Berlin Alexanderplatz

"If in Homer's Greece we have Odysseus as the main character of the literature of an era and his time, it can be said that Franz is becoming the great name of the German Odyssey. Protagonist of the novel 'Berlin Alexanderplatz', the story of the character reached the pages of books as early as 1929 at the hands of writer Alfred Döblin. After that, the work gained a little commented film of 1931 and an impressive 15-hour miniseries under the baton of Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Now, 'Berlin Alexanderplatz' gets its definitive version. Director Burhan Qurbani (from 'We Are Young. We Are Strong') dives into the essence of this odyssey and modernizes it. Franz becomes Francis, an African immigrant (or refugee?) who tries a new opportunity for life in Germany. However, as Drummond would say, there is a stone in the middle of the way. Stones, to be honest. And from there, with a powerful performance by Welket Bungué ('Joaquim') as the protagonist, we understand the meanders and challenges of the modern man and "stranger" to the German daily scene. It is a strong, modern film with an intelligent aesthetic, which flirts with the expressionism that left Döblin's original book so marked. Finally, there is no forgetting Albrecht Schuch ('Explosive Disorder'), villain who seems to come out of a Gil Vicente novel, and who torments the protagonist throughout his existence. After all, who doesn't have a Schuch in their life?"