tieman64 Some trivia: with "Heimat", probably the most ambitious project in post-war German film history, Edgar Reitz became one of Stanley Kubrick's favourite film directors. As Kubrick was fond of both scope and minutiae, it comes as no surprise that the attention to detail and the amazing narrative breadth of Reitz's almost 1000 minute long film roused Kubrick's admiration. He saw all of it in his private movie theatre and hung his favourite film still from the film (of Maria's coffin on the rainy street in Schabbach) over his office desk. Kubrick even contacted Reitz in the 80s to ask him about his set designer Franz Bauer, whom he considered for "Aryan Papers" (Kubrick's unmade Holocaust project).When, years later, Kubrick had finished the filming of "Eyes Wide Shut", he expressed the wish that all dubbed versions of his film in the most important European countries be supervised by his favourite film directors: in France by Patrice Chareau, in Spain by Carlos Saura, in Italy by Bernardo Bertolucci, and in Germany by Edgar Reitz. At that time Reitz was busy preparing "Heimat 3", yet after Kubrick's untimely death he bent to Kubrick's wishes.The final "Heimat" film was released several years after Kubrick's death. With its release, and a now combined length of 53 hours and 25 minutes, the trilogy became one of the longest series of feature length films in the history of cinema.The first "Heimat" film, subtitled "A Chronicle of Germany", takes the form of a family saga set in the fictional South Western village of Schabbach in the years prior to World War 2. The film traces the lives of families, farmers, mayors, tradesmen, shop owners, politicians and soldiers, but primarily focuses on the fortunes of the Simon clan, who pull themselves out of the humiliating defeat of World War 1 and witness the rise of Hitler and the entry of their country, not only into the Second World War, but Germany's post-war economic boom.Being a backwater town, Germany's conflicts and larger historical events are only glimpsed in fragments by the villagers. The gossip of neighbours, messages on radios, the appearance of Nazi armbands, allusions to the Final Solution and a subtle scene in which a boy on a bicycle observes a concentration camp being constructed, all hint at unseen horrors.The film is largely shot in black and white, though colour sequences do increasingly pop up, most notably during Germany's first colour television broadcast, which our humble villagers witness with great fascination. Spielberg would borrow similar techniques in "Schindler's List"."Heimat 2" and "Heimat 3" are equally epic. While "Heimat 1" moves from the small town life of 1919 to the social unrest of the 60s and 70s and finally to the relative stability of the 1980s, "Heimat 2" largely takes place in the late 60s and 70s, whilst "Heimat 3" centres on the late 80s and 90s and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Unsurprisingly, "Heimat 3" focuses on a composer-conductor rebuilding a dream house whilst the Berlin Wall comes crumbling down, a gesture which epitomises the overriding theme of the entire trilogy. With the word "Heimat" meaning "homeland", and with the trilogy packed with shots of abandoned factories, discarded US bases, apartments and crumbling walls, the chapters, and the final episodes in particular, are all about collapse, abandonment and rebuilding, Reitz primarily concerned with the idea of rebuilding homes and reclaiming Germany (and the German identity) from nationalistic ideology (and later the threats of Globalization).What's most interesting about the trilogy, though, is watching how the Simon clan changes over the decades, humble villagers becoming industrialists, aviators, arrogant playboys etc. Unsurprisingly, these characters are also used as entry points into other topics, like one character's narrative symbolising an influx of Russian immigrants, another the effects on reunification on East Germany and others the effects of Western capitalism on German heritage.Like "The Wire", the "Heimat" trilogy is ultimately one of those rare projects which captures the scope of Balzac and Dickens. It serves up the vast universes expected of great 19th century novels, with its Balzac-like focuses on inheritance, complex character juggling, money flow, boardroom dealings and the way the world changes (and stays the same) with time. Where the "Heimat" trilogy differs from such fare, though, is in its mythical scope, Reitz paying attention not only to his characters, but the very heartbeat of the earth. For all the drama on display, he is always inserting moments where natural phenomena (earthquares, storms, eclipses) utterly dwarf his cast, lending the series a unique tone, a strange blend of realism, documentary, social comedy, melodrama, mysticism, and German Romanticism.9.5/10 - "Heimat 1"8.9/10 - "Heimat 2", "Heimat 3"A work of extraordinary ambition. "Heimat 1" and "Heimat 2" are the best of the trilogy, though the scope of "2" necessitates that its themes be handled in a somewhat superficial manner (notice the lack of minorities etc). "Heimat 3" ends strongly, but is hampered by its short length.

