Babylon Berlin - Netflix

[nelsonmuntz]

This show is really good. It has issues, like the dubbing and the fact that none of the actors are recognizable, but it is worth putting the time in.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I realize my review above is a little thin. This show is a period piece cop show set in Weimar Germany. The plot is pretty standard modern cop show fare, with an anti-hero lead stumbling into a complex, wide ranging conspiracy. Interesting, but not ground breaking.

The direction and acting, on the other hand, are amazing. The show is visually fascinating, and the characters tell you more in a handful of looks than most network shows tell you in 10 minutes of monologues. I wanted to rewatch the club scene in Episode 2 as soon as it was over. There are interesting characters in interesting situations forced to make tough choices. That makes for a good show.

 

[Jay-Bone]

It was definitely hard to get beyond the dubbing, and I've seen my share of the Wutang collection. But once you come to terms with it, there's a good show in there. Its a period political crime noir that keeps you engaged. I will forever be confounded on how Hitler was able to come to power out of that scruff.

Here is an interesting potpourri infused synopsis:
» The Truth About Babylon Berlin

To me the episode 2 club scene is the equivalent to modern day raves. Reminded me of the wild party scenes in the Gatsby remake. Those were wild times, and the Weimar Germans were wild people. And then Nazi-ism came. They shut down Berlin culture like Castro shut down Havana.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I finished the first 8 episodes. This is a good show, but not one that lends itself to binge watching, and I ended up having to watch a couple of episodes twice because I had forgotten what happened. I have trouble keeping a few of the characters straight.

I know it is like the biggest budget European TV show in history or something, but I want it to be bigger and louder, like Baz Luhrmann's Gatsby. I know that is financially impossible for a German TV show, but if they had more big ensemble scenes at the club, it would make the war flashbacks and the one on one scenes seem even grittier. I want more of the glamour of the upper classes in a society balanced on the precipice of disaster.

There is an underlying sadness in the show given its setting, because things will likely end badly for everyone involved.

 

[intlzncster]

This show is really good. It has issues, like the dubbing and the fact that none of the actors are recognizable, but it is worth putting the time in.

I really liked it. But I never watch foreign series (and I watch a LOT) dubbed. You have to hear the actors inflection and intonation to really understand or empathize with a character imo. Don't mind subs in the least.

I don't know how you guys watch dubbed stuff. It kills TV/Movies for me. Unless it's Anime.

 

[intlzncster]

I realize my review above is a little thin. This show is a period piece cop show set in Weimar Germany. The plot is pretty standard modern cop show fare, with an anti-hero lead stumbling into a complex, wide ranging conspiracy. Interesting, but not ground breaking.

The direction and acting, on the other hand, are amazing. The show is visually fascinating, and the characters tell you more in a handful of looks than most network shows tell you in 10 minutes of monologues. I wanted to rewatch the club scene in Episode 2 as soon as it was over. There are interesting characters in interesting situations forced to make tough choices. That makes for a good show.

This. And It's a great period piece alone, leaving aside other aspects of the work.

I find foreign film/TV to generally have better acting than typical Hollywood stuff. They aren't usually interested in beauty, as much as talent. The actors faces are often unique, interesting, and highly expressive in a way that doesn't happen quite as much here in the States.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

This. And It's a great period piece alone, leaving aside other aspects of the work.

I find foreign film/TV to generally have better acting than typical Hollywood stuff. They aren't usually interested in beauty, as much as talent. The actors faces are often unique, interesting, and highly expressive in a way that doesn't happen quite as much here in the States.

I think you are right on the acting, at least for this show. The actress who plays Charlotte is perfect for that role. Of the top 10 characters, the only actor that feels a bit off is the one that plays Greta. She isn't terrible, but you can see that she is acting, unlike the rest of them, where you just get lost in the story.

I agree with you on the dubbing, but I also don't think I would sign up for 16 hours of subtitles against German.