Winter '89 (1998) User Reviews (4)

It could have been so exciting! But not this time.

[raymond-15 · 6/10 · 3 December 2000]

One of the least impressive films I've seen, yet there is every opportunity for intrigue and excitement. The ingredients are all there. People living under the shadow of communism and living at close quarters with a member of the secret police. Under his very nose transactions are taking place on the black market. Is Maria really in love with the secret policeman or does she enjoy the exciting life of teasing him with her unlawful acts. Inviting him to a meal at home and then embarrassing him by informing him he is eating food acquired on the black market from Romania is an interesting situation. The poker-faced policeman is torn between his fascination for beautiful Maria and his duty to report her to the authorities. Maria's giggling girl friends are a source of annoyance to me - there is just too much of this. The film is divided into three parts - the past, the present and the future. Thankfully, the third part is very short. Summing up, I would like to put the question: Where are all the good scriptwriters?

A refreshingly realistic portrayal of people bound together by an inexplicable attraction and wrenched apart by ideology and simple human frailty

[metropix · 8/10 · 15 March 2006]

Subtle portrayal of a couple caught in an impossible conflict of interests yet held together by a progressively weakening human bond. Maria is a rebellious artist, and Karol, her husband, works for the government in the dark cellars of Czechoslovakia's secret service. Soon Marie comes under suspicion by the secret police, and Karol is torn between losing her and his allegiance to his work. Marie flees her husband and her country leaving their daughter to be raised by Karol. But, it is turbulent times and the old government of Czechoslovakia collapses. Karol is forced to flee to save his life. He has nowhere to go but to Marie who has taken refuge in Rotterdam.

a cold film

[Magwai · 8/10 · 11 December 1999]

I saw the film for the first time at a Filmday in Kriterion Cinema, Amsterdam. Although I missed the first 5 minutes of the film my overall opinion about the film is very good. It's sometimes a bit scary with the idea that Karol is a "killer". And the story is very depressive. Danniel made it a great movie that, even if you don't like it, will have you thinking about it the next 5 days you've seen it. Tonight the film is again on the 'silverscreen' at the cinema i'm working. The 3rd time i'm seeing it. A thing a lot of people don't know about the film is that with a big mistake in the first year it was shot, the whole film has to be shot again the next year. There were technical problems. I've heard it from the soundman at a lesson he was giving at Open Studio, Amsterdam. You defenitely should see this film. It's good....and cold!

Very unrealistic story

[spirit07 · 4/10 · 18 June 1999]

A complete waste of money. Very unrealistic movie about Czech woman who marries a member of the secret police in Czechoslovakia before the fall of the Berlin Wall. It's impossible to understand how she could ever fall in love with him.

She flies from her country after she found out that her husband is involved in torture. After the fall of the wall he joins her in her apartment in Holland. He is allowed to sleep in the house, but totally ignored by the woman.

The film has a very simplistic plot: the good guy (a friend of the woman who was supposed to be in the Czech opposition) turns out to be a hypocrite bastard.

The worst part of the movie is the dramatic ending when husband and wife have made it up and are embracing each other. This act is supposed to raise tears, but if there were any tears it were tears of laughter. The scene was so stupid that the audience in the cinema where I saw the film burst out in laughter.