Goodbye Lenin vs. Zentropa

Good-Bye Lenin uses the German space in a similar fashion to Zentropa. While Lars Von Trier’s film was made in the nineties, Good-bye Lenin takes place in the nineties, another pivotal time for Europe. The film centers around Alex’’s perception of his childhood which is intertwined with the fate of West Germany. He must confront his perceptions of both as he attempts to reconstruct West Germany to preserve his mother’s health, or so he says. If Zentropa is a nihilists remembrance of Europe’s history, Good-Bye Lenin is a nostalgic account of that same history. Narration plays a fundamental role in communicating this. The narration establishes that the film is the protagonist’s personal account, as does the opening sequence where home-video style footage is shown. At this point the film interweaves Alex’s quest to rediscover his lost fatherland, West Germany, with his personal journey to come to terms with his father’s abandonment.  Stylistic choices are done to highlight this. In many scenes, the film artificially fast forwards to demonstrate the connection to the protagonist’s stream of consciousness. His experience and memory,  is linked with consumerism. Consumerist items such as pickles and green beans represent a longing for the past. This nostalgia was echoed by many West Germans’ who found themselves second-class citizens in a new economic system that mainly differed in its variety of said consumerist items. The pickles and green beans are represent West Germany and  Communism, while burgers and fries are indicative of capitalism and the modern Europe. While Zentropa is concerned with the political constructs that hold Europe together, Good-Bye Lenin is concerned with the inherently linked economic and cultural factors that play into defining Europe. Television and media also plays a large role in the film. Television is used to reinforce Alex’s lie that West Germany still exists. When Sigmund Jahn, the first West German astronaut,  is shown shooting into space, it is also shown to have the power to define culture.