Seven Oaks Magazine.

In old East German cowboy films, the Indians always win. Throughout the '70's in socialist Germany, Serbian-born Gojko Mitic reigned as the top film super hunk, not by playing John Wayne, but instead, by always starring as heroic Native Indians, resisting the onslaught from oncoming waves of vicious American pioneers. Today, almost 15 years since the end of East Germany, America has quite definitely arrived and a quickly changing Berlin will soon become the new capital of Europe. But within all this capitalist progress, an odd, interesting nostalgia for the days of socialism has sprouted up. Wolfgang Becker's warm film Goodbye Lenin! shows us a bit of today's German longing for the days when cowboys were the bad guys.

After the initial tidal wave of western capitalist media (try watching German MTV - Das Fifty Zent and G-Unit!), it seems that "Ossies" (East Germans) have become at least a little disillusioned with it all. Recently "Ostalgie" has boomed all around Germany. Communist era films and television have become huge sellers again, with rental figures breaking records at almost five million euros a year. Last fall, former East German Olympic figure skating star Katarina Witt - known there as the "beautiful face of socialism" - became the host of a new GDR Show which brings viewers back to the old days by interviewing the dissidents, actors, politicians, and sports stars that Ossies grew up with. A GDR theme park is also on the way.

Although Western ways have definitely taken over, Berliners have fought to save a few symbols of old times. The feistiest battle was for the preservation of East Berlin's Ampelmännchen (tiny lamp man), one of the last visible demarcations of East and West in the formerly divided city. The socialist crosswalk figure with its hat and enormous arms was to disappear in accordance with European Union rules, but a large grassroots campaign was launched, and Berliners won the right to keep and multiply the old symbol in the East. A small industry in Ampelmännchen paraphernalia ensued, small all-Ampelmännchen stores now sell everything from T-shirts to doorstops. Even in what was once West Berlin, "Ostalgie" has become highly fashionable. Its attractive mix of teen rebellion and adult nostalgia continues to mould and change perceptions of socialist life in today's Germany.

Goodbye Lenin! , which finally arrived in North American theatres on Friday, takes place in a rapidly changing Berlin during the short time between celebrations of the Socialist republic's 40th birthday in '89 and the official reunification of Germany in 1990. In '89, our man, Alex Kerner, is a melancholic TV repairman, reminiscing back to '78 and his childhood idolisation of the first German in space, trips to young pioneer camp, and idyllic summers at the small family cabin. Alex's mama, Christiane, played by former East German film star Katrina Sass, who has been an emotional super idealistic socialist ever since the defection of her husband to the West, falls into a coma after seeing her son at a pro-democracy march. She's out for eight important months during which GDR leader Honecker resigns, the Berlin Wall falls, and capitalism floods in. Germany is on the verge of reunification. At home, Alex and his sister have thrown out all the old furniture and gotten new jobs, Ariane has dropped school to work the drive-through at Burger King and has fallen in love with her supervisor, a flaky "Wessie" named Rainer who tans, belly dances, and pays for the old apartment.

When Christiane suddenly regains consciousness, her fragile condition forces Alex to lead a conspiracy to shield her from all the changes. He reinstalls all of his mother's old dingy communist decor (complete with Che poster) and pretends all is well within the socialist republic.

Since many of us grew up on movies and TV that most often portrayed Eastern Europeans as dark, humourless and heartless, it feels good to watch a film where most all the Wessies though lovable seem rich, ridiculous, and aloof. The gags of scrambling for authentic socialist pickle jars and old packets of Mocca Fix Gold, and the scenes of awkward explanations are more cute than they are funny and ultimately it's the physical and ideological setting that makes this family story so intriguing and pleasing. As Goodbye Lenin! progresses, Alex scrambles to maintain his made-up world. Although he finds many helpful old neighbours who yearn to relive the old days, Alex is forced to take on larger and larger lies. When mama sees westerners around, he creates news stories about the mass exodus of Germans fleeing the cruel, unfair, and racist world of capitalism for their wonderful little socialist republic. There's a romantic interest between Alex and the young protester and nurse, Lara. The two really shine when Becker puts them in interesting spots like the scenes of the two making love in an apartment quickly abandoned years earlier by people fleeing to the West. All throughout, feel good French composer Yann Tierson of Amelie fame uses his accordions and pianos to create a fine Amelie -esque feeling in the tummy.

The real love story though is one that is seldom told in film, that of a son towards his mother. On CBC radio, Becker said his aim with the film was to show that "under socialism you still laughed and wept and had your first kiss." Alex acknowledges that the GDR he creates for his mother is one that he wishes would have really existed. Goodbye Lenin! makes us nostalgic for a time and place that's never been entirely real. But nonetheless you'll feel a tiny sadness like you've lost a place where all people were cared for and the Indians always won.