# German language films



## sno_duc (Sep 3, 2008)

Sharon and I are both learning german in preparation for our May trip to Munchen.
I have used all the standard internet tools to learn about german language films.
I've seen some that I would like but haven't found too many that we would both like.
Any recomendations for a light fun romantic comedy?? Peferably filmed in Munchen.


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## john lance (Oct 15, 2005)

You will both love the Romy Schneider SISSI films.....there's a full collection available, see:
http://www.amazon.com/Sissi-Collection-Romy-Schneider/dp/B000RXZIJS

A couple of customer reviews on that site may interest you:

_This series was my original German "teacher" after I had moved to Munich several years ago, not knowing anything but "danke" and "bitte". Wathching these movies not only helped in building my language skills, but also gave me a true love of the beauty of Bavaria and Austria and a true sense of the pride the inhabitants have in their regions. I wish we had more access to "original language" films from the earlier days of filmmaking and less of the junk we Americans manage to produce today. _

_A great movie for those who know German and/or are currently studying the language and culture. Also, a great movie to watch if you are curious about where your ancestors came from. A must for any international DVD collection. _


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## chaz58 (Sep 11, 2007)

That is rather an advanced technique for learning a language, eh?

How much German do you know?

For starting with the basics of a language, your local library will have books, tapes, and video that will get you a good start on a new language.

If you can actually speak the language, meetup.com is a good way to find fellow speakers of a language (works best in large cities though). There would be people at the meetu-up that would be able to coach you and answer questions.

Podcasts can be helpful. There are a lot of language podcasts that can help prepare for a trip (at various levels of understanding). That is probably your best bet. http://www.schlaflosinmuenchen.com/ has a slow spoken German podcast for learners.

For movies, Run Lola Run is an interesting one (not in Munich). It has the benefit of roughly repeating itself 3 times; the repetition can help in learning words and phrases that you didn't catch the first time. The conversation is fairly casual and the movie is relatively easy to find (compared to other German movies)


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## dandanio (Jun 20, 2008)

sno_duc said:


> Sharon and I are both learning german in preparation for our May trip to Munchen.
> I have used all the standard internet tools to learn about german language films.
> I've seen some that I would like but haven't found too many that we would both like.
> Any recomendations for a light fun romantic comedy?? Peferably filmed in Munchen.


Not much of a comedy, but a great one, "Lola Rennt" or "Run, Lola Run" in its original. Highly recommended. I also like to watch movies with English subtitles... that helps lotsa... Other than that, I do not recall any movies, that in particular stuck in my head, other than animated Benjamin Bluemchen and others...


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

This thread covers it and I would add Das Leben der Anderen (won best foreign film Academy Award recently)


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Erm.. you're not actually using movies to learn a new language, right sno duc? They're just a supplement to actual study? It's been my experience that people who use shortcuts to learn a foreign language wind up not using it at all on their trip because they have no actual facility with it, or else getting embarassed when they try.


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## sno_duc (Sep 3, 2008)

We are using rocket and speak in a week german programs. The films are just a supplement. After awhile you need a break from the drills, thats why I asked about comedy's. Things that make you laugh tend to stick.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

sno_duc said:


> We are using rocket and speak in a week german programs. The films are just a supplement. After awhile you need a break from the drills, thats why I asked about comedy's. Things that make you laugh tend to stick.


I would watch ,,Goodbye, Lenin`` and ,,Lola Rennt`` at a minimum. They will make you laugh.


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## chaz58 (Sep 11, 2007)

JSpira said:


> I would watch ,,Goodbye, Lenin`` and ,,Lola Rennt`` at a minimum. They will make you laugh.


+1. Start with those two.

They are both good movies, are up to date (i.e. are not set 70 years ago), and "Goodbye, Lenin" is hilarious. You'll miss half the jokes if you aren't German, but its still hilarious.

Knocking on Heaven's door is one of the funniest German movies I have ever seen, but I don't know if it ever got translated to English subtitles.

If you are still looking, the movies directed by Caroline Link are great, but I don't know their English names. Those are more drama's than comedies. For more, "the princess and the warrior" is an option for Franke Potente fans. The Sophie Scholl movie is set in Munich, but is about as uplifting as a trip to Dachau.

Its hard to find good German movies in the US that aren't WWII based, and Nazi movies are not going to do much for your day to day language skills.

sno_duc, I agree - although film watching isn't a the best learning tool for beginners, it does give you the rhythm of the language (and culture), is a wonderful break from studying tapes and books, and will possibly show you how the things you are learning are used in everyday life.


