Author Topic: German movies (Read 11911 times)

vphoto · « **on:** June 07, 2008, 11:47 »

I am to start learning German. Could anyone recommend to me good German movies?

grp_photo · « **Reply #1 on:** June 07, 2008, 12:17 »

It depends what kind of movies particularly you like.
So maybe you tell me some movies you liked and i will think about german productions which should fit your taste.
Germany had a really big movietime in the 20s and 30s but maybe these kind of films are much too old for you.

vphoto · « **Reply #2 on:** June 07, 2008, 12:30 »

any movie that has people talking in standard German, not dialects, will be good. 20s or 30s are fine too.

grp_photo · « **Reply #3 on:** June 07, 2008, 12:44 »

Old movies first:
Feuerzangenbowle has a lot of dialogs and is really funny:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Feuerzangenbowle
Der blaue Engel famous movie with Marlene Dietrich:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Angel

vphoto · « **Reply #4 on:** June 07, 2008, 12:45 »

Quote from: grp_photo on June 07, 2008, 12:44

Old films first:
Feuerzangenbowle has a lot of dialogs and is really funny:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Feuerzangenbowle
Der blaue Engel famous movie with Marlene Dietrich:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Angel

thanks a lot! I will try to get them.

grp_photo · « **Reply #5 on:** June 07, 2008, 12:49 »

Also old 1959 black and white
Die Brücke one of the very few movies that i would really consider anti-war a must-see for me:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Br%C3%BCcke_%28novel%29

grp_photo · « **Reply #6 on:** June 07, 2008, 12:55 »

Two modern comedies about the former DDR:
Sonnenalle:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnenallee
Good bye Lenin!:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Bye_Lenin!

grp_photo · « **Reply #7 on:** June 07, 2008, 12:59 »

A movie from east-germany also old 1963 bw about the holocaust really great and deeply play by actor Armin Müller-Stahl.
Nackt unter Wölfen:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nackt_unter_W%C3%B6lfen

Imagecom · « **Reply #8 on:** June 07, 2008, 13:59 »

The Boat (in German) Das Boat

grp_photo · « **Reply #9 on:** June 07, 2008, 14:02 »

Quote from: Imagecom on June 07, 2008, 13:59

The Boat (in German) Das Boat

yes also a very good one actually the only good movie of Wolfgang Petersen. In german Das Boot (not Boat)

grp_photo · « **Reply #10 on:** June 07, 2008, 14:02 »

Link to wiki for Das Boot:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Boot

bbettina · « **Reply #11 on:** June 07, 2008, 14:05 »

Best German movie I have seen in a long time, in fact best movie I have seen in a long time:
"The life of others" (Das Leben der anderen). Received an Oscar for best foreign movie last year and truly deserved it.
But if you are just starting out: maybe some soaps like "Lindenstrasse"or "Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten" would be easier, albeit much less enjoyable and I have no idea how you would get access to them. If you life in the US there are in some places German news (Deutsche Welle, DW) on TV and/or radio. Also check on youtube for previews and or short films or study lyrics from songs (many English hits got translated - freely - into German, some the other way around like some songs of Nena and Falco). I am using all of these sources to study Spanish.
Good luck with your efforts. Very admirable to study my difficult mother tongue!

Tina

vphoto · « **Reply #12 on:** June 07, 2008, 14:09 »

Quote from: grp_photo on June 07, 2008, 12:59

A movie from east-germany also old 1963 bw about the holocaust really great and deeply play by actor Armin Müller-Stahl.
Nackt unter Wölfen:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nackt_unter_W%C3%B6lfen

thanks, but I prefer not to watch war or holocaust movies. All other movies that you recommend I will get.

grp_photo · « **Reply #13 on:** June 07, 2008, 14:35 »

I heard also very good things about "Das Leben der Anderen" unfortunately i didn't see it so far.

The dubbing of the movies you have in Germany is excellent, so you can watch any other movie with a german sound track to learn the language.

vphoto · « **Reply #14 on:** June 07, 2008, 14:42 »

Quote from: bbettina on June 07, 2008, 14:05

Best German movie I have seen in a long time, in fact best movie I have seen in a long time:
"The life of others" (Das Leben der anderen). Received an Oscar for best foreign movie last year and truly deserved it.
But if you are just starting out: maybe some soaps like "Lindenstrasse"or "Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten" would be easier, albeit much less enjoyable and I have no idea how you would get access to them. If you life in the US there are in some places German news (Deutsche Welle, DW) on TV and/or radio. Also check on youtube for previews and or short films or study lyrics from songs (many English hits got translated - freely - into German, some the other way around like some songs of Nena and Falco). I am using all of these sources to study Spanish.
Good luck with your efforts. Very admirable to study my difficult mother tongue!

