The Buddenbrooks (1959) User Reviews

Some good moments, but mostly as forgettable as the first

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 20 February 2017]

"Buddenbrooks - 2. Teil" is a West German movie in the German language from 1959. People who speak this language will immediately understand that this is the sequel to the first part of the Thomas Mann novel adaptation directed by Alfred Weidenmann. With the exception of one shining figure (story-based), the actors and characters from the first are all back, so there is no need for me to (not) recommend this black-and-white sound film from almost 60 years as you obviously need to watch the first and then decide if you want to keep going. This one here is slightly over 100 minutes long and as such slightly longer than the first. The cast once again includes many big names such as Pulver, Tiller, Felmy, Dagover, Hartmann, Sedlmayr and Leibelt who were pretty big stars of their era and are still known to German film buffs for sure today. And while the acting here isn't bad, I still wouldn't say they really stand out or make this a memorable watch. But I am also not too fond of the material. haven't read Mann's original work, so I am not sure if it is his fault or the writers' here, but honestly I was never really impressed during the first installment or this second one here. There are okay moments like the business decision, which is certainly one of the highlight when it comes down to the Buddenbrooks and their biggest rivals. Or the deaths as well, even if they tend to become a bit too showy and for the sake of it at times, something that was handled better in the first film. This one here still includes romance/love/marriage as a core component (Tony), but it is really much more about the business consequences there and not about longings and desires as it is in the first that almost had a Sissi-like moment here and there. Anyway, all in all I was not impressed enough to recommend this one as I already said, but of course if you liked the first then you should keep watching. I myself preferred the 2008 version of this tale (AMS, Jessica Schwarz) for sure and maybe check out that one instead, especially if you aren't (like myself) that much into black-and-white stuff.