Rating: 
Summary: Love behinde the Wall
Review: One of the most facinating aspects of this movie is that is was filmed in East Germany before the fall of communism yet is more frank about the gay aspect than many gay films made in the west today. though interesting, the location of the movie took a backseat to the storyling.
the main character is a handsome teacher working in a highschool in East Berlin, he becomes reaquainted with a woman he knew in college and starts to date her. Later in the movie, he has a shock when one of her friends turns out to be a childhood pal of his, and somebody that he used to have strong feelings for. this encounter reawakens these feelings as well as his nervousness about them. he takes the step of going to a gay bar. this seems to be the end of it until later in the city he bumps into a young man who recognized him from the bar, there is a chemestry between them which them becomes complicated because of his relationship with his girlfriend. the striking thing about the movie is that it didn't dwell overly much on the tragic aspects although it pointed out the wrongheadedness of not being honest with the people in your life. In the end it gave you the feeling that the man was going to land on his feet and is a film I would recomend. Again the side-plot of the everyday aspects of life in East germany before the fall of communism was a facinating addition to this very good film.
Rating: 
Summary: Comming Out; a tragic yet haunting love story
Review: Philipp (Matthias Freihol) is a High school literary teacher in East Berlin who falls in love with I assume another teacher who he accidently runs into and gives a bloody nose to. They start a relationship and move into together; one night Philipp visits a gay bay and meet Matthias (Dirk Kummer) a 19 year old (both actors are good looking too)at a Berlin gay bar; Philipp gets wasted and is carried home to Phillip's other apartment in lived in before he started the relationship with his girfriend by Matthias, who spend the night; Philipp is so drunk is remembers little of the affair and runs into Matthias again while waiting to purchase tickets for a show. They reminise about the night before and get reaquainted; all of this behind his girlfriends back.
The rest of the movie finds Philipp torn between his girlfriend and Matthias; tring to have his cake and eat it to (no pun intended) until all three meet at another event and Philipps finds his life falling apart at all ends; his mother finds out he's gay the girlfriend-wife spurns him and matthias is divestated by Philipps double life.There is no happy ending here and I have found that foreign films are more true to life more indepth and multipli-dimensional than there U.S. counterparts. This is a dark and sad film which I believe many of us gay people can relate to at least so aspect of it.
Rating:
Summary: The best
Review: This has got to be the best gay film I've ever seen. I was completely thrown off by the acting these actors gave out. These guys give out academy award winning performances. In one scene where a guy tells another guy he is married you can see a single tear instantly fall from his eye. These people can cry like you wouldn't believe. And the best performance in the movie is from an old guy in a bar who talks about how he was thrown in a concentration camp for being gay. This film is absolutely brilliant and should be seen by everyone.
Rating:
Summary: The only gay movie from East Germany!
Review: This is a wonderfull movie. The action is in Berlin in 1989, just before the wall fall. The plot is a love story between Mathias ( a 19 year old who has attempt suicide in the begining of the film), and Philipp, a young school teacher who is in denial of his gayness. It is very interesting to see the gay lifestyle (and lifestyle in general) of East Berlin in 1989. The country is still a communist state at that time. There are profunds dialogs. I really enjoyed this movie and I believe that it is one of the best gay movie ever made. An absolute must seeing for all gay men!
Rating: 
Summary: Dark and sad...but important
Review: This movie is a bit "out there" with scenes that feel unrealistic or overdone. The whole nature of the movie is dark as others have menioned but the point of the movie is still relevant and important...at least in some parts of the world. Bit of a spoiler to follow.... There is no real mystery to this film. Boy, who has met and married girl, meets boy and falls in love but stays with girl until the secret is revealed. Then boy loses everything in a dramatic and crushing way. In 1989 East Berlin, I would guess that this is how gay men were treated. Only guessing though. I think it is how they are still treated in many parts of the world. The best part was the story that the old man in the bar tells toward the end of the movie. That kind of sums it all up. Overall: recommended. But don't be surprised if you don't feel much like laughing when it is all over. Will make you think, though....
