Go Trabi Go
Encyclopedia
Go Trabi Go is a 1991 German
comedy film. It was the first major box office hit about events concerning the newly reunified Germany
. Unlike other films in this period which focused on the problems following the reunification, Go Trabi Go sees the main characters, former citizens of East Germany, explore places in Europe outside the Eastern Bloc
that they were not allowed to visit during the Communist
era.
in their family Trabant 601
("Trabi").
), teacher in the East German town of Bitterfeld
, Saxony-Anhalt
, is a great fan of Goethe and wants to visit all places described in Goethe's Italian Journey
. Following the German reunification
in 1990, he sees the possibility to do so since it is now possible for him and his wife Rita (Marie Gruber) and daughter Jacqueline (Claudia Schmutzler) to travel to Italy. Driving in their family Trabant
(called "Schorsch"), they set out to go on their first vacation in the "west".
Their first stop on their journey southwards is Regensburg
where Struutz's brother-in-law (Ottfried Fischer
) lives, who are portrayed as extreme opposites to the East German family. Following this short family reunion, the family with their Trabant is transported by a friendly truck driver to Italy where they continue on their own again. Arriving in Rome
, the family's borrowed camera
is stolen which prompts mother and daughter Struutz to chase after the thief, not only recovering their camera but also the money the thief stole. Not being able to talk to the police about it and not being able to find Udo again, they decide to check in to a luxury hotel with the recovered money. Meanwhile Udo sleeps in the car after driving through the city the whole day and is awakened by two young women who want to party with him, which leads to the Trabi driving down some stairs and casing being torn apart which they then replace with colorful spare parts. The family reunites at the Spanish Steps
the next day and continues onto Naples
where the Trabi loses its roof because the family forgot to secure it in place while trying to make a picture of themselves with Vesuvius in the background.
Stephen Kinzer of The New York Times
described the movie as a way for East Germans to laugh "not precisely at themselves, but at the absurdities of the system under which they lived until last year." He likens the Trabi as a symbol for the people who built it, who "survive[d] through difficult times and ultimately triumph[ed]". The film was also praised for its rollicking portrayal of the car as a main character while still getting across the problems of the "East" in the newly reunified country by using the car as a metaphor — slow, breaking down and ridiculed by the West.
The film was criticized for relying almost solely on crude cliché
s and mostly ignoring politically sensitive issues. Another reason for criticism was that the film paints the main characters in a humble, fair and nice way while their West German counterparts are depicted as vulgar, mean and shallow.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
comedy film. It was the first major box office hit about events concerning the newly reunified Germany
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
. Unlike other films in this period which focused on the problems following the reunification, Go Trabi Go sees the main characters, former citizens of East Germany, explore places in Europe outside the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
that they were not allowed to visit during the Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
era.
Synopsis
The year is 1991 and Germany has been newly reunified. German teacher Udo Struutz decides that his family should go on their first vacation in the "west" to relive Goethe's Italian JourneyItalian Journey
Italian Journey is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's report on his travels to Italy from 1786–7, published in 1816–7. The book is based on Goethe's diaries...
in their family Trabant 601
Trabant 601
The Trabant 601 was a Trabant model produced by VEB Sachsenring in Zwickau. It was the third model, built for the longest time, from 1963 to 1990....
("Trabi").
Plot
Udo Struutz (Wolfgang StumphWolfgang Stumph
Wolfgang Stumph is an award-winning German actor and cabaret artist.-Early life:Stumph was born in Silesia in 1946 and grew up without a father in Dresden in the German Democratic Republic...
), teacher in the East German town of Bitterfeld
Bitterfeld
Bitterfeld is a town in the district Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2007 it has been part of the town Bitterfeld-Wolfen. It is situated approx. 25 km south of Dessau, and 30 km northeast of Halle...
, Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
, is a great fan of Goethe and wants to visit all places described in Goethe's Italian Journey
Italian Journey
Italian Journey is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's report on his travels to Italy from 1786–7, published in 1816–7. The book is based on Goethe's diaries...
