Monday, December 28, 2009

One, Two, Three (1961)

This is a pretty funny comedy. I just saw it for the first time a few days ago. It takes place in 1961 West Berlin (right before the Wall goes up) and has James Cagney, Horst Buchholz (among others.)
I liked that there are real German actors in the film and that it plays off the German stereotypes of always following orders and meticulousness. There are also countless references to the Nazis (in joke form) and despite 16 years since the war ended old habits seemed to die hard. The movie also gives the typical response every German old enough at the end of the war gave: "We knew nothing" and no one was ever a Nazi - but does so in a comical way (in the film that is.)
It also pokes fun at the Communists (both the Soviets and the East Germans) and while the movie has a very capitalist message (the whole idea is to get Coke in the USSR) it also does this in a very funny way. The thought that an East German Communist Party member about to study in the Soviet Union marries the daughter of Coke in Atlanta (a true capitalist) and eventually becomes a capitalist himself is beyond comical.
While the movie is a little dated it is still a very good comedy and worth being seen by those interested in the Cold War, East/West Berlin or Communism vs Capitalism.

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