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Poster for A Love in Germany

A Love in Germany

Seen it?

1983 | 132 min | Drama

Weeknight Watchearly rating

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With almost no lasting buzz and middling reviews (55% on Rotten Tomatoes), it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who loves a strong drama.
The mood
Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 12 min.
What might put you off
It's in German, so expect subtitles (or a dub).

In May of 1983, a man turns 49 and, with his 17-year old son, journeys to the village in Baden that he left 40 years before. He wants to discover what happened then, the truth about an affair his mother had with a young Polish prisoner of war, how the authorities came to learn of it, the lovers' arrest, and the aftermath. While his son takes Polaroid photographs, he retraces the steps of his childhood and interviews those who should remember. The story is disclosed in flashbacks that focus on the lovers (Paulina and Stanislaus), on a jealous and conniving neighbor, and on Mayer, the local SS commander who wants to find a way out of inevitable consequences.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsBelow par

    55% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerBelow par

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 3K people sought it out in the past year

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Cast & crew

Directed by Andrzej Wajda

  • Hanna SchygullaPauline Kropp
  • Piotr ŁysakStanislaus
  • Armin Mueller-StahlMayer
  • Ralf WolterSchulze
  • Daniel OlbrychskiWiktorczyk
  • Bernhard WickiDr. Borg
  • Gérard DesartheKarl Wyler
  • Elisabeth TrissenaarElisabeth Schnittgens
  • Sigfrit SteinerMelchior
  • Erika WackernagelFrau Melchior