Max_cinefilo89 Heimat: A Chronicle of Germany (1984), the first entry in Edgar Reitz's trilogy (although at the time he had no idea that was gonna happen), did not need a sequel. The Second Heimat: Chronicle of a Youth (1992), on the other hand, demanded one, because of its brilliant, ironic epilogue: having finally made love to Clarissa Lichtblau (Salome Kammer), Hermann Simon (Henry Arnold) realized he couldn't keep running away for ever and decided to return to Schabbach after a decade-long absence. During those ten years he'd been through a lot (including a failed marriage), yet when he came home his old friend Glasisch (Kurt Wagner), the village fool and narrator of the first Heimat series, greeted him by saying: "You haven't changed at all, little Hermann". Such a conclusion almost screams "Go on with the story, please", and with Heimat 3: Chronicle of a Turning Point, he returns to familiar ground for the third and last time.The story begins in November 1989, in Berlin, where Hermann is busy with a concert. During the night, he learns of the destruction of the wall that had been separating the two parts of Germany, and while trying to find out more he runs into Clarissa, 29 years after the night they spent together in Amsterdam. The two decide to settle down and buy a house in the countryside. Coincidentally, said building isn't that far away from Schabbach, where Hermann's brothers Anton and Ernst have to deal with some problems, which will affect the whole community, as well as Hermann's life too.As with the previous Heimat entries, Reitz handles the project incredibly well from a technical point of view, with beautiful cinematography (though there are less black and white segments this time), controlled editing and great music. In terms of plot and character development, though, Heimat 3 isn't as flawless as its predecessors. It may have to do with the fact that covering a ten-year period (1989-1999) in only six episodes isn't an easy task. There are huge chronological gaps between events, meaning that after the superbly executed first episode, the series'quality shifts: some people (mostly those the audience will relate to, like Russian immigrant Galina or East Berlin-based construction worker Gunnar) disappear inexplicably, while others come out of nowhere. The characters we're left with are largely annoying (Anton's son Hartmut and particularly Hermann's daughter Lulu), and it looks like the director's lost his interest in the leading couple as well (except for the eerie, Kubrick-inspired concert sequences). Fortunately, he redeems himself with the stunning final chapter (aptly titled Farewell to Schabbach), a touching and, in pure Heimat tradition, ambiguous goodbye to a universe that has struck and moved lovers of film and television alike throughout the years.On the whole, an underachievement compared to Heimat 1 and 2 (blame the dodgy middle section for that), but worth seeing as a completion of Reitz's powerful German saga.

Fpi Although the last episode in particular is absolutely sublime, this was a slight disappointment after the incredible Heimat 1 and Heimat 2. I felt it was more difficult to connect to the characters here. They're not as interesting, but this could be exclusively because Heimat 3 describes a period of time that's closer to us. There also seems to be less focus on capturing the big picture: This feels more like a conventional drama than the others. Overall, however, if you get a chance to see it, there's no reason to hesitate. And the soundtrack by Nikos Mamangakis is, again, excellent.Those who are unfamiliar with the Heimat series, should start out with number 1 or 2.

JoelOYoung I went to the German movie premier last weekend. It was a wonderful experience to be able to see all 6 of the series during a 2 day sitting at the ProWinz Kino in Simmern, Germany. Although the series was originally sponsored by the German TV group, the original heimat 1 and 2 did not fit into typical programming slots. Heimat 3 production came under pressure to confirm more into regular TV slots, as German TV is becoming more Americanized and working on more similar schedules than they have in the past. The series was more than I had ever expected,and are a beautiful tribute to artistry, and talents of the filmmaker, Edgar Rietz. If you have seen Heimat 1 or 2, you will definitely want to see 3, but each part of 3 is a film in itself; a work of art, that is enjoyable on it's own. The acting, photography, and story line are all excellent, and I am sure he will win many awards. This film will only reinforce the feelings you have about the quality of film that comes from Edgar Rietz. It is a must. For Heimat fans the photo book that has been published to coincide with the release of Heimat 3 will also be a must too, and is well worth the investment for real fans. They will not be disappointed, as they will not be disappointed with Heimat 3.