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The most common title of this film in English is "A Woman in Berlin," based on the published diaries of an anonymous female author in 1959. The film presents in a riveting manner the moment when the Soviet forces entered Berlin in the final stage of World War II. The atrocities committed by the Soviets, especially in the rape of women in Berlin, are well chronicled. But this film places a face on the tragic developments, as recounted by the anonymous diarist.The film graphically conveys the brutality inflicted on civilians, especially the women, as the Soviet army awaits the arrival of the allies of England and America from the west. The time seems endless, as the Soviets are awaiting the unified effort to deliver the knockout punch to the Reichstag.Nina Hoss gives a complex and multi-layered performance as the anonymous journalist and Eugeny Sidikhim is the duty-bound yet vulnerable commanding officer, Andrej Rybkin with whom "Anonyma" has an affair. The film is careful to demonstrate the Anonyma's choice to develop her relationship with Andrej was purely based on survival. She made a conscious decision to exercise the limited amount of free will in her grasp to at least choose her partner. The film gives a fascinating portrayal of how their relationship develops.The film may be excessive in its lengthy for such a a drama that is essentially focused on one main relationship. For a film that ran over two hours, some of the secondary characters could have been developed more completely.It is shocking to contemplate there there was outrage in Germany when the diary was published in 1959. Incredibly, Anonyma was seen as a "collaborator" with the Soviets at the height of the Cold War. It is a credit to director Max Färberböck did not let this important memoir die, but brought in back to life in this moving and uncompromising film version. Bravo!

This is very accurate film of the way the people of Berlin were treated by many of the Russians. Very well acted by the ensemble. Even with subtitles I found the film very good. The lead actress, Nina was outstanding with her facial actions of a woman in such distress and trying to regain some dignity. The ongoing eye contact with the Major really drove home the relationship they had. The Major's defending the people against his own troops and yet trying to remain in control was evident as a struggle. One can only imagine living in such conditions and trying to survive. This retribution against the citizens seemed right to the invading troops for what was perpetrated on their country by the German troops. This is a very true account of humanity vs inhuman acts.

It seems that WWII has produced an almost unlimited number of stories. Even over sixty years later there continue to be major productions coming out, e.g. "Inglorious Basterds," "Valkyrie," "Letters from Iwo Jima," and "Flags of Our Fathers." Now, "A Woman from Berlin" can be added to the list. This is a story based on the diary of a woman living in Berlin at the time of its downfall in late April and early May of 1945 when the Red Army moved in for the final assault. In the West we tend to think that the UK and the US won the war, but this movie makes you consider that perhaps the Soviet Union played the more decisive role. I found the story told here very believable. It provokes some complex reactions. The Red Army is presented as not being overly gentlemanly in victory. But, after losing over 25 million dead in the war, it is hard to blame the Soviets for being a little more than peeved and participating in the spoils of war. Unfortunately, as depicted here, much of their revenge is taken out on German women.The central character, who is called "Anonyma," decides that it would be in her best survival interests if she were to attach herself to the highest ranking army officer she could find. This turns out to be Major Rybkin who is seen to be a decent sort of man. The evolving relationship between Rybkin and Anonyma, and its consequences, forms the core of the story.At first one is tempted to feel sorry for the Germans, but then you think of the horrors the Germans perpetrated, particularly on the Soviets, and you feel guilty for your compassion. The fact that Anonyma is presented at the beginning of the movie as being an intelligent journalist who is toasting the German conquests complicates your feelings for her. In the end I was just left with an overwhelming sense of the tragedy this war spawned. So many dead, so many lives changed forever.The production values are high--this was no minor undertaking. I was impressed with Nina Hoss who plays Anonyma, and Evgeniy Sidikhin as Major Rybkin is good as well. In fact the entire cast is excellent.The movie prompted me to do some reading on the Battle of Berlin (even in some printed books!). A lot of the written descriptions are fairly dry, which makes you appreciate a film like this that provides a backdrop for trying to understand what happened. I think that any movie that compels you to do a little research can't be bad.

The Treptower Park monument in Berlin depicting a Soviet soldier with a German girl he rescued is just typical of the conduct of the Red Army, characterized by unprecedented heroism and courage. In destroying the fascist vermin, Russia not only defended its freedom and independence but played the decisive role in the liberation of Europe and Asia from enslavement. World civilization was saved. As the great German writer Johannes Becher wrote in a poem after the war, "Who has done all the deeds/To free us from drudgery?/The heroes of the Soviet Union/Thanks to you, Soviet soldiers" But influenced by the Cold War triumphalism of Anglo-Americans, a resurgent neo-Nazism in Germany, and fascist nationalism in countries of Eastern Europe, there is an effort to rewrite the facts and results of World War II. Blackening the name of the Red Army with sensationalistic, perverted accusations of mass rape made is part of an effort to revive German nationalism, whitewash the Nazi past, and normalize the fact that Germany was and will always be responsible for imposing a genocidal war. The Anglo-American revisionists in their soft war with Russia want to minimize the accomplishments of the Red Army and even portray Russia as being equivalent to Nazi Germany. German revanchists justify their vile designs with the fabrication of a "ravished Germany" at the hands of the "Russian Mongol hordes". The intent of this film to slander the Russians and the great Soviet soldiers as a hordes of marauding, Asiatic beasts has its roots in the dying days of the German Reich.As Russian historians have shown, an objective analysis of abuses by the Red Army demonstrates that rape and other crimes against Germans did not represent a massive and extraordinary phenomenon, and were not the reflection of an organized and systematic policy by the authorities. Rather, the heroism and humanity of the Red Army is amply documented, as is the gratitude they received from the German people. The authorities did their utmost to ensure that that civilians would not be harmed by educating the rank-and-file soldiers and severely punishing offenders. The Germans did not experience a mere fraction of the horror that their soldiers staged in the East. The methodology employed by the falsifiers for their delusions about mass rape consist of dubious statistical manipulations and extrapolations based on the prevalence of abortions at a few health clinics. Nothing in their work provides convincing evidence that mass rape occurred. While western falsifiers of history are so keen to highlight this "Eine frau in Berlin" story by devoting enormous resources for a movie and book, there is a curious absence of the stories of Red Army veterans who discredited these allegations of abusing German civilians, as well as countless German residents who expressed gratitude to the liberators. For example, Russian historian A. Dyukov cites the memoir of Lieutent P. Kirichenko, who confirmed that "The question of revenge against the Nazis dropped out. It is not in the traditions of our people to take out reprisals against women, children, and elderly. The attitude of the Soviet soldiers to the German civilians was neutral. Nobody, at least from our regiment, committed persecutions. Moreover, when we met with many hungry German children, we shared our food without hesitation." Also from Dyukov's work are the reminisces of Irgmard Dietz, a Berliner: , "His name was Nikolai Semyonovich Silnev. We met in Berlin in May 1945. I was 20 years old and I lived with my mother and sister... I liked him, but he never approached me. He followed me when I was sick with pneumonia. He laughed a lot, which helped to free us from fear. His openness and humanity led us to become friends despite the language barrier, poor conditions of life, different backgrounds. He greatly influenced my spiritual healing and, of course, influenced my future. I thought a lot about him and wanted to say that I am forever grateful for the brief time we spent together."