Babylon Berlin (2017)

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by beccabear67, Nov 26, 2017.

  1. beccabear67

    beccabear67 Musical omnivore. Thread Starter

    Location:
    Victoria, Canada
    Has anyone seen this series from Germany yet? It's set in the early '30s Weimar era Berlin and the clips and stills I've seen look fantastic. I'm getting the idea Sky is showing it in Europe. I should be watching season one (8 episodes) subtitled soon, but I'd prefer if they dubbed it into English. No idea if it will ever be picked up for America (where Louise Brooks was from and someone who looks a lot like she did figures in some of the publicity art).
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  2. beccabear67

    beccabear67 Musical omnivore. Thread Starter

    Location:
    Victoria, Canada
    Just watched the first two episodes of this (subtitled)... really excellent and involving so far. I'm sorry a lot of people might not get to see this series. They have put so much attention to detail into it. Of course there are some obvious things like the Josephine Baker style dancers in the big nightclub with the banana skirts and the lust-morde photos to be cataloged. I hope eventually there can be an English dubbed version because I feel dubbing can be done well.

    This next to The Deuce is sort of like an estranged Weimar great-aunt/uncle.
     
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  3. manicpopthrill

    manicpopthrill Forum Resident

    Location:
    ICT, Kansas
    This popped up yesterday on Netflix and three eps in I'm hooked. I found the dubbing to be distracting, so I went with subtitles.
     
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  4. Hightops

    Hightops Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bay Area, Ca
    The english dubbing is awful. Go with the german subtitles. I love the opening titles with its art deco Bauhaus kaleidoscope design. Absolutely chilling! So far, few complaints. This is a well made series with complex characters and an ominous foreboding.
     
  5. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    Always go with the language the actors are speaking, if possible.
     
  6. Luckless Pedestrian

    Luckless Pedestrian Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire, USA
    I’m about Halfway through, my new favorite show. It’s really well done, a fascinating time and place in history - as a bonus the story is interesting and the large and interesting cast of characters is impressive. Great acting, impressive scenery, good music - I’m pretty sure that was Bryan Ferry singing in one of the nightclub scenes.
     
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  7. John B Good

    John B Good Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    NS, Canada
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  8. medium Rob

    medium Rob Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Virginia
    Beautifully made show. Just finished the first season.. didn't feel super compelled to rush through it.. though it felt like the plot elements were tied up nicely. The Gereon Rath character kinda reminded me of Buster Keaton. Charlotte's a beauty.
     
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  9. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music...

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    I watched it all last week. I really enjoyed it all.
     
  10. arley

    arley Forum Resident

    I've watched the first one, and I plan to watch them all...

    If you're fascinated by that time period, I heartily recommend Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther novels. (If you can imagine Raymond Chandler putting his Philip Marlowe character in 30's Berlin...) Kerr is a master of hard-boiled noir writing. His main character, Bernie Gunther, is a flawed human being, a Berlin detective who usually--but not always-- does the right thing. He hates the Nazis, and a lot of the plots revolve around Bernie's having to deal with the hardcore Nazis. The first three novels have been anthologized in a paperback called 'The Berlin Noir' trilogy (available at Amazon for around $20). Once you read them, though, you may get hooked; there are a dozen or so Bernie novels, and I've read all nearly all of them. Here's the New Yorker appreciation of Kerr's writing, with a few representative passages:

    Nazi Comb-Overs
     
  11. LeBon Bush

    LeBon Bush Hound of Love

    Location:
    Austria
    I'm halfway season 2 (really binged this one the last three days!) and I absolutely love it! Besides "Berlin Alexanderplatz" it sure is the best series ever to have been produced in Germany until now, imo.
     
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  12. ChadHahn

    ChadHahn Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tucson, AZ, USA
    Have you seen Deutschland 83? It's by one of the creators of Babylon Berlin and is also a very good (mini)series.

    Chad
     
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  13. LeBon Bush

    LeBon Bush Hound of Love

    Location:
    Austria
    Not yet, but I only heard the best things about it :)
     
  14. dougotte

    dougotte Petty, Annoying Dilettante

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    I've only watched one episode so far, and enjoyed it. I just wanted to share this amusing (to me) anecdote.

    When I first started the episode, it defaulted to English. So, I changed the Audio to German.

    The next day, I started watching another Netflix title, The Cloverfield Paradox. It starts with radio voices, and I heard German. I assumed it was a montage of international voices. Then, the two main characters, of African descent, started talking in German. Of course, it's entirely possible, but seemed unlikely. That's when I realized the Netflix app keeps your Audio and Subtitle selections as defaults!
     
  15. Claus LH

    Claus LH Forum Resident

    The big dance scene in the Moka Efti club struck me as very strange and out of period, both musically and in the odd line dance they did. The "Dietrich-pastiche"-looking singer is ok, but the music sounded quite wrong and the dancing surely wasn't authentic. If there is evidence to the contrary, by all means let me know.
     
  16. manicpopthrill

    manicpopthrill Forum Resident

    Location:
    ICT, Kansas
    It would be good to know the level of authenticity, but you gotta admit it was pretty thrilling. The Weimar era is so fascinating. Can anyone recommend a good general historical survey?
     
  17. Hightops

    Hightops Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bay Area, Ca
    A very good question. The "modernity" of it did raise suspicions. Perhaps a 108 year old board member who was there might like to chime in?
     
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  18. Luckless Pedestrian

    Luckless Pedestrian Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire, USA
    Unfortunately anyone who might have been there to confirm has by now turned to ashes, to dust ;)
     
  19. conjotter

    conjotter Forum Resident

    The best thing on Netflix right now.

    In German with subtitles is the best way to watch it.
     
  20. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music...

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    So season 2 has already been released?
     
  21. LeBon Bush

    LeBon Bush Hound of Love

    Location:
    Austria
    At least here in Austria - Sky broadcast it right after season 1 ended and you can watch it since broadcast on various services. Isn't it out yet in the US?
     
  22. C4rl

    C4rl Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Fens
    Yes, in the UK it was released at the back end of last year, Nov/Dec I think, with all episodes available on demand at the same time.
     
  23. wolfram

    wolfram Slave to the rhythm

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Man, you guys really made me curious. Unfortunately it's not on Netflix in Germany, because Sky has the rights here. Looks like I have to wait for the TV airing at the end of this year. Bummer. Maybe there will be a Blu-ray release I can rent before that.
     
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  24. Luckless Pedestrian

    Luckless Pedestrian Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire, USA
    Netflix US has both S1 and S2 listed as a single, long season 1 for some reason. 16 episodes total I think for both seasons so far.
     
  25. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Was not impressed by the trailer, cheap production values. But, if Tom Tykwer (director/creator) is involved I may check it out.
     

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