Rating:
Summary: Dark and sad...but important
Review: This movie is a bit "out there" with scenes that feel unrealistic or overdone. The whole nature of the movie is dark as others have menioned but the point of the movie is still relevant and important...at least in some parts of the world. Bit of a spoiler to follow.... There is no real mystery to this film. Boy, who has met and married girl, meets boy and falls in love but stays with girl until the secret is revealed. Then boy loses everything in a dramatic and crushing way. In 1989 East Berlin, I would guess that this is how gay men were treated. Only guessing though. I think it is how they are still treated in many parts of the world. The best part was the story that the old man in the bar tells toward the end of the movie. That kind of sums it all up. Overall: recommended. But don't be surprised if you don't feel much like laughing when it is all over. Will make you think, though....
Rating:
Summary: Just any city
Review: This story takes place behind the Berlin Wall, but it really could be taking place in any city. There's nothing that screams COMMUNIST at you. The lead character is a young, good-looking, and well-built young man who is a school teacher. His students are easily in thrall to him, and you don't blame them. He seems passionate about his subject. It is interesting as what plays out in real life for him - his being torn between his girlfriend and a young man he is instantly attracted to - is played out in his classroom, as both a young woman and a young man are both obviously devoted to him. His interest in them is strictly professional, however, and despite his confusion of a heterosexual lifestyle or a homosexual one - and he believes he must choose, he cannot have it both ways. This in spite of his sexually functioning with both sexes. The mid-section of the film is about his being faced with this conundrum and the final part is about his decision and its consequences. A very good lead actor and actress, and though the sexual nature of this young man is the pivotable point of the story, I wished for more interraction between him and his students, as he seemed the type of teacher we all fantasize we wish we had when we were in school. There are many scenes of rear nudity as the young teacher is casual of dress at home, and especially with his adoring girlfriend who obviously thinks of her handsome lover as a trophy she can't believe she's won.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing Historical Curiosity
Review: What is special about this film is that it was the only queer- themed general audience film to come out of East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall, reunification, etc. Apart from that, it doesn't have a whole lot to recommend it. Thin characterizations, a decidedly underwritten script, fairly generic "coming out" situations, sluggish pace, confusing holes in the plot and incomplete story lines (what exactly happens to the baby the lead appears to have fathered with his girlfriend?) combine to make this film fall far short of its potential. A climactic monologue delivered by an elderly survivor of the Pink Triangle and the concentration camps doesn't manage to lift the material to the level of seriousness to which it appears to aspire. (I found myself wishing they'd told the old man's story instead of this one.) The erotic material, by today's "Queer as Folk" standards, is remarkably tame (although the lead is attractive enough) and certainly doesn't feel as ground-breaking as it may have when the film was released 12 years ago. Image quality on the DVD is excellent; subtitles are clear and readable. Worth renting, perhaps, but not worth buying, even at Amazaon's generously reduced price.
Rating:
Summary: You MUST see this movie!!!!!!!!!
Review: Wow - who knew East Germany made such good movies? "Coming Out" is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen. It's a bit slow at first, but you will totally be enthralled by the complex character development and awed by the very sexy actors. (Matthias Freihof is such a cutie - you gay boys are lucky he's on your team!) Sure you've seen other coming out movies, but this one is really remarkable because it's so unique - in 1989 Berlin - and the performances are excellent. Also - the DVD is pretty cool because it has the "Best of Queer Berlin" - descriptions of places to check out if you get to go over there. Now I want to go to Berlin! But some parts are only PC-friendly, so I had to take it over to a friend's house because I couldn't see all the features on my Mac. But it's well worth it. And one of the other reviewers said this film is a must see for all gay guys - I disagree. It's a must-see for EVERYONE. You don't have to be gay to recognize the genius in this film. You just have to be human.
Rating:
Summary: You MUST see this movie!!!!!!!!!
Review: Wow - who knew East Germany made such good movies? "Coming Out" is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen. It's a bit slow at first, but you will totally be enthralled by the complex character development and awed by the very sexy actors. (Matthias Freihof is such a cutie - you gay boys are lucky he's on your team!) Sure you've seen other coming out movies, but this one is really remarkable because it's so unique - in 1989 Berlin - and the performances are excellent. Also - the DVD is pretty cool because it has the "Best of Queer Berlin" - descriptions of places to check out if you get to go over there. Now I want to go to Berlin! But some parts are only PC-friendly, so I had to take it over to a friend's house because I couldn't see all the features on my Mac. But it's well worth it. And one of the other reviewers said this film is a must see for all gay guys - I disagree. It's a must-see for EVERYONE. You don't have to be gay to recognize the genius in this film. You just have to be human.
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