Tina

thank you for the youtube hint. It never occurred to me. You have scared me telling that German is difficult. If it has a difficult grammar I am doomed. Words I can memorize, grammar rules in any language elude me.

grp_photo · « **Reply #15 on:** June 07, 2008, 15:07 »

Grammar is less difficult than in english.
And the are no rules for der,die,das the only way to learn this is by listening.

vphoto · « **Reply #16 on:** June 07, 2008, 15:11 »

Quote from: grp_photo on June 07, 2008, 15:07

Grammar is less difficult than in english.
And the are no rules for der,die,das the only way to learn this is by listening.

I was wandering about der,die, das and you answered it. thanks !

bbettina · « **Reply #17 on:** June 07, 2008, 15:46 »

No, you aren't doomed. It can be done and I know people who did it

Didn't want to scare you either, just prepare you that - at times - you might wish you had choose to study, say quantum mechanics or neuroscience

There are actually some rules concerning the articles. Here are the two I remember off-hand:
plurals are always "die" regardless of what the singular is, e.g. "der Hund", "die Hunde"
all (well, there might be exceptions but not many) words ending on -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft are female. These are often abstract nouns such as Gesellschaft (society), Krankheit (sickness), Ordnung (order), etc (strange selection, I admit it).

Frohes lernen!

vphoto · « **Reply #18 on:** June 07, 2008, 16:20 »

thanks! I found a curious German word Heimweh, it should be das Heimweh ?

grp_photo · « **Reply #19 on:** June 07, 2008, 16:25 »

Quote from: vphoto on June 07, 2008, 16:20

thanks! I found a curious German word Heimweh, it should be das Heimweh ?

right! richtig!

madelaide · « **Reply #20 on:** June 07, 2008, 18:12 »

Quote from: grp_photo on June 07, 2008, 12:55

Good bye Lenin!:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Bye_Lenin!

A great movie. Having been to the former East Germany right after reunification for just a few days, I could really relate with what they showed there (the joy and the expectation of a new way of life). Moreover, the idea was quite creative.

And unlike some German movies, this one is not boring nor depressive.

Regards,
Adelaide

sharply_done · « **Reply #21 on:** June 07, 2008, 18:43 »

Check out Lola rennt.

vphoto · « **Reply #22 on:** June 07, 2008, 19:32 »

Quote from: madelaide on June 07, 2008, 18:12

Quote from: grp_photo on June 07, 2008, 12:55
Good bye Lenin!:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Bye_Lenin!

A great movie. Having been to the former East Germany right after reunification for just a few days, I could really relate with what they showed there (the joy and the expectation of a new way of life). Moreover, the idea was quite creative.

And unlike some German movies, this one is not boring nor depressive.

Regards,
Adelaide

have you been to Furstenberg ? It were I may have to move to ....

lathspell · « **Reply #23 on:** June 07, 2008, 19:34 »

Later when you are more into German you should give a try to "Schtonk!" (a hilarious comedy about the true story of the faked Hitler diaries) or "Mein Führer" - I always enjoyed learning English from comedies (like "Blackadder", "Fawlty Towers", Monthy Python stuff etc.)!

vphoto · « **Reply #24 on:** June 07, 2008, 19:39 »

Quote from: lathspell on June 07, 2008, 19:34

Later when you are more into German you should give a try to "Schtonk!" (a hilarious comedy about the true story of the faked Hitler diaries) or "Mein Führer" - I always enjoyed learning English from comedies (like "Blackadder", "Fawlty Towers", Monthy Python stuff etc.)!

thanks! i did not expect so many replies

madelaide · « **Reply #25 on:** June 07, 2008, 19:50 »

Quote from: vphoto on June 07, 2008, 19:32

have you been to Furstenberg ? It were I may have to move to ....

No, just Berlin (missing the thrill of border control and buying pieces of the wall

) and Dresden (beautiful city, and I've heard it's even better now after some restorations.

Regards,
Adelaide

lathspell · « **Reply #26 on:** June 07, 2008, 19:56 »

Quote from: madelaide on June 07, 2008, 19:50

... and Dresden (beautiful city, and I've heard it's even better now after some restorations.

