Warning: This article may (it definitely does) contain movie spoilers!
Berlin Syndrome (2017) takes 1 hour and 56 minutes to visually recreate every womxn’s fear of travelling alone abroad.
Let me give you a little break down of the film if you choose to read this article before watching it (bad idea, but I am not here to judge): The film is categorized as a drama, thriller and mystery. It takes place in Berlin and is centered around Clare, a travelling Australian photographer (played by Teresa Palmer), and Andi, a local Berliner and English teacher (played by Max Riemelt). At the first moment of contact, it is clear that Andi and Clare share a mutual attraction and they decide to spend the day together. After the second date, Clare decides to spend the night with Andi at his apartment. She awakes the following morning to find herself locked inside Andi’s apartment after he leaves for work. A mistake? No, because Andi has no interest in letting Clare go anywhere ever again.
The film explores both Clare and Andi’s perspective of their daily lives once Clare is held prisoner. The harsh contrast in their realities, like Clare being tied down to the bed all day while Andi is teaching and buying groceries, depicts the real-life threat that we as human beings don’t really know the true intentions of those who we often engage with.
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We see Clare deals with the painful circumstances of kidnapping and unhealthy relationships. She, despite being locked inside Andi’s apartment the first time, is completely calm and sees it as an ‘accident’ instead of a threat to her safety. Only the second day she is locked inside does she freak out and break his glass windows to find out they are reinforced and unbreakable. Clare does not register any of the warning signs that Andi is not who he appears to be, and therefore does not recognize the danger she is truly in. The name of the film ‘Berlin Syndrome’ is a clear play on words for ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, experienced when someone held captive develops positive feelings for their kidnapper. Clare clearly develops Stockholm Syndrome while she is entrapped by Andi. The film depicts the unhealthy relationship that can stem from codependency and kidnapping when the victim develops an alliance and harmonious living with their captor. Clare’s Stockholm Syndrome is evident when she is left alone for days in the dead of winter without electricity, wood, or fresh food, but is relieved when Andi eventually returns home.
The film is a raw and real expression of what every womxn who is travelling alone faces upon entering a country they do not know. The question of who to trust is prominent, as well as where to go to remain safe. Berlin Syndrome flips these questions and asks you to question what happens once your fears come true. When the feelings you were developing for someone is turned into hate or even worse, if you do not experience hate for them at all, especially being trapped in a forgein place?
The film has fantastic shots of Berlin and its beautiful buildings and there are moments when only German is spoken. The film is a bit of a let down at the end because we expect that real fight scene, right? You know the one: When Clare and Andi come head to head and death is the others only freedom? Spoiler alert, that does not happen in this film which might be disappointing at first because of the constant tension you feel throughout the film. For me, I think the ending is important because it wasn’t about Andi, but rather about Clare being free. It also reiterates her feelings for him; her inability to physically harm him shows how much she did really care for her captor, which is fascinating.
Do yourself a massive favour and add Berlin Syndrome as a must-see film for that night off or the weekend binge! Thank me later (wink wink).
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