Buddenbrooks is a German historical drama which premiered in 2008. It is a miniseries with two episodes. The topic is the downfall of a rich merchant family in Lübeck in the northern region of Germany.
Here is some basic information about this drama:
** Director = Heinrich Breleur
** Writers = Heinrich Breleur and Horst Königstein
** Based on the novel Buddenbrooks by the German writer Thomas Mann (1901)
** Language = German
** Subtitles = German
** Released on DVD in 2009
** Run time = 2 x 88 minutes = 176 minutes
As stated above, the topic of this drama is the downfall of a rich merchant family in Lübeck in the northern region of Germany.
The story covers four generations of the family. The time frame runs from 1835 to 1877. The time frame spans a period of 42 years.
Since a generation is at least twenty-five years, it is obvious that this drama does not cover four full generations.
The four generations are represented by the following characters:
# 1. Johann who is the founder
# 2. Jean who is married to Elisabeth
# 3. Thomas who becomes a Senator
# 4. Hanno who does not want to become a businessman, because he is more interested in art and music
What do reviewers say about this drama?
Here are some answers:
** 39 percent = Rotten Tomatoes
** 59 percent = IMDb
Four user reviews are posted on IMDb. Here are the headlines and the ratings offered:
# 1. The downfall of a family (60 percent)
# 2. Rushed job, read the book (50 percent)
# 3. Flat, way too fast and bad acting (10 percent)
# 4. Poor picture of a family (No specific rating but the general message is negative)
Many reviews by professional critics are listed on IMDb. Here are two examples:
# 1. Kino - de
4 of 5 stars = 80 percent
# 2. Filmdienst - de
2 of 5 stars = 40 percent
The ratings are not impressive, as you can see. A review which offers 80 or 90 percent is a rare thing. I understand the numerous negative reviews and I agree with them.
The story is good, but too many details in the book are not in the drama. Many scenes in the drama are too short which makes many characters one-dimensional.
In my opinion, the rating on Rotten Tomatoes is too low, while the rating on IMDb is too high. I want to find a position in the middle. I think this historical drama deserves a rating of 50 percent.
*****
The novel Buddenbrooks has been adapted for the big screen and for television several times before the recent version of 2008.
Buddenbrooks is a silent movie which premiered in 1923
Buddenbrooks is a historical drama with two episodes which premiered in 1959
Die Buddenbrooks is a television series with 11 episodes which premiered in 1979.
REFERENCE
*****
Buddenbrooks
A silent movie
(1923)
*****
Buddenbrooks
A historical drama
(1959)
Released on DVD in 2009
*****
Die Buddenbrooks
A television series
(1979)
Released on DVD in 2017
*****
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