Dresden (2006)

Falls apart at the end. So does Dresden.

It does a good job of presenting the history without grinding any axes. And if you've ever wondered what exactly Hogans Heroes were doing over Germany when they got shot down, as I used to, now you'll know . The special effects are pretty damn believable, at least to me who have never seen a city fire bombed. But the love story part is a disaster. Maybe it would have taken a 3rd disk and another 100 million Euros to develop the romance and make it plausible. Well, it isn't, so best sit back and enjoy, if that's the right word, the spectacle of a beautiful old city being roasted. July 29, 2008

Lots of reading subtitles, but worth it...

This was a good love story in a historical setting. I try to find films to watch for 'family movie night' that my teenagers might actually learn or connect with history. There were a couple scenes that I requested my teenagers to turn their heads away from the screen, but over all I was fine with the movie. I will worn you though; this movie has lots of spoken German so subtitles are part of the entire movie. June 13, 2008

Terrific viewing

A WWII historical drama/romance well worth watching. Shows the unbelievable horror of one of the worst outrages of the war.

The firebombing scenes are incredibly realistic, horrifying and heart-rending, and in a strange way beautiful. The flight sequences ditto.

The characters are excellent as are their portrayals. Even in the midst of war and pain, there are venal characters doing their worst. And there are gallant and humane characters doing theirs.

Don't miss this one. Can't wait until it is formatted for our region so I can buy it and watch again. May 27, 2008

should have been on the big screen...

"Dresden" may have been a made as a TV mini-series, but it was clearly budgeted with formidable dollars behind it. The result is a film that looks and feels like a theatrical release and frankly, would have played well on 'the big screen'.

Camparable to a film like The English Patient, the story line is dual layered (love during war) and is not necessarily 'new', but it draws you in and carries you through, and the scenes are incredible, especially those during the burning, collapsing Dresden. They will blow you away!

Highly recommended!!! May 23, 2008

Eine Nachdenkliche Geschichte

Amazon recaps the plot outline so thoroughly there is no need to repeat it here. I will only say that this is a truly great film with a terrific cast and top-notch production values. It's the kind of movie Hollywood seems to make only very rarely anymore -- you know, an actual story with characters you care about told in a straightforward fashion (what a novel idea!). Felicitas Woll is simply outstanding and very captivating in her role. Everyone is very well cast and the screenplay is superb. It hooked me in right from the start and never let go.

The film gives a fairly balanced view of the reasoning and rationalizations leading up to the targeting of Dresden by the Allies. None of this can really be fully understood by us ex post facto, however. The loss of life and the sheer destruction wrought is simply too overwhelming.

As far as the film being in English OR German, as Amazon lists, at least the copy I rented (from that online rental outfit that shall remain namelessNetflix) was only in German, with English subtitles. This was fine with me.

I also highly recommend another Roland Suso Richter film, 'Der Tunnel', about a group of people who dug a tunnel under the Berlin Wall. Equally gripping and well done. May 21, 2008

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