The Berlin Bride

2019
1h 12m

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

515

YOUR RATING

Play trailer1:29

1 Video

22 Photos

Dark Fantasy Fantasy Mystery

Two oddball Berliners discover the abandoned appendages of a mannequin. Separately, and with grotesque consequence, they come to terms with their disjointed mate.Two oddball Berliners discover the abandoned appendages of a mannequin. Separately, and with grotesque consequence, they come to terms with their disjointed mate.Two oddball Berliners discover the abandoned appendages of a mannequin. Separately, and with grotesque consequence, they come to terms with their disjointed mate.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

515

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 8 wins total

Trashman
(archive footage)
…

Henry Akina

Dress Shop Owner
(archive footage)
…

Sushila Day

Mannequin Arm
(archive footage)
…

Emil Kio

Lady in Dress Shop
(as Kio)
…

Ivo Kviring

Blind Man…

Ralf Klingelhöfer

Taxi Driver…

Calvin MacKerron

Priest…

Salambo

Cat…

Gundrun Dörpholz-Friedrich

Girl on the boat…

Diana Schindler

Girl on the boat…

Karl-Heinz Albers

Manuela Kunz

Hans-Joachim Ketzlin

Michael Schulze

Sally the Dog

Sally the Dog

Serge

Serge

Taylor Baldschun

Mannequin Arm…

Michael Bartlett

Piano Repairman (Portland)

Brynmor Jones

Blind Man…

Director
- Michael Bartlett
Writer
- Michael Bartlett
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews106

6.0515

Featured reviews

8Tilman-Borck

Innovative indiepicture.

This charming and beautiful fairytale of a movie tells its story in an unusual fashion. Our attention gets drawn to every day sights and sounds that are put together in a way that lets us rethink our own perception. This works out particularly well because there is hardly any dialogue. The contrast between the unique subject matter and the quiet dramaturgy is quite compelling and the music very much adds to the dreamlike quality. Let this film take you on a wild journey and within the strange Berlin city life you will find the beauty of a fairy tale.

7andrewtschroeder

Expressionisitic and cool

This is a cool, expressionistic arthouse film. Definitely a head scratcher, but in a good "I've gotta watch it again" way. Like other reviews have noted it seems to use silent film stylings, but it isn't entirely silent, there is dialogue. I'm impressed at how they captured the look of european grindhouse films from the 60's & 70's.

8beemtoaustin

Stranger Things....

Read on FB that this is a movie the director started sometime in the 80's before film schooling and went back to finish just now in 2019. If that isn't strange enough, wait until you see this weirdly wonderful movie. The music, the extraordinary visual interplay between the two misfit characters and the obvious references to the silent film era and the French surreal master Cocteau and even Bunuel make this a true delight and a really fantastic little discovery.

8ECreviews

Fun, surreal, fantasy art movie. Potential cult classic

The film is a crazy ride of loneliness, jealousy, betrayal and loss... but told in an almost upside down way, with the female lead being played by a mannequin. There is nothing predictable about this film. It pays homage to many art films of old, and is clearly helmed by a very talented director.

I enjoyed this film but be warned it is not for everybody. If you don't enjoy surreal, off the wall art films than this is not for you. If you have never watched a film in the genre, you should give it a try. A potential cult classic.

DonSwanson

Unsettlingly Beautiful

This is very much an art house film, but with a strong and compelling narrative. The sparse use of dialogue, the 4:3 aspect ratio that's acknowledged by the curtains ...and the freaking cat which I love!!!... celebrates the medium of film.

If you ever took a film class in college, or ever deep-dived at a film festival, you'll not only appreciate this film, but you're sure to enjoy it too.

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Storyline

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Trivia
Steve Buscemi, visiting Berlin with his girlfriend at the time, spent a quiet evening alone with Bartlett reviewing early footage of what would become today's The Berlin Bride. Bartlett's apartment was on Seesener Strasse, No. 23, where the young director not only lived but also where most of the film's interiors were shot. Buscemi, a street performer and off-Broadway actor at that time, sat with Bartlett on the carpet, a few beers between them, watching the rough 16mm footage Bartlett had copied to VHS tapes for review. Bartlett was preparing for another project when a friend, who had caught Buscemi performing in New York, thought he might be good for the lead in the new film. Nothing ever came of the new project, just good memories of a fun evening in West Berlin.