The glass is 1/2 full AND 1/2 empty.

Rating: 10/10 (13 December 2008)

This film is such a masterpiece of Integration vs. black and white Splitting of more or less subtle categorizations by a culture with villains vs. heroes that any attempt to explain or describe the magic of Reality as it is presented in it would be equal to trying to explain the meaning of a poem without reading it. So, go see it. My accolade here is not going to be a spoiler. You can't have too high expectations. If you allow yourself to embrace the material, you'll be fine.
The book was written by a German of the generation of sons and grandsons of those who actually lived in the country which was ripped apart and humiliated after the defeat in WW I. (The War that was cheered and welcomed by many prominent German intellectuals of the time, including S.Freud and T.Mann). The country, which in the 1930s was "raised from its knees" (expression coined by V.Putin pertaining to contemporary Russia). This euphoria of newly acquired power and toxic demagoguery of a bunch of psychopaths, which was eagerly soaked by a population hungry for self-respect and "stability" (another of Putin's propaganda terms) twisted the usual (tenuous as it is) moral fabric of the society and desensitized the whole country.
How the characters acted appears to be natural - albeit not approvable by hindsight and conventional morality. Everyone is guilty and everyone is a victim of seemingly inevitable circumstances. Some redeemed themselves in a 'third meaning' way. Watching this film I felt such a cathartic sadness.... You ought to allow yourself to be open to this profound presentation of our so called 'human nature' and be prepared to take it in and let it make your tears flow. Cry your eyes out my fellow humans...