It is almost daring in a type of way for a relatively young director to take a stab at adapting Alfred Doblin’s 1929 Weimar Republic classic Berlin Alexanderplatz. This is largely because Rainer Werner Fassbinder already seemingly said all that needed to be said in his epic 15-hour adaptation in 1980 for German television. Nevertheless, it has been forty years since that landmark effort and Afghan-born, German-based director Burhan Qurbani (We Are Young. We Are Strong) has cultivated a way to make this story relevant for a new generation. First and foremost, the filmmaker brings the story into modern day and focuses on the plight of undocumented African immigrants as they struggle to make a proper life in the unsparing streets of Berlin. At a relatively compact three hours in length, the new Berlin Alexanderplatz takes you on a confident journey filled with moral pitfalls and poetic justice. The performances and craft are beyond reproach, but the script itself does not always serve the story to its full potential.
From the onset, the film is straightforward about what we are going to experience over the next few hours. Softly narrated by a character we will come to know and love later in the story, we are told that we will bear witness to the three times that our protagonist stumbled while attempting to be a good man. This version of the story follows the physically striking Francis, played by the Portuguese-Guinean theater actor Welket Bungué. Francis is a recent immigrant to Berlin (only call him a refugee if you want your head bitten off) who has trauma from the past hanging over his head. The immediate trauma is the guilt he feels from surviving a boat trip from West Africa in which his companion Ida tragically perished. The deeper-seated struggle is that which he wrestles with within himself regarding the morally tainted person he was back in his own country. He wants to be a decent person in this new life, but the lack of opportunities for undocumented workers and the desire for more than “bread” makes this a difficult undertaking.
The devilish figure Reinhold (Albrecht Schuch) is one who lives to take advantage of such desperation, making intriguing speeches at tenement apartment complexes that make the idea of selling drugs for him almost irresistible. As you see and the narration underscores, fate does not really seem to want Francis to take the righteous path which leads him directly into the clutches of Reinhold. As this figure, Schuch is offensively good at raising your ire with the toxic masculinity and duplicity seeping out of him like molasses. Even the way in which he tasks Francis with “helping” him with the girls he brings home so he does not go full psychopath on them is a bold character trait that reveals so much about how he views humanity. Unfortunately this comes at the expense of the female characters who rarely get a chance to be as three-dimensional and realistic as you would want. When Reinhold turns on Francis (renamed Franz by Reinhold) after forcing him into a heist, he pushes Francis out of the car and into a rebuilding phase of his life with a new purpose and one less limb.
The true motivation behind the sudden turn is a bit opaque as the film struggles to determine if it jealousy of Francis’ personal relationships, his professional prowess or maybe even repressed homosexual desire that stands as the culprit. None of these possibilities seems properly explored, which also comes as an issue when representing the moral journey of Francis. While the (occasionally overused) narration makes the case for the humanity inside Francis, the film often overlooks the rage bubbling deep inside of Francis that is in need of further exploration outside of a few key references. The core dynamic of the film seems on the firmest footing upon the introduction of Mieze (Jella Haase), a successful escort who cares for Francis after his injury. Her characterization as a “hooker with a heart of gold” can be a bit reductive, but the dynamic between her and Francis is very sweet and sometimes tragic. That Reinhold once again becomes an essential part of Francis’ life is maddening – to have a character be so naive to the toxicity of this man – but also deeply compelling as you hurdle towards a Shakespearean ending.
And this may be one of the nagging elements of the film; with a text like Doblin representing the feeling of what it is like to live in contemporary Berlin, it seems disingenuous to have it not so representative of the setting. Despite this, the strength of the core performances often leave you entranced enough to forgive many of the missteps in the plot, especially an ill-advised coda that lessens the impact of the journey by some margin. There is something to be said for a three hour film that goes by in such a flash, as Qurbani knows when to hit the gas or pump the brakes depending on the needs of the story. He has made a fascinating attempt at putting a fresh spin on this classic story even with its numerous flaws.
Video Quality
Berlin Alexanderplatz comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that is truly stunning. This is a visually rich film with beautiful shots of nature and the city throughout where you can see an incredible amount of detail. The film is not bursting with vivid colors in every frame, but there are various moments that really pop from the lush nature to some of the neon in the club. The interiors are typically a more dour and dark environment that presents with a cooler tone that the presentation represents perfectly with a pleasing richness. The white levels are handled beautifully, along with the intensely deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around. This presentation is definitely a knockout on the Blu-Ray format.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in the original languages spoken that conjures a very specific mood that transports you to this locale. The film uses music in really powerful ways that fill the room, especially in the bass-heavy clubs that the characters often frequent. The dialogue comes through crystal clear without ever being overpowered by the sound effects or the score. The sound design is just as precisely thought-out as the on screen visuals with all of the sounds positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects create a really nice soundscape of nature and the din of the city. This is not an action-heavy film, but activity in the low end is strong thanks to the music. This is a lovely sounding release that brings the movie to life in a really beautiful way.
Special Features
- Introduction: A two-minute introduction from director Burhan Qurbani in which he talks briefly about the seven-year journey of this story to the screen and more.
- Trailer: The two-minute trailer for the film is provided here which does a nice job of selling the experience.
Final Thoughts
Berlin Alexanderplatz is an inventive modernization of the classic text that is really engrossing despite some narrative shortcomings. The performances from all of the principal figures are very strong, and the stylistic flourishes that Burhan Qurbani employs behind the camera gives the feature an added layer of excitement that enriches the film. The three-hour runtime melts away pretty quickly in a way that will rarely have you checking your watch to see how much time remains. Kino Lorber has provided a Blu-Ray featuring a striking A/V presentation and a minimal amount of special features. This journey is worth taking if the film sounds even remotely interesting to you. Recommended
Berlin Alexanderplatz will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital on August 31, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Lorber has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