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## b-y (Sep 14, 2004)

There is a Rainer Werner Fassbinder DVD box set with "Die Ehe der Maria Braun (1979) ["The Marriage of Maria Braun"] and others if you want an intriguing view of "the post-war miracle".

I don't know if you can find German-language versions of "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930) (novel "Im Westen nichts Neues") or "Three Comrades" (1938) (novel "Drei Kameraden"), but it would be hard to beat Erich Maria Remarque for classics. 
The latter one has great cars (a Lancia IIRC) and the screenplay was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, among others. Maxwell Anderson did the adaptation for "All Quiet...".


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## mdsbuc (Mar 17, 2005)

"Mostly Martha" is the original version of the American copy "No Reservations." My wife, daughter and I found the movie very enjoyable and it gave us an opportunity to pick up some words and phrases here and there.


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## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

sno_duc said:


> Sharon and I are both learning german in preparation for our May trip to Munchen.


+2 on Goodbye Lenin . If you rent nothing else from this thread, get this one.

+1 for Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others) 2006. Oscar winner. Set in Berlin. Not a comedy.

I have a few more to add. None are comedies. . .

Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle -- The Enigma Of Kaspar Hauser 1975 -- . The dialog is good for someone learning German. If you've had a few months of German, you will be able to understand much without the sub titles.

Angst Essen Seele Auf -- Ali: Fear Eats the Soul -- 1974. Once again there is dialog that is easy to follow. Filmed in Munich.

---

Warning, these are not light happy movies. I'd rate all of them as must see:

Sophie Scholl Die letzten Tage (2005) Set in Munich.

Der Neunte Tag (The Ninth Day) 2004 Dachau.

Der Untergang (Downfall) 2004


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## chaz58 (Sep 11, 2007)

Andrew*Debbie said:


> Warning, these are not light happy movies. I'd rate all of them as must see:
> 
> Sophie Scholl Die letzten Tage (2005) Set in Munich.
> 
> ...


You left one off the list.

Thoes "must see" films are more for WWII history buffs. Not the kind of film everyone would be attracted to. Certainly educational history, but rather dry for language training. I hope your trip isn't like one of those movies!!!

Der Untergang (Downfall) 2004 is based on the diaries of Hitler's secretary (Traudl Junge). If you get a chance to see that documentary, you can get the story straight from the horse's mouth - without the Hollywoodesque drama.

Im toten Winkel - Hitlers Sekretärin (2002)
... aka Blind Spot. Hitler's Secretary (International: English title)

For trip planning, start with "Goodbye Lenin".


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## Alfred G (Apr 1, 2007)

A current Austrian film is one of the best I've ever seen:

REVANCHE

(revenge)










and even nominated as "Best Foreign Language Film" Oscar 2009


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## Alfred G (Apr 1, 2007)

sno_duc said:


> Sharon and I are both learning german in preparation for our May trip to Munchen.


Das finde ich sehr gut! Viel Erfolg weiterhin. Leider weiß ich keine Liebeskomödie, aber diese Krimi-Serie: Derrick










Diese wurde 1975-1998 in München produziert und in über 100 Länder der Welt (leider außer USA) verkauft.

Derrick fährt immer BMW!


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## hhibmw (Nov 8, 2007)

See "The Lives of Others" (2007). One of the best films I've ever seen. It's about the 
East German secret police during the 1980's. It's in German (subtitles if you want). A compelling story that deserves watching. Not some brain dead action flick, but something that is thought provoking, suspenseful and surprising. Noticed you live in AK. I lived in Anchorage for many years and miss it very much. There is no place like AK. Have a great trip.


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## b-y (Sep 14, 2004)

If you are willing to include TV, one of our local PBS stations runs International Mystery from MHz. The German language entry is "Scene of the Crime" about detectives in Dusseldorf. :thumbup:


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## sno_duc (Sep 3, 2008)

Alfred G said:


> Das finde ich sehr gut!


Danke. Wir verwirklichen diese 4 Monate uns nicht fließend bilden, wir hoffen, die Grundlagen zu umfassen


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## Alfred G (Apr 1, 2007)

sno_duc said:


> Danke. Wir verwirklichen diese 4 Monate uns nicht fließend bilden, wir hoffen, die Grundlagen zu umfassen


Ich wünsche gute Fortschritte! Weiter so.


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## sno_duc (Sep 3, 2008)

Ich verstand über Hälfte Ihres Pfostens, musste die andere Hälfte oben schauen. Aber das ist, wie Sie erlernen.


