two lives - zwei leben - part 3 for me of the german ff
this one with the added interest of being set in norway
the opening credits running with a state radio broadcast
announcing the dawn of a new era with germany re-unified
the opening scenes of a woman entering the new germany
then donning a disguise straight after coming through customs
next she is at a orphanage and archives centre looking for clues
she claims to have been raised there and pursuing just 1 worker
not really explained - but some relief she may be dead - noted
then a time-shift - 2 weeks earlier and back in rural norway
same woman - katrine - lives with submarine captain husband
her daughter and baby grand-daughter also living with them
standard early morning scenes of each getting ready for the day
latrine's mother called to perform baby-sitting duties - 4 generations
a lawyer comes calling - he wanting to get katrine's co-operation
her father part of the nazi occupation force and she released to the gdr
hers a compelling story of escape on a small boat to norway to find her mother
with the fall of the wall it seems there's now a case for reparation payments
the norwegian government to be held responsible for many cases like hers
katrine is inexplicably reluctant to help - and the orphanage visit re-plays
the film's title then making sense - she does seem to be living a dual life
explained further with her arranging a covert meeting with a german
he demanding she not take part in the case - too much at risk
there's also some very clever archive footage of them both
much younger and a grainy look to add to the authenticity
seems she was a german agent before returning to norway
but in the modern day she seems very content with her life
she loves her family dearly and agrees to take part in the case
court scenes then of her being interrogated about her return to norway
some gaps in her story exposed - and this audience member is struggling
something lost in translation maybe but there's many questions floating
katrine then doing her grandmother baby-walking duties in the town
the baby kidnapped - her agent companion responsible and a threat
his happy life about to be changed and so katrine ordered to leave
the lawyer views some tv footage of katrine - appealing to her mum
and clearly not the same person - that person then seen in archive
she shows up to find her mother but katrine the agent in her place
thankfully it's all making sense now - but the real katrine is shot
even though the new katrine actually tries to help her escape
but she sadly dies and her body is then hastily burnt in the forest
in the modern day katrine's cover is blown and her family in shock
she confesses her lie - she a stasi agent planted to find escapees
but now living her preferred life - but her husband rejects her
she heads to the airport to be put on a flight to cuba as arranged
but steps back from entering the plane and returns to her family
they now more reconciled to the situation and the love is there
katrine decides to turn herself in - and drives off to do that
but her brakes have been tampered with and she crashes
end of story - so well done - more education on east/west
the credits advising that in fact a badly burnt body was found
and that to this day ex-stasi agents are throughout europe
leading normal lives - so a reality angle also in the film
great film - though testing the powers of deduction
if the opportunity arose two lives = two viewings
