Babylon Berlin - Série 4

This series began very ambitiously, and there was good reason for that. The lavish previous seasons became the most prominent German export, representing in a nutshell that legendary myth of the Weimar Republic... An unmistakable combination of decadence, corruption, politics, art, and crisis. Who wouldn’t be curious about what 1931 had in store for the homicide squad and everyone else fighting daily on the brink of poverty? While the previous seasons still provided a very realistic depiction of that time within the realm of fiction, emotionally believable and dramatically compelling, the 4th season seems to have become more of a guidebook. There are too many plotlines, too many characters without strong connections, and at least three or four separate finales followed one after another in the second half of the series. But where did the point of the Sonnenborn project go? Why did the climactic action of the Berlin police unfold in the style of Al Capone? And was it really necessary to introduce yodeling at Moka Efti? So many questions. Nevertheless, the train called Babylon Berlin is still moving, and it will be interesting to see whether the filmmakers take Gereon all the way to America or completely part ways with the novels. (16.09.2024)

With the thirties comes the best of what Babylon Berlin has brought us so far. Several scenes are truly memorable thanks to excellent editing. The creators weren't afraid to stretch the plot again, so it gets to the Nazis, gangsters, Jews, Jewish gangsters, journalists, communists, and malnourished kids from the Zoo station, and everything more or less builds to a conclusion where no threads remain unresolved. Tykwer and co. made a great job of this script during covid. (13.11.2022)