Comments on: We can be heroes just for one day

We can be heroes just for one day

panboi — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 05:01:21 -0800

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.

By: sandking

sandking — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 05:48:45 -0800

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.

By: Forktine

Forktine — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 05:52:57 -0800

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.

By: fordiebianco

fordiebianco — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:13:09 -0800

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.

By: unSane

unSane — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:25:27 -0800

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.

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:30:24 -0800

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.

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:42:03 -0800

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?

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:43:54 -0800

(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?)

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:47:05 -0800

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.

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:53:43 -0800

(Here is the offending clip.)

By: dobbs

dobbs — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:06:25 -0800

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.

By: mattoxic

mattoxic — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:22:17 -0800

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.

By: dydecker

dydecker — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:01:44 -0800

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.

By: forallmankind

forallmankind — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:20:25 -0800

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.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:50:35 -0800

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!

By: pracowity

pracowity — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:46:42 -0800

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.

By: Hoopo

Hoopo — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:48:15 -0800

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.

By: scody

scody — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:53:24 -0800

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.)

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:56:26 -0800

Strangers With Candy was a much better anti-drug movie.

By: pracowity

pracowity — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 10:19:59 -0800

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

By: ClarissaWAM

ClarissaWAM — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 10:54:06 -0800

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.

By: grounded

grounded — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:38:56 -0800

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.

By: kenotron

kenotron — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 13:26:03 -0800

You can see bits of the movie in a user-made Megadeth video here: linky Pretty apt considering dave mustaine's history with substances.

By: brujita

brujita — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:40:40 -0800

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.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:23:07 -0800

"...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?

By: OolooKitty

OolooKitty — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:17:24 -0800

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.

By: Sparx

Sparx — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:50:57 -0800

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.

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 05:16:49 -0800

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!

By: Maias

Maias — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:37:14 -0800

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.