We can be heroes just for one day

June 29, 2008 5:01 AM

Christiane F was a 1981 German film that portrayed the life of young heroin addicts growing up in 1970's Berlin. Notable for the collaboration of David Bowie, the film became well known for its realistic portrayal of drug use.

The film's impact was helped by the involvement of David Bowie who agreed to the use of his songs for the film and also performed during a concert scene. The album released at the time also provides a very good selection of Berlin-era Bowie songs, such as Heroes and the haunting instrumental Sense Of Doubt.

Based on the book Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, itself based on interviews and articles in Stern magazine, the plot follows the true story of Christiane Felscherinow and her gradual descent into drug use and prostitution. Although the story is very harrowing, there remains a sense of hope at the end.

Following the film's release, Christiane became something of a cult figure and attracts the interest of various fan sites. Christiane Felscherinow now lives in Berlin with her son.

posted by panboi (28 comments total)

Many teen-age girls have begun to imitate Christiane's style of dress and make pilgrimages to her former haunts.

What's the thought process behind this? I'm mystified.
posted by sandking at 5:48 AM on June 29, 2008

I saw this as a teenager and loved it. I've tried renting it twice in the last two years, however, and both times the DVD was dubbed into English. Dubbed films make baby puppies cry, so if there is a non-dubbed version available with English subtitles I'd love to hear about it.
posted by Forktine at 5:52 AM on June 29, 2008

I saw this when it came out in 1981 when I was about 14. I remember being profoundly shocked by the movie, having never seen anything so harrowing in my life and wanting to vomit most of the time.
posted by fordiebianco at 6:13 AM on June 29, 2008

I saw this when it came out and was fairly traumatized by it. Then a couple of years ago I spent a week in Madrid with the director Uli Edel working on another film. A huge bear of a man and one of the nicest I've ever worked with. His stories about the making of the film were fascinating.
posted by unSane at 6:25 AM on June 29, 2008

Best bit in the movie -- and possibly the only realistic bit, IMO. Where the bad dope fiend jumps over into her cubicle and steals her dope.

IIRC, the rest of it was all 'oh noes, she's started injecting into the eyeball!!?11'.

Good soundtrack though.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 6:30 AM on June 29, 2008

I'm pretty sick of the standard drug movie trope of "girl gets into drugs, girl becomes prostitute." It just isn't realistic. If it were, I'd imagine that there would be many more prostitutes in this world. Of course, "girl gets into drugs, girl has some fun, girl has bad experience, girl eventually stops doing drugs and then goes on with her life" doesn't make for too great of a movie plot. But seriously, does she *always* have to become a prostitute? Can't other bad things happen instead?

Probably the worst is in (the otherwise good movie) Traffic, where the girl goes from A-student-toking-up-with-her-friends to heroin-using-teen-prostitute in what, 1 month's time?
posted by Afroblanco at 6:42 AM on June 29, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

(and no, I'm not saying that girls never become prostitutes after they start doing drugs. just that it's a rare case that's very over-represented in drug movies. how come the guys in these movies never become male prostitutes?)
posted by Afroblanco at 6:43 AM on June 29, 2008

how come the guys in these movies never become male prostitutes?

Uh... Watch Christiane F again, Afroblanco.

I love this movie. Yeah, the plot is definitely prime after-school-special material, but every other aspect is damn near perfection.

Which is why I was so pissed off a couple of years ago when that band-I-can't-remember made a not-very-good 'homage' music video with Avril Lavigne (who is a dead ringer, but still) in the title role.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:47 AM on June 29, 2008

(Here is the offending clip.)
posted by Sys Rq at 6:53 AM on June 29, 2008

Probably the worst is in (the otherwise good movie) Traffic, where the girl goes from A-student-toking-up-with-her-friends to heroin-using-teen-prostitute in what, 1 month's time?

I think Traffic blows, but this doesn't happen. The girl does not become a prostitute, she's merely caught stoned out of her mind fucking her dealer.
posted by dobbs at 7:06 AM on June 29, 2008

I have great memories of this film.

I was 18 and took an unauthorised day off college and was wandering aimlessly through Brisbane's city, and had a chance meeting with a girl I had a deep crush on. The day was blistering hot, and we escaped into a movie theatre on Queen Street to avoid the heat.

Neither of us had any money, and we just sat on the carpeted stairs chatting- as luck would have it the, stairs leading to the cinema playing Christiane F. As we sat chatting, and elderly lady had a fall from the stairs opposite, and all the ushers raced to her aid. My friend grabbed my by the arm and we raced into the cinema. We were the only ones there and watched a great movie.

Thanks for the post panboi.
posted by mattoxic at 7:22 AM on June 29, 2008

This is a very beautiful movie, but like all anti-drug movies the story is much more intruiging before everything goes pear-shaped. After that, you can only enjoy it despite its moralistic tone.

But as a portrayal of teenagehood, & Bowie fandoms, & an evocation of Berlin and getting high - it's an amazing film.
posted by dydecker at 8:01 AM on June 29, 2008

This is a very beautiful movie, but like all anti-drug movies the story is much more intruiging before everything goes pear-shaped. After that, you can only enjoy it despite its moralistic tone.

Agreed - it starts off well but then gets all wrapped up in the junkies-will-do-anything-for-a-fix/ despite-traumatic-withdrawls-they'll-use-again messages. OMG heroin....

