West – Movie Review by Frank L.

Directed Christian von Schochow

Writers: Heide Schwochow (screenplay), Julia Franck (novel)
Stars: Jördis Triebel, Tristan Göbel, Alexander Scheer

Set in the seventies in Berlin, the story begins in the East. After the apparent death of Wassily, the father of her child Alexej, Nelly Senff (Jordis Triebel) decides, by means of an arranged marriage to a West German, to flee the unrelenting greyness of East Germany and its never ending surveillance to the bright lights of West Berlin and what she believes will be freedom for her and Alexej. While there is undoubtedly a marked difference in the behaviour of the East German authorities and those in the West, she is under suspicion in the West because of the unexplained death or disappearance of Wassily. She has no contacts in the West. She is alone with Alexej and they live in a refugee camp in West Berlin. It is pretty grim. Unless you can organise yourself to get out of it, you are likely to languish in its institutional dullness for two years or more. Nelly arouses suspicions within the American authorities in West Berlin arising from Wassily’s apparent but unexplained death. She becomes one of those who will not leave the camp quickly. There is also the fear of not being able to trust the other inmates who may themselves be plants from the Stasi, the East German secret police. Nelly although physically in the West is to a certain extent trapped in her East German past. She becomes paranoid and fearful for the safety of herself and her son Alexej.

Jordis Triebel delivers a tour de force as Nelly. She is central to the entire. She has to play many roles including that of loving Mother, tough faced illegal emigrant, daily provider in the camp, victim of suspicion and mistrust of the authorities and to a large extent at all times alone and fearful of what may happen. It requires an actor of considerable depth and Triebel never falters. The glamour of a black American intelligence officer seemed somewhat out of place but nothing can ever be out of place in Berlin during the Cold War. Anything was possible. West is a reminder of how difficult life was for East Germans during the Cold War even if they had fled to the comparative safety of West Germany.