Gundermann (4 Stars)

This is the true story of Gerhard Gundermann, who was affectionately called Gundi by his fans. The film shows his life from 1992 to 1995, but there are flashbacks to important events in his life from 1976 to 1985.

I knew almost nothing about Gundi before I went to see the film. I knew he was a singer. I was confused by some things in the film, because I had difficulty telling what was happening in the present (the 1990's) and what was in the past. There was no attempt to make the actor Alexander Scheer look older in the later scenes. If I'd known more about Gundi I might have been able to tell from the context when things were happening. Sometimes it was obvious, sometimes it wasn't. Nevertheless, I criticise the director Andreas Dresen for not making the flashbacks recognisable throughout.

Gerhard Gundermann was born in 1955 in East Germany. He was probably intelligent enough to have gone to university, but after problems in his military service – he refused to salute superior officers – he was given a job as a miner excavating brown coal in Hoyerswerda, near the Polish border. While sitting in the cabin of his excavator he composed songs, mostly folk songs about the life of working men. After years of amateur performances he won the trust of the East German authorities and was allowed to tour other European countries. Italy is mentioned, but there must have been other countries. After the German reunification his songs concentrated on the disillusionment of the people in the East who weren't happy in the new Germany. He was one of the most popular musicians in the former eastern zone, but he was practically unknown in the west.

The film presents his music, but it's more about his political views. He was a Communist, but he was too much of a free thinker to fit into the rigid ideology of East Germany. When told what to do he repeatedly contradicted his superiors by quoting Karl Marx. Eventually he was expelled from the Communist Party for insubordination.

However, he worked as an informant for the German secret police (Stasi) from 1976 to 1984. He gave detailed information about the political views of his friends and associates. In particular, before going on tour to western European countries he advised the Stasi on which musicians could be trusted not to defect to the West.

In 1992 Gundi's friends found out he had been spying on them. It was a shock for them, because it didn't fit his image as a rebel. Many hated him for it. In 1995 he publicly admitted his work for the Stasi, but he refused to apologise. At the time he had thought it was the right thing to do. This lost him a lot of fans, while others admired him for his openness.

Despite Gundi's success as a singer, he never gave up his job as a miner. He said that if he gave up his normal job he would lose contact with the working class.

When I went to the cinema today I was probably the only member of the audience who didn't have a connection with Gundi. Everyone sat till the end of the credits, listening to the last of his songs. But that wasn't all. When the credits were over and the curtain closed, people still didn't get up to leave. Everyone was sitting in silence. It was an intense atmosphere, and I felt like an outsider who didn't understand what was happening. Eventually, after more than a minute, the first people stood up to leave.

Gerhard Gundermann
February 21, 1955 – June 21, 1998