Of interest
- Heimat: A Chronicle of Germany review by CP Customer
This series documents the history of German very well over the 20th century, through depicting the lives of a German family.
3 out of 4 members found this review helpful.
Still outstanding after thirty years
- Heimat: A Chronicle of Germany review by JG
Quirky, compelling saga of 60 years of German experience told through the lives of families in a rural village off the beaten track. The first half (covering 1920-1945) has remained vividly in the memory.
2 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
A masterpiece
- Heimat: A Chronicle of Germany review by DW
Heimat is a gem. This will be my third viewing, each as compelling as my first, around thirty years ago. It may initially appear slow and lacking much in the way of drama and narrative but perseverance will reward those who continue to view Edgar Reitz's masterpiece.
The Simon family saga, spread over decades as well as many hours of viewing, allows one to build relationships with the family members so that their lives brcome almost as familiar as those of one's own. That the series of films also educates the viewer in aspects of German history perhaps little known, particularly how rural life in the Hunsruck, in many ways unchanged for centuries, becomes caught up in and dramatically affected by the rise of Hitler and the Third Reich.
2 out of 3 members found this review helpful.
Interesting but disappointing
- Heimat: A Chronicle of Germany review by DB
The series is ok but I was disappointed because my expectations had been very high. I found the acting to be quite wooden at times and some of the frequent close up shots to be quite irritating. I still haven't properly worked out a good reason why the film alternates between colour and monochrome.
However, Heimat is historically interesting due to its depiction of village family life.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.
Village life to a T!
- Heimat: A Chronicle of Germany review by CB
Wonderful to see the understated lives of village people so well portrayed. With the underlying menace of war round the corner, it winds up the tension in a subtle fashion. Changes between B&W and colour novel- I love it!
0 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Outstanding
- Heimat: A Chronicle of Germany review by SB
This review is really of the first 6 episodes which go up to 1943, because I have never seen the rest and don't intend to as I am not interested in the more modern times.
This series will not appeal to everyone, especially those who need 'action'. But those with the temperament to enjoy it will be rewarded with a total masterpiece. Making a film about everyday life which accurately reflects the life of real people and what concerns them, and is not artificially enhanced with improbable events or characters, is one of the hardest things of all to do. Reitz succeeds brilliantly with Heimat; it is if we are actually there as the years pass. The way that external events of great significance are filtered without fuss into everyday life is an object lesson. There is creative use of voiceover and colorisation.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.