Movies - The Miracle of Bern

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	Movies - The Miracle of Bern

The Miracle of Bern (German title: Das Wunder von Bern) is a 2003 film by Sönke Wortmann, which tells the story of the unexpected West German victory in the 1954 World Cup Final in Bern, Switzerland, on July 4, 1954, and the story of a young boy and his depressed, unemployed father, who are brought together by the German success.

The film can be regarded as a portrait of post-war Germany. With over 6,000,000 cinema visitors, it is one of Germany's best-selling films. Attending the premiere were the German chancellor Gerhard Schröder, the Minister President of North-Rhine Westphalia Peer Steinbrück and the German Minister of the Interior Otto Schily.

Story

While Richard, miner in Essen, was in war captivity, his wife and their two sons and one daughter have got on well without him. When he returns unexpectedly in 1954, he has problems to reintegrate himself into his own family. His elder son believes in communism instead of his ideals from the Nazi time, his daughter flirts with American GIs and his 11-year-old son Matthes, whom he never met, admires a football hero, Helmut Rahn, Richard does not know. Though trying his best, it is impossible for Richard to fit in the new life.

Apart from this, Rahn's story at the Football World Cup in Bern is told: though outsider Germany is quite successful, he is rarely in Sepp Herberger's starting team.

During the film, however, Richard and Matthes get to know each other better and also "The Boss" is in the start team at the World Cup Final against Hungary, shooting the deciding goal that leads to Germany's incredible win over the football Hungary and makes a country become a nation.

Awards

Prix du Public UBS, Locarno International Film Festival 2003
Deutscher Filmpreis 2004 for Best Picture (Silver), German Film of the Year, German Actor of the Year (Peter Lohmeyer)
Bavarian Film Award 2004 to Sönke Wortmann as Best Director and to Johanna Gastdorf as Best Supporting Actress

The real miracles

In the year 1954 the German team, captained by Fritz Walter and coached by Sepp Herberger, won the World Cup in Bern in a remarkable match against the overmighty Hungarians. Showing the German virtues they played incredibly and came back from an early two goal deficit to win 3-2, with Helmut Rahn scoring the winning goal with only six minutes remaining. This was an event of hope and euphoria in a time when Germany was down in all needs. It gave the country a new "we are someone again" feeling and gave the Germans back their self-confidence. The players of this legendary team will always remain in memory as the heroes of Bern. They say this was the birth of one of the most successful football teams ever.

Earlier on the same Sunday 4 July 1954, the "Silver Arrows" of Mercedes-Benz had made their comeback to Grand Prix motor racing, at the 1954 French Grand Prix in Reims, not too far away from both Switzerland and Germany. The design features and the performance of the new Mercedes-Benz W196 shocked the competition. The two main cars qualified and won 1-2 decisively, lapping the field, while the additional third car clocked the fastest lap. These cars would dominate racing until being retired at the end of the 1955 season.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for The Miracle of Bern ]

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