By: debbie lynn elias
From the stark reality of 1.33 ratio documentary style black and white opening credits segueing into a 1.66:1 aspect ratio, director Steven Soderbergh vividly portrays the devastation and destruction of not just a city but the lives of its inhabitants and all those touched by war with THE GOOD GERMAN. Paying homage to such classics as “Casablanca” and “A Foreign Affair”, Soderbergh attempts to recreate the romanticism and intrigue of these 1940’s studio masterpieces in a bombed out post-World II Berlin and although technically challenging and masterful, falls a bit short in the story due perhaps, to an overzealous effort.
It is the eve of the Potsdam Convention in rubble-strewn Berlin and the United States attack on Hiroshima is imminent. As many of you may recall from your world history classes, it was during this period of time that both the Americans and Russians were embarking on their respective arms races. Unfortunately for these two nations, the leading scientists of the day in the development of the V-2 rocket and other similar types, were German. Development had progressed so quickly that had the war not ended, it would have been a matter of maybe 24 months before the Germans could have used the technology to send bombs all the way to the USA. Needless to say, both countries were eager to obtain the spoils of war by capturing or “swaying” these scientists for their own causes. The US offered immunity from war trials to such scientists provided they come to the US and put their talents to work for our military machine. The Russians extended similar offers.
War correspondent Jake Geismer, a journalist with New Republic Magazine, arrives in Berlin to cover the peace conference but there’s more going on than meets the eye when he looks up his former mistress, German national Lena Brandt. Seems that despite Lena’s status as wife of a known engineer/scientist involved in the German rocket program, Jake found Lena’s charms more than irresistible and became embroiled in a torrid love affair with her during the war. Now, Jake requests the peace conference assignment so that he may return to Berlin with the hope of reuniting with his love. What he finds, however, is a woman who has sold herself to every bidder in the land, including Jake’s American driver Tully who has no loyalties but to himself and his overwhelming greed for money and power – which the Russians are more than willing to exploit. And although peace talks may be on the agenda for Truman, Churchill and Stalin, the Cold War between the Russians and Americans is taking shape thanks in large part to Lena Brandt’s husband Emil, who is a necessary cog to the arms race of each nation.
The intrigue and mystery really take hold when Tully washes up on the shore of the river at Potsdam with a bullet to the brain and a uniform stuffed with money. Interestingly, no one seems too eager to investigate the obvious murder, but for Jake. Sticking his newsman’s nose into places where it doesn’t belong, he is quickly forced to put aside his foolish romantic notions as he tries to determine what exactly Lena wants and what she is willing to do to get it, what atrocities actually took place during the war, not to mention what Emil has up his sleeve and what the Russians and Americans have up theirs. As romance moves to the back burner, the situation heats up as American military governor Colonel Muller threatens Jake to cease his investigation while Army attorney Bernie Teitel gives Jake some interesting information obtained from the Russian police report investigating Tully’s death.
George Clooney stars as Jake Geismer. Determined, intent, inquisitive, a man of thought and action, not to mention the epitome of good looks and romantic idealism, the role appears custom made for Clooney. Unfortunately, and this is surprising given the numerous collaborations between Clooney ad Soderbergh, he seems ill-at-ease in the part. I don’t know if it’s Soderbergh’s direction or overzealous attempts at 1940’s romanticized cloak and dagger intrigue and drama that forced Clooney to act as if he’s holding something back, but he seems removed from the character – and that is so out of character for him. Nevertheless, he is still easy on the eyes, interesting and an endless joy to watch. Cate Blanchett takes on the daunting role of Lena. Vividly expressive and intriguing (with the most perfect lighting I have seen in years), she harkens well-deserved comparison to Marlene Dietrich. Exhibiting a wide a range of emotion, she gives life to a character that has had most of the life sucked out of her. With a dramatic darkness counterbalanced with luminescent lighting, she is the captivating light at the end of the tunnel. In what I believe is his most challenging role to date, Tobey Maguire is surprisingly decadently effective as Tully. Never would I have thought he could convincingly pull off a role of this smarmy intensity. A pleasant surprise. Beau Bridges is equally impressive with his small, but pivotal role as Colonel Muller. And Leland Orser, known best for his strange of array of psychotic killers and characters (and whose talents I admire immensely), is believably semi-unscrupulous and effective as the pivotal character of attorney Bernie Teitel.
Written by Paul Attanasio based on the 2001 novel by Joseph Kanon, the film as a whole attempts to reinvent cinematic art at its finest and although Soderbergh does so technically, Attanasio falls short in the story adaptation, forcing the audience to question every move and every word uttered throughout the entire film, and failing to answer many of the questions asked. There are points in the multiple storylines that are so convoluted, it makes me think the reconstruction of Atlanta after Sherman burned it in the Civil War was easier than trying to figure out what’s happening here. A bonus however is the narrative format. Effectively told in the narrative, we move through the various characters as each tells a portion of the story; first, the enthusiastic Tully and then Jake and ultimately, Lena.
Where impressive translates into awe, however, is in the technical arena. Intent on authenticity, Soderbergh relied on black and white cinematography shot in a 1.66:1 ratio like that used in the 40’s. Fixed focal length lenses from the 1940’s, a single camera and incandescent lighting stays true to the theme of the film and exquisitely captures the look and feel Soderbergh sought to achieve. Superlative sound was achieved thanks to the use of old-fashioned overhead boom mikes which capture even the faintest of whispers – and force actors to speak distinctly and succinctly. Serving as not only director, but cinematographer (using the pseudonym of Peter Andrews) and editor (as Mary Ann Bernard), Soderbergh successfully controls every technicality of the film. I took particular note of his artful interweaving of actual newsreel footage of Truman, Stalin and Churchill shot during the Potsdam Conference.
A distraction to me that I must mention (and undoubtedly one that my technically superlative father will also note) is an unstable composition with the gray scale that in several shots led to wash outs or overindulged grays. As this was a filming aspect pointed out to me by some professors in some of my own early B&W works, it is a distraction I generally note in black and white films.
Harder than it looks, key to the artistic success of this endeavor is the complete shooting of the film on studio backlots or limited locations in Los Angeles, exactly as that done within the studio confines of the 40’s. Look for an Oscar nod for production designer Philip Messina for his recreation of bombed out Berlin as well as one for costume designer Louise Frogley who delivered a wide range of garments representative of so many walks of life not just during 1945 but in a poverty stricken war ravaged city. Rivaling the cinematic compositions of John Williams is Thomas Newman’s score. With a rich lushness, Newman’s work is as sweeping as that of Max Steiner in “Gone With the Wind” and key to the film as a whole.
A political commentary as timely today as the events and time on which it is based, THE GOOD GERMAN is an ambitiously intriguing and technically superlative work. In the finest tradition of some of our most celebrated films of all time, THE GOOD GERMAN, is destined to join their ranks as a classic and timeless tale of lies, love, intrigue, political and moral corruption.
Jake Geismer: George Clooney
Lena Brandt: Cate Blanchett
Tully: Tobey Maguire
Colonel Muller: Beau Bridges
Bernie Teitel: Leland Orser
Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Written by Paul Attanasio based on the novel by Joseph Kanon. Rated R. (108 min)
