Irgendwo in Berlin

Like "The Murderers are among us", "Somewhere in Berlin" is filmed in the ruins of that city in 1945/46. It's part of a group of films Germans call, Trümmerfilme: Debris films.

Whilst appreciating that conditions in Germany at that time were appalling - nevertheless, Somewhere in Berlin could have been a better film.

The idea of the community of street children had been seen before in "Emil and the Detectives". "Somewhere..." attempts to recapture this spirit. But it doesn't work. This film is too disjointed, has no core and doesn't highlight, well - anything.

Sure - the boys have their moments, a veteran wanders in, and mothers (who are dressed surprisingly well, and operate in surprisingly good conditions) go earnestly about their business. But really - the story that is trying to be threaded around them all is weak and purposeless. The characters lack interest and focus.

The saving features are the sometimes very good stationary camera shots, and the background ruins. But that's all.

"Somewhere in Berlin" was made on zero budget, that's very clear. But considering the general situation, the possibilities offered by the unique setting, and the blank canvas offered by a "new start", more could have been done.

In this third so-called "Trümmer"film director Gerhardt Lamprecht shows with his impeccable and subtle direction a study of a small labourer's community "somewhere in Berlin", one year after WW2. For this he made use of the main element of his 1931 "Emil und Die Detektive", namely a group of children around which the story is centered; this time these children are used as a hope for the future. This reference can be also so seen as a symbol for going further where Germany in 1933 stopped; as such it is interesting to see that no reference is made to the Nazi period other than the misery it has brought the community: there are no ex-nazis in the community.

Until the dramatic events concerning the boy Willy only the rubble and ruins of Berlin are used as background; the drama round Willy is a sign for the community and for the children not to look back again. From that moment Lamprcht mainly uses the parts of Berlin that were not bombed as background; this is a very strong dramatic turning point in the meaning of the image. Note how in this part the petty thief - played superbly by Fritz Rasp (and repeating his role from "Emil und die Detektive"; again the link with that film) - is the only character still seen walking about in the ruins.

The fine cinematography has an almost documentary style, except in the dramatic scene with the boy Willy. In that scene the cinematography has a very different style and certainly the lightning is very different as is the style of mise-en-scene: I had the image of the room (after the boys have entered) freeze-framed for closer study: the scene is composed as a romantic/religious painting, a bit too sentimental maybe. But, as such the complete scene is very well done.

Again Lamprecht shows that he was a master in directing children (children always played an important part in his movies). Complete cast is fine, with Paul Bildt brilliant as the black marketer. The script is well-written with psychologically well-thought out characters, although the way it shows how the father is treated after his return (scene: giving back the stolen wallet) is too simple. I do not agree with remarks in the literature on this film that there are too many sub-plots: the cumulation of these plots make the film into the precise observation of the community.

The only real objection one might have is the last scene and within that scene the last shots: this is very close to making the labourer heroic. But never mind: the film is rewarding viewing and it is far better than Roberto Rosselini's "Germania Anno Zero" (1948) that deals heavily handed with the more or less same subject.