Berlin 36

2009

1h 43m

Drama

History

List

43%

Tomatometer

7 Reviews

49%

Audience Score

100+ Ratings

Nazis remove high-jumper Gretel Bergmann (Karoline Herfurth) from Germany's Olympic team because of her Jewish faith, and they replace her with another athlete -- who turned out to be a man.

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Sheri Linden

Los Angeles Times

Whatever the facts of the case, "Berlin 36" doesn't clear the bar for dramatic impact.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 22, 2011

Full Review

Jeannette Catsoulis

New York Times

Tasteful to a fault, "Berlin 36" turns real-life controversy into disappointingly tepid drama.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 15, 2011

Full Review

Nick Schager

Time Out

The lack of new insights on the subject of National Socialism's wickedness ultimately reduces a well-staged film to a historical footnote.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 13, 2011

Full Review

Brent Simon

Shockya.com

Not all true stories are created equal, as Berlin '36, which unfolds with such a singular lack of dramatic heft as to almost defy logic, amply demonstrates.

Rated: C-

Oct 3, 2011

Full Review

Harvey S. Karten

Compuserve

Strong performances keep the film involving despite its pedestrian, workmanlike production.

Rated: B

Aug 27, 2011

Full Review

Brandon Judell

New York Theatre Wire

While this dramatization of a heartwrenching story is never less than fascinating intellectually and the actors are adroit, the screenplay by Lothar Kurzawa is choppy and at times slightly clichd. It's as if someone has sat on the dramatic arc.

Mar 12, 2010

Full Review

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Audience Member

Amazing story! Loved the performances and the script.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

As I'm an anti-germany (including Nazis) and fan of True stories from those time, I expected something different before the movie. the story is a true story. it releaves how germany cheated 7th Olympic Game. however, it lacks good acting and script to make the movie interesting.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

good story. but still the old kind of nazis story. all i can say is that good acting for the actress. start seeing Karoline in many recent german films. looking forward to her future ones.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Decent enough, but it was kinda slow and straightforward and there wasn't much of a climax...

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

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Audience Member

This movie fits into my general interest in portrayals of how people experienced the Third Reich and Nazi-Germany and therefor had made it to my "must-see" list when it came out. It tells the true story of high-jumper Gretel Bergmann who is easily the best athletic in this area, but also Jewish. So the responsibles for the Olympic Games in Berlin 1936 do not want to consider her for the squad. But because of political pressure from the USA, they have to - which doesn't stop them from trying to find a way all the same...

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Based on the true story of Gretel Bergmann around the 1936 Berlin Olympics, this film shows you what a mess it could be when sports are embroiled in politics.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

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Kaspar Heidelbach

Director

Karoline Herfurth

Gretel Bergmann

Sebastian Urzendowsky

Marie Ketteler

Axel Prahl

Hans Waldmann

August Zirner

Edwin Bergmann

Maria Happel

Paula Bergmann

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Synopsis

Nazis remove high-jumper Gretel Bergmann (Karoline Herfurth) from Germany's Olympic team because of her Jewish faith, and they replace her with another athlete -- who turned out to be a man.

Director: Kaspar Heidelbach
Producer: Doris J. Heinze, Jörn Klamroth, Gerhard Schmidt
Screenwriter: Lothar Kurzawa, Eric Friedler
Production Co: Gemini Film, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) [de], Degeto Film
Genre: Drama, History
Original Language: German
Release Date (DVD): Feb 8, 2011
Runtime: 1h 43m