The Good German (2006)
The Good German (2006), an American neo-noir crime film, was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on Joseph Kanon’s 2001 novel of the same name. It follows Jacob Geismer, an American war correspondent for The New Republic, as he returns to Berlin during the Potsdam negotiations after World War II in Europe (May 1945), but before the end of hostilities in Asia (August 1945). While there, he witnesses his driver Tully’s murder and discovers that Tully had been involved in black-market activities. As Geismer investigates further, he becomes entangled in the search for Emil Brandt, a missing German who is being sought after by both Soviet and American forces. Along the way, Geismer also meets Lena Brandt, Emil’s Jewish wife, adding another layer to his investigation.
During his initial journalism stint in pre-war Berlin, Geismer was romantically involved with Lena. She managed to survive the Holocaust through controversial means, initially implied to be prostitution but later revealed as her involvement in deporting fellow Jews. In the movie, Emil Brandt is a former SS officer who had worked for Franz Bettmann, a chief production engineer at the V-2 rocket plant in concentration camp Mittelbau-Dora/Mittelwerk. (Bettmann is a minor character and is likely based on Arthur Rudolph.) The Soviets, Americans, and British all have different motives for seeking out Emil Brandt.
Date of download: 2015-11-11T17:22:34+00:00
Cast:  George ClooneyJake Geismer  Cate BlanchettLena Brandt  Tobey MaguireTully  Beau BridgesColonel Muller  Tony CurranDanny  Leland OrserBernie  Jack ThompsonCongressman Breimer |
The Good German (2006), an American neo-noir crime film, was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on Joseph Kanon’s 2001 novel of the same name. It follows Jacob Geismer, an American war correspondent for The New Republic, as he returns to Berlin during the Potsdam negotiations after World War II in Europe (May 1945), but before the end of hostilities in Asia (August 1945). While there, he witnesses his driver Tully’s murder and discovers that Tully had been involved in black-market activities. As Geismer investigates further, he becomes entangled in the search for Emil Brandt, a missing German who is being sought after by both Soviet and American forces. Along the way, Geismer also meets Lena Brandt, Emil’s Jewish wife, adding another layer to his investigation.
During his initial journalism stint in pre-war Berlin, Geismer was romantically involved with Lena. She managed to survive the Holocaust through controversial means, initially implied to be prostitution but later revealed as her involvement in deporting fellow Jews. In the movie, Emil Brandt is a former SS officer who had worked for Franz Bettmann, a chief production engineer at the V-2 rocket plant in concentration camp Mittelbau-Dora/Mittelwerk. (Bettmann is a minor character and is likely based on Arthur Rudolph.) The Soviets, Americans, and British all have different motives for seeking out Emil Brandt.
