Book Review - The Good German

When I went to The Fountain last week, they showed the trailer for The Good German (which I've seen before) and I noticed that it was based on a book. I usually like to read the book before watching a movie (which may or may not ruin the movie for me), so I found the book at Barnes & Noble after I went to the movie so I could read it before the movie releases Friday.

The short summary is that, in post WWII Berlin, a reporter (Jake Geismar) tries to unravel a murder of an American GI whose body is found in the Russian zone of the city. Throw into the mix his old girlfriend (Helene "Lena" Brandt), and her rocket scientist husband, Emil. Thematically, the book discusses the ideas of media spin to sensationalize or fabricate news, as well as ethical concerns on several levels (wartime occupation, survival and ethics, who is guilty of warcrimes if everyone let the Holocaust happen, etc).

I ended up reading the book quite fast (it's around 400 pages, plus it's a little difficult to read), so I know I didn't pick up everything. My initial feeling is that Joesph Kanon (the author) builds up this great thriller, only to have this over-sensationalized denounment in the final chapters. Maybe that has something to do with his theme on media sensationalism, but I was really disappointed. By the time Geismar solves the murder, I felt, "Come On! This is getting ridiculous!". Other than that, I really enjoyed the book. While the reading is difficult, the pacing is quick.

I'm not very confidant that the movie will be as enjoyable as the book. Most of the reviews I've read have derided Lena's acts of prostitution in the movie. I haven't seen the movie yet, but from reading A Woman In Berlin (my review here) I can say that women in Berlin at that time were not engaging in prostitution because they wanted to. When you have no idea where your next meal is coming from, it's easier (and smarter) to pick a "wolf from the pack". If you're going to get raped anyway, why not just sleep with one man and get a little food from the deal than be raped by multiple men and get no food? Then again, I haven't seen the movie, and can't say how warped the story became when it was translated to film. I can say (from the previews) that they warped some main story points already. I can understand the difficulties in translating a book to the screen, but I would prefer screenwriters to omit rather than alter characters and plotlines. I've never seen a movie improve a plotline or character from a book (see Faramir in the Lord of the Rings adaptations for an example).

Artistically, I'm still interested to see how the old-school techniques they used to film the movie turned out. I also must say I can't wait to hear Cate Blanchett's German accent either. She was amazing in The Aviator, and while I have to admit I didn't like the movie, she definitely deserved her Oscar win.