Germany Year Zero

Original title: Germania anno zero

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Edmund Moeschke and Christl Merker in Germany Year Zero (1948)

A young German boy faces the problems of the tough life in the immediate post-WWII Berlin.A young German boy faces the problems of the tough life in the immediate post-WWII Berlin.A young German boy faces the problems of the tough life in the immediate post-WWII Berlin.

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IMDb RATING

7.8/10

14K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 3 wins

Photos63

+ 57

Top cast17

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Edmund Moeschke

Edmund Köhler
(as Edmund Meschke)

Ernst Pittschau

Herr Koehler - Il padre

Ingetraud Hinze

Eva
(as Ingetraud Hinz)

Franz-Otto Krüger

Karl-Heinz
(as Franz Grüger)

Erich Gühne

Il maestro

Heidi Blänkner

Frau Rademaker
(uncredited)

Jo Herbst

Jo
(uncredited)

Barbara Hintz

Thilde
(uncredited)

Adolf Hitler

Self
(archive footage)
(voice)
(uncredited)

Karl Krüger

Il medico
(uncredited)

Alexandra Manys

Amica di Eva
(uncredited)

Christl Merker

Christl
(uncredited)

Gaby Raak

La donna di generale
(uncredited)

Inge Rocklitz

Rifugiata
(uncredited)

Hans Sangen

Herr Rademaker
(uncredited)

Babsi Schultz-Reckewell

La figlia di Rademacher
(uncredited)

Franz von Treuberg

Il generale von Laubniz
(uncredited)

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Exteriors were shot in Germany, while all interiors were shot on a sound stage in Rome. When the German actors arrived in Rome, they ate pasta in abundance, something which the current economics of Germany could not afford. The German actors gained weight and shooting had to be postponed until they slimmed down to their original weights.

Goofs
When the father's coffin is taken away in a truck; there are five people consisting of family and friends running after the truck. The position as they run is first Karl-Heinz, then a male companion, then Eva is close behind the male companion, and staggering well behind are two women. However when it cuts to a mid-shot; Eva now ends up much further back in the fourth position.

Quotes
Narrator: This movie, shot in Berlin in the summer of 1947 aims only to be an objective and true portrait of this large, almost totally destroyed city where 3.5 million people live a terrible, desperate life, almost without realizing it. They live as if tragedy were natural, not because of strength or faith, but because they are tired. This is not an accusation or even a defense of the German people. It is an objective assessment. Yet if anyone, after watching Edmund Koeler's story, feels that something needs to be done-that German children need to relearn to love life-then the efforts of those who made this movie will be greatly rewarded.

Alternate versions
The Italian version has some extra footage of the city of Berlin destroyed at the beginning of the movie with a introduction cardboard.

Connections
Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: La monnaie de l'absolu (1999)

User reviews71

Review

Featured review

8/10

3rd part of Rossellini's neorealist trilogy

This is the third film in Rossellini's war trilogy; the other 2 films are Roma citta' aperta (Rome Open City) and Paisa. I thought this film was of the same quality as Paisa. Rossellini continues to use the same sort of staging and neorealist style as before. It's interesting to see the footage of (mostly destroyed) Berlin... It's interesting to see how a director from a country that was once allied with Nazi Germany decides to portray postwar life in Germany. A bleak film, but very Rossellini-ish: children as important characters, sexual perversion equated with moral turpitude, the telescoped-in time frame. As in his first film, Roma citta' aperta, Rossellini provides an intense story. Neorealism can sound dry--and some of the neorealist films were rather depressing and not exactly fun to watch--but this film is definitely more than watchable.