. Following the German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
in 1990, he sees the possibility to do so since it is now possible for him and his wife Rita (Marie Gruber) and daughter Jacqueline (Claudia Schmutzler) to travel to Italy. Driving in their family Trabant
Trabant
The Trabant is a car that was produced by former East German auto maker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in Zwickau, Sachsen. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc...
(called "Schorsch"), they set out to go on their first vacation in the "west".
Their first stop on their journey southwards is Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
where Struutz's brother-in-law (Ottfried Fischer
Ottfried Fischer
Ottfried Fischer is a German actor and Kabarett artist best known for his role as Benno Berghammer in the popular German TV series Der Bulle von Tölz...
) lives, who are portrayed as extreme opposites to the East German family. Following this short family reunion, the family with their Trabant is transported by a friendly truck driver to Italy where they continue on their own again. Arriving in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, the family's borrowed camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
is stolen which prompts mother and daughter Struutz to chase after the thief, not only recovering their camera but also the money the thief stole. Not being able to talk to the police about it and not being able to find Udo again, they decide to check in to a luxury hotel with the recovered money. Meanwhile Udo sleeps in the car after driving through the city the whole day and is awakened by two young women who want to party with him, which leads to the Trabi driving down some stairs and casing being torn apart which they then replace with colorful spare parts. The family reunites at the Spanish Steps
Spanish Steps
The Spanish Steps are a set of steps in Rome, Italy, climbing a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the Trinità dei Monti church at the top. The Scalinata is the widest staircase in Europe...
the next day and continues onto Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
where the Trabi loses its roof because the family forgot to secure it in place while trying to make a picture of themselves with Vesuvius in the background.
Reception
Go Trabi Go was a major box office hit, attracting 1.5 million viewers in both parts of Germany, making it one of only three unification films that enjoyed success at the box office. This success has been described as being partly due to the love/hate relationship many East Germans had with their "Trabi", which was the most well-known and ridiculed symbol of East Germany.Stephen Kinzer of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described the movie as a way for East Germans to laugh "not precisely at themselves, but at the absurdities of the system under which they lived until last year." He likens the Trabi as a symbol for the people who built it, who "survive[d] through difficult times and ultimately triumph[ed]". The film was also praised for its rollicking portrayal of the car as a main character while still getting across the problems of the "East" in the newly reunified country by using the car as a metaphor — slow, breaking down and ridiculed by the West.
The film was criticized for relying almost solely on crude cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
s and mostly ignoring politically sensitive issues. Another reason for criticism was that the film paints the main characters in a humble, fair and nice way while their West German counterparts are depicted as vulgar, mean and shallow.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack album was released by Hansa.- Westward Ho - John ParrJohn ParrJohn Parr is an English musician, best known for his 1985 US #1 hit single "St. Elmo's Fire". Parr has sold 10 million albums worldwide.-Biography:...
(4:38) - Gates Of Eden - Eena (4:38)
- Questa Notte - Francesco Napoli (3:28)
- Trabi Goes To Napoli (Instrumental) - Westlake Orchestra (4:20)
- Due Ragazze In Me - Gianna NanniniGianna NanniniGianna Nannini is an Italian female singer-songwriter and pop musician. She may be best known for her 1986 song "Bello e Impossibile".-Personal life:...
(3:44) - White Doves Have Crossed The Borders - John Parr (3:47)
- Lady Of My Heart - Taco (3:58)
- Keep On Running - The Real Voices Of Milli Vanilli (4:08)
- Jacqueline's Song - Claudia Schmutzler (3:02)
- Solo Con Te - Eros RamazzottiEros RamazzottiEros Luciano Walter Ramazzotti , known simply as Eros Ramazzotti, is an Italian singer and songwriter. Ramazzotti is enormously popular in Italy, and is well known in most non-English-speaking European countries and in the Spanish-speaking world, as he has released most of his albums in both...
(5:01) - Lover Boy - Gabriela Di Rosa (3:35)
- Lady Of My Heart (Hollywood String Version Instrumental) - Westlake Orchestra (3:58)