"Berlin Alexanderplatz" (1980) TV mini-series

User Rating:

8.9/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

10 August 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

This film, which is basically the longest narrative film ever made, is a 15-1/2 hour episodic exploration of the character of Franz Biberkopf...

Plot Keywords:

Remake | Beer | Homosexuality | Critically Acclaimed | Jail

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Günter Lamprecht	...	Franz Biberkopf (14 episodes, 1980)
Karlheinz Braun	...	Rechtsanwalt Löwenhund (13 episodes, 1980)
Hanna Schygulla	...	Eva (12 episodes, 1980)
Claus Holm	...	Wirt / ... (12 episodes, 1980)
Franz Buchrieser	...	Gottfried Meck (11 episodes, 1980)
Brigitte Mira	...	Frau Bast / ... (10 episodes, 1980)
Roger Fritz	...	Herbert / ... (9 episodes, 1980)
Gottfried John	...	Reinhold Hoffmann (9 episodes, 1980)
Barbara Sukowa	...	Mieze (7 episodes, 1980)
Günther Kaufmann	...	Theo (7 episodes, 1980)
Ivan Desny	...	Pums / ... (7 episodes, 1980)
Volker Spengler	...	Bruno (7 episodes, 1980)
Vitus Zeplichal	...	Rudi (7 episodes, 1980)
Barbara Valentin	...	Ida (6 episodes, 1980)

Also Known As:

"Berlin Alexanderplatz: Remastered" (Germany) (restored version)

Runtime:

West Germany:894 min (14 parts)

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:12 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Bavaria Film

Trivia:

When the film arrived in the United States, it was first shown on public television. Then, the film was shown in "theater installments" and every night, a theater would show two episodes.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) (TV)

The restored Biberkopf

I think it's a perfect crime that this epic of human behavior has been neglected by German audiences. Even here on IMDb the people commenting on it are from various parts all over the wold but not from Germany. This is mostly due to the fact that "Berlin Alexanderplatz" was aired only once in 1980, under not very becoming conditions (it was a very bad copy of the original 16mm print that was much too dark for once), and then quickly thrown on the garbage heap of television-history. In the US for instance, Berlin Alexanderplatz was shown in cinemas and the association of American film critics at the end of the 80ies placed Günther Lamprecht under the top three actors of it's time, just behind Robert de Niro and Ben Kingsley. Figure that. Still the Germans go on saying that the Americans are mere barbarians when it comes to art. Thanks to "Süddeutsche Zeitung" and the people responsible for the quite expensive restoration-process of the series we now have a DVD and can watch the somnambulic masterpiece in all of it's original glory. It's the spiraling downfall of one man in a big Leviathan of a city, hard to swallow for most who rely on the silver or small screen for escapist entertainment. I just wish that today for every "Lost", "24" or "Profiler/CSI"-series there would at least be one "Berlin Alexanderplatz".