Too much of everything

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This was a disturbing, dark drama about the dangers of doing illegal drugs - especially heroin. Since the users/victims were in their early teens, it would probably not be widely shown in the U.S. Still, it realistically depicts the desperate plight of juvenile junkies in late- seventies West Berlin. Much stronger than its British counterpart Trainspotting (released some 15 years later), it is not for the faint of heart. Most of the film centers around the life of 14yo Christane and her close-knit clique of barely adolescent teens. Sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll in the seedy district of former West Berlin provide the backdrop for this dramatic tragedy. I highly recommend it, if only for the historical accuracy of the story and some vintage German Bowie concert footage. :)

First of all, the film is striking in its atmosphere. Berlin 70s. Street children, drug addicts, eager doses to live another day without the pains of hell from breaking.On the one hand this is a common everyday life story girl (boy) who threw his father, and therefore have a bad relationship with his mother, who still somehow trying to live, finding a man. Christine appear secrets she kept lying to the mother, that she sometimes does not notice.When watching the film he reminds "Requiem for a Dream." Although he leaves a horrible experience. At the sight of creepy moments, such as when Christine, a 14-year-old girl for the first time taking a dose, has sex, as she slowly becomes a prostitute, while denying it, since it does not want to consider themselves such. When she first tried heroin, inhaling it, she liked it, it was a real thrill then. But when she decided to try it intravenously, it could be only one - beginning of the end.Time passed, the dose needed to live on. Around dying people familiar to her people. It seems that their death will affect about it, but, alas, it did not. Only after her Babsi drugs radically changed, and she decided to get out of this slavery, even though at times it is difficult.Still amazed when she and "her boyfriend" tried to quit. They seemed very strong mentally. Hold out for several days, and it is a very long and painful day. I can not even imagine what they went through during this time! Although everything was then wasted. Like realizing that they can easily quit at any time, they decided to start again this servitude.In general, despite causing a picture in my head to keep a few words that embody the film. Freedom, violence, and degradation of the individual. That is what showed me the film. In general it can be seen from the very first minutes of viewing. Regarding freedom. I can not understand where her mother, where she looked. Whether it is strongly attracted to each other and their problems, whether she did not care for her daughter. Although the first with the second tally.Cruelty - it appears in dependence. The person becomes aggressive. And this is what gives rise to even more worst qualities in a man. Take even the guy who "her first time" gave his gun, and then, like a hungry animal, wild dog, broke away from the syringe in order to satisfy their vice. Frightened, grabbed the syringe after seen, rinse it in the toilet! It's so down to do not care for anything. Heroin - a kind of "cure" with side effects, namely the degradation of the individual.One of the best films on the topic of child abuse, which can be safely recommended to those who are hooked on "Requiem for a Dream." This is sort of a classic of the genre.

This movie came to my attention many years ago when I got the soundtrack from a dear friend to whom I still talk to, as a gift. I later went on to downed the actual movie many, many years later and was amazed at it's withdrawal scenes. As this movie centers around drug use and it's life altering after effects. David Bowie makes a cameo in this and does most of the soundtrack. A great German made movie so if you don't mind subs and are inclined to this genre of movie I highly recommend it!It does get ugly as heroin addiction will tend to do but in my eyes and opinion it is one of the best representations of the life addicts live or die within. Also it is based on a true story and at the end tells you what happened to all of the key players. Which may surprise you in the end, If you google this movie and the movies key people in it you'll be surprised to know Christiane F. lives onto some sobriety but in the end succumbs to a struggle back and forth with sobriety. Great cast of unknown German actors and well done storyline in my opinion for a subject that is usually treated by Hollywood with much undertones. This movie puts it right in your face and lets you see heroin addiction for all of it's soul stealing wickedness!

Having watched this movie when it was first released, liked other reviewers I felt I needed to revisit it find out whether it was as influential and affecting as I remember. Well, the short answer is yes. It is very well realised, Uli Edel created an enthralling film from the book of the same name. He doesn't rely on improbable drama to move the story forward, just a matter-of-fact story that sees the young Christiane first drift into the world of discos and soft drugs and gradually become involved in the Berling heroin scene. And it relies on a certain amount of realism for the film to work, however, we don't get the contemporary film maker's penchant for hand-held wobbly camera work, we get Edel creating a claustrophobic world of late night teenage hedonism, from which Christiane and Detlev's relationship evolves from one of mutual attraction to one of mutual addiction.This kind of movie had been made before, most obviously by Jerry Shatzberg eight years previously with Panic In Needle Park, but the film (distributed by 20th Century Fox) was still fairly mainstream. Christiane F / Zoo was raw and street-wise, plus it had a European sensibility that made it more relevant to a generation of Western European teenagers. We had been warned of the dangers of heroin, but now we could see it played out before our eyes on the movie screen.So, it is definitely a movie of its time. The drugs available then were limited, and the movie reflects the limitations of choice not only in drugs, but in music, entertainment, and life. The film has that 1970s washed out look, the acting is pretty below average, the dialogue stilted, but Edel focuses on the grim reality of Berlin, its social housing, the places people meet, the things they do. This was pretty much the same for all European cities in the 1970s and this realism is what ultimately makes the film worth watching. Its a snapshot of 1970s European youth culture; grim, boring, apathetic and economically challenged. What made their life more interesting? Bowie and drugs.