It is "even better now" – I'm from Dresden.

vphoto · « **Reply #27 on:** June 07, 2008, 19:59 »

Berlin is close to the place. Dresden surprised me with river view and
Sans Souci palace (if my French is not correct, which i rarely so, please pardon me)

lathspell · « **Reply #28 on:** June 07, 2008, 20:07 »

Quote from: vphoto on June 07, 2008, 19:59

Dresden surprised me with river view and
Sans Souci palace (if my French is not correct, which i rarely so, please pardon me)

Pardon me, but Sanssouci palace and gardens are in Potsdam, near Berlin - did you mean the Pillnitz palace?

vphoto · « **Reply #29 on:** June 07, 2008, 20:11 »

Potsdam, I am not rihtig this time

also the river view was of Berlin I was told.

bbettina · « **Reply #30 on:** June 08, 2008, 05:03 »

Quote

I found a curious German word Heimweh, it should be das Heimweh ?

yes, right and here is another rule: in a composite noun like this (Heim + Weh) the article is determined by the second noun (das Weh = hurt, sickness) . In this case it is "das Heim" as well, but that it doesn't determine the article.Another example "der Bilderrahmen" = the pictureframe, = "das Bild" and "der Rahmen".
I am kind of stuck on grammar right now, it seems . I am studing Spanish and spent three weeks with a girlfriend who was studying English grammar to be an English teacher - must have rubbed of.

Opla · « **Reply #31 on:** June 08, 2008, 06:18 »

Read'em and weep :-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_grammar

grp_photo · « **Reply #32 on:** June 08, 2008, 06:39 »

Quote from: Opla on June 08, 2008, 06:18

Read'em and weep :-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_grammar

Come on its not that bad people will easily understand you without perfect grammar, actually the grammar of most germans i know isn't always perfect - relax

Opla · « **Reply #33 on:** June 08, 2008, 07:36 »

Quote from: grp_photo on June 08, 2008, 06:39

Quote from: Opla on June 08, 2008, 06:18
Read'em and weep :-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_grammar

Come on its not that bad people will easily understand you without perfect grammar, actually the grammar of most germans i know isn't always perfect - relax

Now I understand how you come to the conclusion that German grammar is easier than English grammar

grp_photo · « **Reply #34 on:** June 08, 2008, 08:06 »

Well you can find to any language a site that one can make weep
I suppose you are dutch (correct me if i'm wrong but it's just an example anyway)
so here we go dutch grammar:
http://de.wikibooks.org/wiki/Niederl%C3%A4ndisch/_Grammatik

Opla · « **Reply #35 on:** June 08, 2008, 08:39 »

Yes, I am. And yes, the Dutch grammar can be pretty complicated too, it drives many foreign students crazy. The German grammar is even more complicated than the Dutch grammar. Compared to both languages, I find English grammar the easiest by far.

grp_photo · « **Reply #36 on:** June 08, 2008, 08:51 »

Well you have much more tenses in english than in german. I personally find this very difficult.
I guess every language has it obstacles for language-students.

lathspell · « **Reply #37 on:** June 08, 2008, 08:55 »

Actually there's just one grammar I "hate" more than that of my mother tongue (German), and that is Russian ... But my deepest respect to all who are learning German as a foreign language. Even we Germans are in a constant struggle against grammar and spelling, so don't be afraid about mistakes!

madelaide · « **Reply #38 on:** June 08, 2008, 15:25 »

I don't find German grammar so difficult, with the advantage that it has fewer exceptions than others. The problems I find are the gender of the words (most of which I have completely forgotten) and that thing of having the verb at the end of the sentence (easy to do, but making comprehension very difficult).

Regards,
Adelaide

CofkoCof · « **Reply #39 on:** June 08, 2008, 15:41 »

Yeah, genders are hard, beacause you have to learn them by heart and you forget them very fast if you don't practice. I understand a lot, but it's much harder for me to say something

Three more movies for you:
- a classic by Wim Wenders : Der Himmel uber Berlin
- a newer movie: Das Experiment
- movie based on a great novel by Michel Houellebecq: Elementarteilchen

vphoto · « **Reply #40 on:** June 08, 2008, 15:54 »

Are German compose words like Elementarteilchen part of the language or anyone can create them?

CofkoCof · « **Reply #41 on:** June 08, 2008, 16:09 »

They are part of the language, you just put different words together to make a new word

Write "longest german word" in google and you'll see

travelstock · « **Reply #42 on:** June 09, 2008, 08:11 »

I'd also endorse:
Goodbye Lenin, Himmer uber Berlin, and Das Leben der Anderen - are all fantastic movies.

Some other good ones are: Der bewegte Mann, Rossini and Mostly Martha.
As a way of learning the language though you could also try to track down some American movies that have been dubbed over in German - often the language will be simpler than moves that are originally in German, and the themes and storyline are probably more familiar too. Basically almost all Hollywood movies are shown in Germany with voice-over rather than subtitles so it shouldn't be too difficult.

dawn · « **Reply #43 on:** June 09, 2008, 16:43 »

I would recommend: "Barfuss" newbielink:http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barfuss_%28Film%29 [nonactive]
and: "Erbsen auf halb sechs" (yes I know that's a very strange title) newbielink:http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erbsen_auf_halb_sechs [nonactive]
and of course "Das Boot"

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Author Topic: German movies (Read 11911 times)

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