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## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

Alfred G said:


> A current Austrian film is one of the best I've ever seen:
> 
> REVANCHE


If we lived in London, we'd go see it. No DVD release date in the UK. Unless it wins an Oscar, it won't be playing at the only Cinema in our area. The next nearest cinema is an hour away. Revanche won't ever play there either. 

One of the few downsides to life in North Wales.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

sno_duc said:


> Danke. Wir verwirklichen diese 4 Monate uns nicht fließend bilden, wir hoffen, die Grundlagen zu umfassen


 What part of Germany are you from, sno_duc? Several of us native speakers here do not understand your localized dialect. Could you please translate?


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## sno_duc (Sep 3, 2008)

I got in over my head. Back to the books.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

sno_duc said:


> I got in over my head. Back to the books.


But please do tell us what you were trying to say. Enquiring minds want to know!


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## Patrick (Dec 23, 2001)

Alfred G said:


>


:rofl:

That is still shown on Finnish TV. But then again, so are shows with Hasselhoff... 

No voice over stuff either, just Finnish subtitles.

.


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## chaz58 (Sep 11, 2007)

Sehr geehrter Herr Spira,

You aren't asking us to translate his german are you? It wasn't that hard to understand. Shoot, you have to start somewhere and he is doing an impressive job. He has 4 weeks to build a good foundation, not to be fluent.

sno_duc -keep up the good work! We all get in a little over our heads from time to time.



JSpira said:


> But please do tell us what you were trying to say. Enquiring minds want to know!


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

chaz58 said:


> Sehr geehrter Herr Spira,
> 
> You aren't asking us to translate his german are you? It wasn't that hard to understand.


Neither Alfred and I were sure what he was saying actually - one might infer but...


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## Alfred G (Apr 1, 2007)

Patrick said:


> :rofl:
> 
> That is still shown on Finnish TV. But then again, so are shows with Hasselhoff...
> 
> ...


They did dub into Italian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umfv-XUYeDY&feature=related

in French

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m96c_fxSx4M&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrja9dAJLz8&feature=related

And here some in the German original version (1st sequel "Waldweg")

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zKyou8nJzU&feature=related

(wrong spelling in the title. Korrekt would be "Gießt du mir ein?"


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## Alfred G (Apr 1, 2007)

Here the other way around: American stars (incl. Barack Obama) dubbed into German.
German? No: Schwäbisch. (South Western German dialect)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vee5...09/der_schwabische_grasdackel_outet_sich.html

Jonathan, what's the English word for Schwäbisch?


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## b-y (Sep 14, 2004)

Alfred G said:


> Here the other way around: American stars (incl. Barack Obama) dubbed into German.
> German? No: Schwäbisch. (South Western German dialect)
> 
> ...Jonathan, what's the English word for Schwäbisch?


I'm not Jonathan :angel:, but American usage is "Schwabian" as in:



> The Schwabian dialect is a dialect of German with heavy influence from Latin and French, it is mostly spoken in south-west Germany, and has official status in Deutsch Schwaben and a minoirty status in The Bavarian Empire
> 
> Retrieved from "http://cybernations.wikia.com/wiki/Schwabian_Dialect"


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## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

sno_duc said:


> Sharon and I are both learning german in preparation for our May trip to Munchen.
> I have used all the standard internet tools to learn about german language films.
> I've seen some that I would like but haven't found too many that we would both like.
> Any recomendations for a light fun romantic comedy?? Peferably filmed in Munchen.


try this one - its " light fun romantic not a comedy but filmed in Munchen"

http://www.youtube.com/w/Making_of_an_BMW-E46?v=yxNROtkrsfo&search=e46


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## chaz58 (Sep 11, 2007)

Natürlich - mir mache uns kään Stress mit Platt!



JSpira said:


> Neither Alfred and I were sure what he was saying actually - one might infer but...


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## chaz58 (Sep 11, 2007)

Here are the Caroline Link movies available in the US (with US title):

Nowhere in Africa 
Beyond Silence (1996)
I would still start with

Goodbye Lennin
The lives of others,
Run, Lola, Run
Link's movies are a good set to add to the list. Keep up the good work!


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## sno_duc (Sep 3, 2008)

I had an appointment today in Anchorage. Stopped by the Borders on Dimond Blvd. they had a " German Collection " 4 dvd box set.
Run Lola Run, The Princess and the Warrior , The Lives of Others, and Goodbye Lenin.
Just watched Run Lola Run.
Great movie!

To all who posted thank you for the input.


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