Jerichow

Christian Petzold directed Nina Hoss in one of my favorite films, Phoenix, so I looked forward to seeing "Jerichow" from 2008.

This is a loose remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice with a touch of Fassbender's Ali: Fear Eats the Soul. Petzold creates a noir atmosphere in his story of a dishonorably discharged Afghanistan veteran Thomas (Benno Furmann) who returns to Germany in order to rebuild and live in his father's home. Unfortunately, his brother steals the money he had hidden and knocks him unconscious.

Thomas eventually becomes the driver for Ali (Hilmi Sozer), a Turkish-German businessman who owns a chain of snack bars. Thomas then meets and falls in love with Ali's beautiful young wife Laura (Nina Hoss). The two fall in love, with Ali, a generous employer and abusive alcoholic, standing between them.

Lovely beach locations in an around Brandenberg, Germany is a highlight of this film. There are some beautiful scenes -- Laura going to see Thomas in the rain; Thomas coming up behind her while hiding from the suspicious Ali; Ali's drunken dancing on the beach. These all contribute to a beautifully-made film.

There have been comments that this is a political allegory, and it can definitely be seen as that too. On the surface, it's a love triangle with a twist. Petzold is an excellent director whose work deserves to be seen.

Thomas, a returned war veteran, returns to his native village of Jerichow, in eastern Germany. Looking for a job, he agrees to be the driver for Ali, who owns a chain of snack bars in the area, and that's where he meets Laura, Ali's attractive wife.

Another film by Petzold, starring Nina Hoss (no news here), Benno Fürmann and Hilmi Sözer.

Jerichow is a free adaptation of the classic novel 'The Postman Always Rings Twice', by James M. Cain, where we have the story of a love triangle and all the consequences that lies, betrayal and forbidden love can have in the lives of the persons envolved.

It's different from the previous adaptations, even though it follows a similar pace, differentiating itself by giving, on almost equal parts, screen time among the three characters, making the narrative more humble, without focusing to much on character a or b.

It's also a criticism of German society, on the matter of multiculturalism and xenophobia.

The cinematography is ok, with the right choice of locations for the different moments of the film.

This isn't about the movie, it's about the comment above that asserts that Jerichow is an area in east Germany that faces the North Atlantic.

East Germany has a coast line on the Baltic sea.

The rest of Germany has borders with Poland, West Germany and the Czech Republic

Before you get to the north Atlantic you have to go through the north sea, and maybe the English channel (if you go that way).

So Jerichow is no where near the North Atlantic.

The rest of that comment should, therefore, be ignored in it's entirety.

Yet another variation on "The Postman Always Rings Twice". "Jerichow" is a Christian Petzold film so you know it's going to be a more esoteric, slightly off-the-wall thriller. Petzold is not a conventional director even if his plots tend to be. Thomas, (a taciturn Benno Furmann), a dishonorably discharged Afghanistan veteran, needs a job so after doing a favour for drunken businessman Hilmi Sozer, he ends up working for him and his beautiful, unhappy wife so you can imagine what happens next but, like "Transit", his very un-Casablanca like take on "Casablanca", this doesn't quite stick to the formula and perhaps you can tell that it won't from the unrelated opening scene.

Petzold doesn't really go for the big dramatic flourish so this tale of lust and murderous thoughts is surprisingly low-key but like the James M. Cain novel it's loosely based on, it all ends in tears. Indeed there are times when you wish Petzold would just opt for the more melodramatic course; as a thriller this is just a little short on suspense. The three leads are fine and there's a neat twist or two towards the end giving the film a more tragic dimension a more conventional ending would have lacked. Not Petzold's best film, then, but certainly worth seeing.

Interesting variation of the The Postman Always Rings Twice story brings the tragedy realistically into a modern-day German setting, is suspenseful with a good cast, and comes up with its own new kind of twist) ending.