That said, Bowie singing Heroes in German rules.
posted by forallmankind at 8:20 AM on June 29, 2008

As we sat chatting, and elderly lady had a fall from the stairs opposite, and all the ushers raced to her aid. My friend grabbed my by the arm and we raced into the cinema. We were the only ones there and watched a great movie.

Yah, right. I'll bet you hooky-playing reprobates pushed the old lady! Heartless drug-using curs!
posted by five fresh fish at 8:50 AM on June 29, 2008

What's the thought process behind this?

By the sound of it, she was (or was portrayed as) a thin, young, beautiful girl who had a hard, tragic life but lived through her troubles, wrote a book about, became the subject of a movie, and became famous. Also, there's the meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie aspect. I can see that being a role model for a certain type of girl.
posted by pracowity at 9:46 AM on June 29, 2008

Probably the worst is in (the otherwise good movie) Traffic, where the girl goes from A-student-toking-up-with-her-friends to heroin-using-teen-prostitute in what, 1 month's time?

But she's the drug czar's daughter. So it's ironic.
posted by Hoopo at 9:48 AM on June 29, 2008

Holy cow, I was just thinking of Christiane F. the other day -- tried to find the book again (I read it ONE MILLION TIMES at the age of 14) and I was shocked to find that my El Cheapo paperback edition from the early '80s was going for something like 50 bucks.

The movie was that special blend of awesome and awful that is just so compelling at a certain age. Bowie's performance of "Station to Station" is terrific.

By the sound of it, she was (or was portrayed as) a thin, young, beautiful girl who had a hard, tragic life but lived through her troubles, wrote a book about, became the subject of a movie, and became famous. Also, there's the meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie aspect. I can see that being a role model for a certain type of girl.

Exactly. I was that type of girl. (At least for a couple of years.)
posted by scody at 9:53 AM on June 29, 2008

Strangers With Candy was a much better anti-drug movie.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:56 AM on June 29, 2008

"...the true story of a girl who went to hell and back."
posted by pracowity at 10:19 AM on June 29, 2008

I don't remember watching the movie but I must have read the book about a dozen times. I remember calling up the author in the Nineties (he still worked at Stern) to ask him how she was.
posted by ClarissaWAM at 10:54 AM on June 29, 2008

The girl does not become a prostitute, she's merely caught stoned out of her mind fucking her dealer.

Oh. I'd say it's just semantics but words cannot do justice to such a big distinction.
posted by grounded at 12:38 PM on June 29, 2008

You can see bits of the movie in a user-made Megadeth video here:

linky

Pretty apt considering dave mustaine's history with substances.
posted by kenotron at 1:26 PM on June 29, 2008

The DVD was released in the states a few years ago both dubbed into English and in unsubtitled German.

I read that she has written some novels, but I haven't seen any in stores on my German trips; and I have no idea if they were ever translated into English.
posted by brujita at 2:40 PM on June 29, 2008

"...the true story of a girl who went to hell and back. "

Anyone know what is the typeface for the "Christiane F." logo in the trailer?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 6:23 PM on June 29, 2008

I remember seeing this movie when it came out, and vowing never to do any kind of drug, ever. Meanwhile, one of my friends saw it and was so attracted by it that she started dressing and acting like Christiane, right down to showing up at work with tracks on her arms. She got to where she was shooting up all the time and eating nothing but goldfish crackers and jello.

I wonder whatever happened to her. Hope it's not what I think.
posted by OolooKitty at 9:17 PM on June 29, 2008

I haven't seen it, and so shall refrain from commenting, but I do recall seeing it in the video store and for some reason the tag line on the box has always stuck with me:

She made her money between her legs and spent it up her arms

That's a Hobbesian description (Nasty, brutish and short) if ever there was one.
posted by Sparx at 2:50 AM on June 30, 2008

both times the DVD was dubbed into English

Given the German's penchant for dubbing every single English or American program (be it movies or television shows) into German, I think it's a fair turn that we dub all their stuff into English. If they don't like it they can stop dubbing the fucking Simpsons and maybe we'll talk.

Homer doesn't even say D'oh! in the German dubs. I forget exactly what word they use... part of me wants to say MIN LIEBEN or ACHTUNG! but then I think that's probably because the majority of my knowledge of the German language comes from Castle Wolfenstein, so it could just as easily be AAAACH!
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:16 AM on June 30, 2008

I remember reading the book and finding it glamourous. I later became a junkie. I never became a prostitute (and btw, the research finds that most addicts who become prostitutes are prostitutes before they become addicts and sexual abuse victims before they become prostitutes).

I also had the delusion that you had to be gorgeous to be a prostitute so while I wouldn't have done it anyway, my self esteem was so abysmal that I figured the rejection would not be worth any possible money earned. That intensity of self-hatred was probably a greater source of my heroin addiction than any media images.

However, I did also find Burroughs and Lou Reed's depictions of heroin appealing. I actually think you might get a very good sense of who is prone to addiction by whether they respond to these portrayals with horror or fascination.

Anyone who thinks this stuff deters most kids who would be likely to get into trouble doesn't know much about kids who are likely to get into trouble.
posted by Maias at 6:37 PM on June 30, 2008