Germany Year Zero

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Germany Year Zero

1948

1h 13m

Drama

War

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

24 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

In the devastated remains of post-war Germany, 12-year-old Edmund (Edmund Moeschke) lives with his family and five other families in a battered apartment. His brother, a former Nazi, evades the police hiding there, while his sister walks the streets. As his father (Ernst Pittschau) remains too ill to help them, it falls to Edmund to provide for the family by dealing with the black market. Growing desperate, Edmund allows a former schoolteacher to offer his help and some unusual advice.

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Critics Consensus

An early masterpiece from director Roberto Rossellini, Germany Year Zero plunges viewers into real-life horror.

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David Denby

The New Yorker

The colossal rubble of Berlin is not just an analogue to the collapse of the social order but an amazing sight, and the movie makes you feel the weight of every smashed faade and fallen stone.

May 20, 2014

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Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

Short and very downbeat, this hits the irony buttons rather too much but is still an uncomfortable, powerful film.

Rated: 3/5

May 20, 2014

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Variety Staff

Variety

Pic isn't acted but 'lived.' Pro and non-pro cast play it with uniform sincerity. Edmund Meschke is the most impressive of the lot, delivering a poignant, believable portrayal as the young disgraced hero.

Mar 26, 2009

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André Bazin

Esprit

Rossellini is perhaps the only filmmaker in the world who knows how to get us interested in an action while leaving it in its objective con- text. Our emotion is thus rid of all sentimentality, for it has been filtered by force through our intelligence.

Jun 13, 2023

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Utterly pessimistic in every regard.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 3, 2021

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Luis Fernando Galván

En Filme

The images of the city are extraordinary. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 5/5

Nov 23, 2020

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Luca D

Besides having a very tragic story that is truly emotional, a great soundtrack, and an unbeatable backdrop of real post war Berlin, the acting holds the movie back a little bit and the characters lack the development they need to be relatable due to the short runtime and poor acting. I would recommend to history buffs and would maybe watch again.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/25

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Lanfranco C

From the well described "horror" of year zero, Germany went back in track in less than ten years. Incredible.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/17/24

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Aaron H

I want my innocence back after watching this movie. This was gut wrenching to watch.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/08/23

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Christopher B

While many argue that "Germany Year Zero" is just misery stacked upon misery with nothing else, sometimes that's life and is reality for people. This is the third and final film in Rossellini's War Trilogy and is by far the shortest and to the point, running at 73 minutes while the others are closer to 120 minutes. In no way does the run time hinder the message of the film, rather it makes the message clear and hard. The film's protagonist is a twelve year old boy named Edmund Koehler who along with his brother and sister must care for their weak and dying father. Edmund's older brother was in the German army and thus is in hiding due to the allied forces being in power at the end of WWII. This means that there are four people trying to surviving on three rations, leading them all to struggle day to day. Edmund helps in any way he can, often making mistakes and being taken advantage of in many ways but It's clear his intentions are heroic and noble. After helping an old teacher sell items and make a little money, Edmund begins to get brain washed by the teacher who constantly speaks of being brave and letting the weak die and the strong live. It's due to this that Edmund proceeds down a rough and ultimately fatal downwards spiral. The film itself is a lonely and dark coming of age film in wore torn Germany and is almost a horror film for the neo-realist genre.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/22/22

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Isaiah Y

One of Roberto Rossellini's greatest films

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/21

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s r

Simple, but tragic. Showing the hardships in Germany post WW2. Saw on HBO.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Roberto Rossellini

Director

Ernst Pittschau

Il padre

Erich Guhne

Il maestro

Edmund Moeschke

Edmund

Ingetraud Hinze

Eva

Franz Otto Kruger

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Synopsis

In the devastated remains of post-war Germany, 12-year-old Edmund (Edmund Moeschke) lives with his family and five other families in a battered apartment. His brother, a former Nazi, evades the police hiding there, while his sister walks the streets. As his father (Ernst Pittschau) remains too ill to help them, it falls to Edmund to provide for the family by dealing with the black market. Growing desperate, Edmund allows a former schoolteacher to offer his help and some unusual advice.

Director: Roberto Rossellini
Production Co: SAFDI, Deutsche Film (DEFA), Tevere Film, Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC)
Genre: Drama, War
Original Language: German
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 15, 2020
Runtime: 1h 13m

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