Abschied - Brechts letzter Sommer (2000)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Jan Schütte

Writer:

Klaus Pohl (writer)

Release Date:

14 September 2000 (Germany)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot Keywords:

1950s | Illness | East Germany | Boyfriend Girlfriend Relationship | Deutsche Demokratische Republik

Cast

Josef Bierbichler	...	Bertolt Brecht
Monica Bleibtreu	...	Helene Weigel
Jeanette Hain	...	Käthe Reichel
Elfriede Irrall	...	Elisabeth Hauptmann
Margit Rogall	...	Ruth Berlau
Samuel Finzi	...	Wolfgang Harich
Rena Zednikova	...	Isot Kilian
Birgit Minichmayr	...	Barbara Brecht
Tilman Günther	...	Offizier der Staatssicherheit
Paul Herwig	...	Manfred Weckwerth
Claudius Freyer	...	Peter Palitzsch
Emanuel Spitzy	...	Jungpionier
Slawomir Holland	...	Offizier der Staatssicherheit
Piotr Kryska	...	Fahrer der Staatssicherheit
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ulrich Matthes	...	Wolfgang Harig

Also Known As:

Abschied (Germany) (working title)
Buckower Elegien (Germany) (working title)
Pozegnanie (Poland)
The Farewell (Canada: English title) (festival title)

Country:

Germany | Poland

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Germany:6 | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:PG (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Poland

Company:

Arte

"Where there are no secrets, there is no truth"

Abschied-Brechts letzter Sommer is a quiet film with a lot of suppressed noise. Brecht, played by Josef Bierbichler, is spending his last days in august 56, at his summer residence outside Berlin, surrounded by five women: his wife, Helene Weigel, his daughter Barbara, his assistant Elisabeth Hauptmannn, his former lover Ruth Berlau, his present lover, a young actress named Käthe Reichel and Isot Kilian, who's there with her open minded husband philosopher Wolfgang Harich, who's love-hate-friendship with Brecht is not the only thing that puts up some pressure between them. If you expect to get a lesson in Brechts works or some dry time document, get ready to be disappointed. The whole movie could be about a total unknown man, cause its not about an artist, its about a life of a man who was so focused on himself, he didn't see how he affected the people who were close to him. He must have had a big aura because of his professional success, cause he was already world famous when he was still alive. He is old, sick and not in best physical shape, but he was writing until he died. A chamber piece of selfishness, love, passion and jealousy.