The Good German with George Clooney: DVD Cover
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The Good German Director: Steven Soderbergh Cast: George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Tobey Maguire, Beau Bridges

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  • DVD Release Date: 05/22/2007
  • Original Release: 2006
  • Rating: Rated R
  • Sales Rank: 2,113

Viewer Rating: (2 ratings)

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Scenes

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- The Good German
1. Jake Back in Berlin [6:05]
2. Tully and Lena [6:33]
3. "Where is Emil Brandt?" [3:46]
4. Tully Makes Sikorsky an Offer [3:51]
5. Deja Vu at the Bugi-Wugi Club [4:09]
6. Murder in Potsdam [3:39]
7. Jake Questioned by Colonel Muller [2:54]
8. Asking Bernie for Help [3:05]
9. Hannelore [6:22]
10. Sikorsky and Jake [4:57]
11. Jake and Lena [8:53]
12. Bernie Brings Jake In [1:17]
13. Muller Explains the Spoils of War [3:35]
14. Jake Confronts Lena About Dora [3:50]
15. Truman's Potsdam Speech [6:55]
16. Secret Meeting in a Tunnel [2:58]
17. Lena Meets With Bernie [4:40]
18. At the Parade [8:37]
19. Congressman Pays a Visit to Lena [7:45]
20. The Last Piece of the Puzzle [4:52]
21. End Titles [3:50]

Scene Index

Editorial Reviews

A U.S. Army war correspondent is drawn into a deadly mystery in post-war Berlin as he seeks out his wartime mistress in this adaptation of author Joseph Kanon's best-selling novel. The war is over, and Jake Geismar (George Clooney) is an American journalist assigned the task of covering the peace in Berlin -- but he was once lovers with a mysterious woman named Lena Brandt (Cate Blanchett). Lena is a lady with many secrets to hide, however, and now that the fighting has ceased, she has every intention of burying her sins and escaping her dark past. As Jake searches for Lena in war-torn Berlin with the assistance of American Army motor pool driver Tully (Tobey Maguire), the complex web of deceit woven by the desperate woman soon leads all three into the black market, which could prove either the ticket to Lena's ultimate escape or the downfall of both her and her pursuers. Filmed entirely in the style of such Hollywood classics as Casablanca, The Good German was shot by director Steven Soderbergh (under the pseudonym Peter Andrews) using 1940s era lenses, sound-recording techniques, and a decidedly less-mobile camera. Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Customer Reviews

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  • Ratings: 2Reviews: 2

What the heck!by gailannsoebbing

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August 30, 2009: Why do all screenwriter's seem to change things that happen in the books. The book is so much better. The movie could have been just as gripping without the changes (unneeded).

A Black and White Movie with a Story that is Anything but Black and Whiteby Anonymous

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May 27, 2007: Viewers are split on reaction to Steven Soderbergh's experimental THE GOOD GERMAN and for good reason. The theatrical and cinematic qualities of this film noir are stunning, creating not only a flashback to the 1940s films but to the period of the 1940s in postwar Europe. The story is rich in suspense, visual surprises, and intrigue, and manages to unfold a complex tale involving many characters in a manner that keeps the viewer guessing about the outcome until the final image fades. But the film takes a hefty does of patience to appreciate. Potsdam conference, 1945 in decimated Berlin is the scene. Capt. Jacob 'Jake' Geismer (George Clooney) arrives to observe and report on the conference and is assigned a driver named Tully (Tobey Maguire), a fast talking, manipulative opportunist who loves post-war Berlin for the easy money it allows a doofus like him to make. Tully happens to have a lover, the mysterious Lena Brandt (Cate Blanchett), who he is trying to assist in escaping from Germany. As luck would have it Lena had been a previous lover of Jake in his prior time in Berlin. The action begins when the Russians, the British, and the Americans reveal their attempt to locate rocket scientist Emil Brandt, Lena's husband who she declares has been long dead. A murder occurs, espionage takes over and the film runs its cat and mouse chase for the discovery of the real Emil Brandt and the secrets his capture represent at this crucial junction in time - the Potsdam Conference. The characters in the film come close to being caricatures: Ravil Isyanov as the main Russian figure, Beau Bridges and Jack Thompson as the main American figures, Robin Weigert as the requisite good prostitute/stripper roommate of Lena, Tony Curran representing the British presence, and Don Pugsley as the German evil presence that ties the whole story together. Blanchett is her usual splendid self, adding a true sense of mystery and allure to her multifaceted role, George Clooney is on target as Jake, and Tobey Maguire manages to get on our nerves as the nerdy but clever Tully. The pleasure in this film comes from Soderbergh's mastery of the medium not only as director but as cinematographer, and by Thomas Newman's period perfect score as orchestrated by the immensely talented Thomas Pasatieri fleshes out the film's effect. Knowing that public and critical reaction is split, the film is a good evening of adventure: every viewer will elect which side of the critique to follow. Grady Harp