For those commenters who deem "The Phoenix" unbelievable, with all due respect, you don't have a clue about the depth of trauma and denial in post-war Germany. I encourage you to read Farran Smith Nehme's discussion of the film, "Conversations with Christian Petzold's 'Phoenix," found on the rogerebert.com website. It's an excellent analysis of the film's background and milieu. Nehme also writes eloquently about the problem of suspension of disbelief when it comes to damaged characters living in extraordinary times; he alludes, for example, to Hitchcock's dismissal of the mindset of "the plausibles"--those literal-minded reviewers who often took exception to the logic or believability of his characters' choices. The great majority of critics, however, are smarter than that; for what makes the film absolutely riveting--and why it's received so much critical praise--is how the two main characters, due to their extraordinary historical moment, and the terrible acts they've done or been subjected to, close their eyes to things that seem perfectly obvious, yet also believe things that have no basis in reality. And the ending is unforgettable.

Nina Hoss, who was brilliant in "Barbara", once again plays an injured woman trying to resurrect her life. In this case, she has been a victim in a concentration camp. However, what happens to Nelly could have happened in Cambodia (someone surviving the camps) or in Argentina (a desaparecida), etc. The story is universal: how can we, who have not been through such horror, possibly understand what it means. How can those who are trying to return to 'normal' life possibly succeed?Ronald Zehrfeld, as 'Johnny', Nelly's former husband, doesn't recognise her and bullies her into trying to become the Nelly who existed before the war. What an existential feat -- becoming one's self while being one's self. Johnny himself was a pianist, but his life has undergone dramatic changes and he is reduced to cleaning a nightclub for a living.Another character, played by Nina Kunzendorf, tries to persuade Nelly to join her in Israel in the Jewish homeland. Again, no one seems to care what Nelly wants, or what she has been through. This film is perfectly portrays the persecution of one victim by a whole cast of characters thinking only of themselves. For me it asked the question: how we will treat a growing number of humans on our planet who have been through similar hells?

A poignant, heartfelt & gripping story of love, loss, betrayal & retribution, Phoenix is crafted with composure, narrated with sensitivity, brims with suppressed emotions and is further elevated by a smashing lead performance from Nina Hoss to finish as a a heartbreaking love story & a satisfying revenge drama.Set at the aftermath of the Second World War, Phoenix tells the story of a disfigured concentration camp survivor who after undergoing a facial reconstruction surgery for damage caused by a bullet wound returns to Berlin to look for her husband whom she still loves but who also may have played a role in betraying her to the Nazis.Co-written & directed by Christian Petzold, the film is attention grabbing from the first sequence & sets its main plot in a very calm but steady manner. The post-World War atmosphere is wonderfully recreated, the camera always keeps its focus on the characters than the surroundings they are in, editing unfolds the plot at a relaxed pace while music remains in sync with transpiring events.The performances however add a great deal to the story plus the scripted characters exhibit some welcome depth which its cast is able to explore quite conveniently in their given roles. Leading the entire cast from the front is Nina Hoss in a terrific turn as the Holocaust survivor and her chemistry with both Ronald Zehrfeld & Nina Kunzendorf, who play her husband & friend respectively, simply clicks.On an overall scale, Phoenix brims with great emotional depth, compelling characters & a riveting storyline and is one amongst the better films of its year. The screenplay alone is strong enough to carry the whole picture all the way but the expertly carried out technical aspects & sincere inputs from its cast adds enhancements of its own to the entire experience. Emotionally resonant & thoroughly fine-tuned, this German drama is worth a shot.

What a movie.Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld, and Nina Kunzendorf star in "Phoenix," a 2014 film based on the French novel "Return from the Ashes". There was a previous film made from this novel, actually called Return from the Ashes in 1965. I remembered seeing that movie as a kid and finally found it again. It's very good, but this film is better.Nina Hoss plays Nelly, a concentration camp survivor who was shot in the face. A government worker, Lena (Kunzendorf) in charge of helping victims, brings her to a plastic surgeon. Nelly is adamant that she wants to look exactly as she did before. The doctor can only promise to try. When she asks Lena who is paying for all this, Lena tells her that her entire family is dead and she has come into quite a bit of money.When Nelly sees herself, the face is foreign to her and she says, "I don't exist." She stays in an apartment with Lena. Lena has found an apartment for her in Palestine, where Lena is also moving.Nelly wants to find her husband Johnny (Zehrfeld), a non-Jew, but Lena cautions her that he betrayed her to the Nazis. She was a singer and he a pianist, so she goes to various clubs, but finally finds him working in a club called Phoenix as a dishwasher.Johnny doesn't recognize her, but he asks her if she wants some work. He explains to her that he can't get his hands on his wife's money. He wants her to impersonate Nelly, show up alive, claim her inheritance, and in return, he will pay her.At first, Nelly refuses, then relents. He shows her a photo of Hedy Lamar and says his wife modeled herself on that.Nelly returns to Lena and tells her that she's going to do the impersonation and not go to Palestine. She will stay with Johnny. She knows he would never have betrayed her.Director Christian Pezold has woven noirish tapestry about survival, love, betrayal, and guilt. It is reminiscent of Vertigo but with the specter of the Holocaust, much deeper and intense. Nina Hoss is beyond perfection as Nelly, desperate for her old life, her old face, her husband, to wipe out all she has suffered. Like Zehrfeld, she says more with her expressions than with dialogue. Zehrfeld as Johnny presents a disturbing puzzle of denial and horrific guilt, so unbearable that he tries to recreate Nelly.The last scene in this film, in its simplicity, is stunning and powerful.A brilliant film, which you may want to view more than once to pick up details along the way.