The Rabbit Is Me

A young woman's brother is sentenced to three years in prison--though exactly why is unclear. In the meantime, she meets the judge who sentenced him and begins an affair with him--perhaps to help her get an early release for her brother.

"The Rabbit Is Me" was an amazing film, as I could see why the East German government banned it. What's even more amazing is that the screenplay was actually approved--and the banning only occurred after a change in the government ushered in new attitudes that were far less tolerant of dissent. The offending material included a kangaroo court where the family of the accused isn't even allowed to attend the trial or have any idea why their family member was incarcerated as a political prisoner, a judge who cheats on his wife as well as a drunk man who laughs when a military man drowns! Clearly, these were all very unpatriotic sentiments--the sort that would have caused no problems in the West but were simply suppressed in the Soviet-controlled East Germany.

It's sad, as although the film was quite brave and occasionally interesting, it also runs at a glacial pace. An interesting idea that became uninteresting over time--and that was quite frustrating. But because of the history of the film, that was enough to keep me watching--though I doubt if that will be enough for many viewers.