A gay man repeatedly imprisoned for his sexuality in postwar Germany forges an unlikely bond with his cell mate in Austrian director Sebastian Meise’s second feature film, Great Freedom. Co-written by Meise and his longtime writing partner, Thomas Reider, Great Freedom premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard competition.
Franz Rogowski (A Hidden Life) humbly shines as Hans Hoffman, a man with emotional strength whose love and optimism endure decades of failed relationships and repeated stints in prison under Paragraph 175 of the German criminal code, which banned sexual acts between men. A reality for many gay men, Hans was liberated from a Nazi concentration camp by the Allies and sent straight to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence. His cell mate Viktor, played with complicated nuance by Berlinale Silver Bear winner Georg Friedrich (Bright Nights), is an empathetic but homophobic man whose compassion wins out after witnessing the concentration camp ID tattooed on Hans’ arm. Together, the two inmates gather supplies so Viktor can tattoo over the offensive marks, and the beginnings of a decades-long, often undefinable bond is formed.
Set almost entirely in prison, Great Freedom jumps between time periods, following Hans in prison in 1945, 1957, and 1968/69. Meise initially provides us with title cards indicating the specific year, but largely relies on visual cues to distinguish between decades. Make-up and grooming choices, such as clean-shaven versus facial hair, help to age Rogowski and Friedrich’s characters, but other mise-en-scene details provide us with ample clues as well, such as inmates removing Nazi symbols from military uniforms and painting the prison walls the colour seen in the later decades in the film. While not subtle, the cues are effective and Meise transitions smoothly between the times.
The structure of interweaving time periods adds mystery and depth to the narrative, as well as creates a fluidity that keeps viewers engaged through the 117-minute runtime. Narrative plot points are introduced and left unresolved until much later in the film, keeping us guessing as to the development of events and Hans’ various relationships. While we initially believe the story will focus on a romantic relationship between Hans and Viktor, we quickly realize the nature of their relationship is beyond definition, and Hans forms other romantic relationships that play out across the decades.
Through it all, Hans remains steadfast in himself and in love, his own form of rebellion against a heinous law and a society that rejects his identity and criminalizes love. His quiet humour and passion pull the audience in, and we ache as we watch him struggle through crumbling relationships and a brutal, cyclical system in which prison becomes home. “Date nights” require getting kicked out of one’s cell and spending the night together in a semi-outdoor pen. At one point, desperate to save a failing relationship, Hans earnestly suggests to his partner running away to East Germany together. In Great Freedom and through Hans’ relationships in prison, we witness some of the tragic consequences of society’s persecution of gay men. And yet, through Hans there remains hope.
While Viktor and Hans’ relationship evolves intricately over time, one problematic aspect persists as Viktor’s homophobia presents itself repeatedly over the decades despite the two characters’ deepening relationship. Viktor’s character is presented as a tough outer shell with a sensitive and compassionate soul, imprisoned for a serious crime unknown for most of the film. His feelings toward Hans clearly run deep and blur lines, and yet he exploits Hans and viciously rejects him for his identity repeatedly. We’re never quite sure if Viktor’s struggling to come to terms with his own sexuality, or if he’s struggling to overcome his homophobia, or if there’s something else at play.
In addition to the effective narrative structure, the use of super 8 film, surveillance-like footage and cinematography from Crystal Fournier elevate the film to grander heights of artistry. Super 8 film footage is used to create rare, hazy flashbacks of Hans’ life outside prison in a daydream-like effect. Meise’s use of hidden surveillance-like footage in the film’s introduction forces us into a purposely intrusive position that also reflects real techniques used by police. In the prison, tight frames and close-up shots of Hans and Viktor highlight their confinement, and Crystel Fournier plays with light and colour in her cinematography to evoke the warmth and vibrance of love even in the bleakest of places.
Overall, Great Freedom is emotionally compelling as we watch Hans and Viktor’s bond develop and transcend society’s rigid relationship structures as the two men (mostly) support each other through love, loss, addiction, and surviving daily life in prison. Rogowski and Friedrich’s intimate chemistry, particularly in their expressive body language and meaningful glances, further enriches the characters’ relationship and the film as a whole.
Score: B
© 2021. UniversalCinema Mag.