Phoenix: a post WW II German story. This
film takes place in Berlin. In the opening scene, we learn that the
protagonist, Nelly, is a concentration camp survivor whose face has been so
badly damaged it is completely bandaged. We soon learn that prior to the
war, Nelly had been a successful singer. We also learn that although
Nelly is Jewish, in 1938, she chose to return to Germany from a singing
engagement in London. As the film unfolds, we also learn that
Nelly’s husband is not Jewish and that she had not been sent to the Camp until
early 1944. Nelly (Nina Hoss) is the only member of her family to
survive. The film deals only with her return from the Camp, not her
incarceration, and her coping with being a sole survivor. We learn of
events that occurred prior to Nelly’s imprisonment during the course of her
numerous plastic surgeries and as she searches for and interacts with her
husband, Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld). When Nelly finally meets Johnny,
he does not recognize her due to the complete facial
reconstruction. Johnny believes Nelly is dead; he knows the rest of her family is
deceased. If Johnny can convince the right people that Nelly is
alive, he will be a wealthy man. Nelly chooses to withhold her true
identity and assist Johnny in his scheme. A significant portion of
this 98-minute movie involves Nelly pretending to be learning about herself so
that Johnny’s scheme will work. This is one of those tales where if
you can accept the bizarre premise, the morality play that unfolds is
engrossing. Nelly clearly loves Johnny and tells her friend Lene
(Nina Kunzendorf) that the thought of reuniting with him is the force that
allowed her to survive the Camp. Nelly remains in denial as to
Johnny’s character throughout the film. Lene knows Johnny’s true
story, but will Nelly abandon her love for Johnny to face the reality of who he
is? Christian Petzold directed and co-wrote the script. He creates
a period piece that accurately depicts life immediately after the war.
However, it is the performances of Hoss and Zehrfeld that overcome what I
believe is a defective storyline. Why the
title? On the surface, it is the name of the nightclub where Johnny is
working when Nelly finds him. Based upon the serious themes
addressed in this film, it is an appropriate title. Most of the movie is
in German and the subtitles are excellent.
