It's the most minor of Petzold's films, watchable, at times smart, at other times pandering in ways that I didn't expect of this filmmaker. I am slowly discovering him now, having watched Yella years ago and remembering loving it (though I don't recall anything specific about it). While I hugely enjoyed Barbara and Pheonix (all three star great Nina Hoss), Roter Himmel seemed like an effort to do something lighter, more contemporary, more pop, which, while there's nothing wrong with that, doesn't glue here into a potent story. There are moments, the narrative arch of Uibel's and Trebs' characters hooking up is tender, and Beer and Brandt deliver thoughtfully-acted, delicately-emoting characters. The issue lies with the protagonist, how he's written as an obnoxious, tortured, and extremely egocentric writer, who just cannot relax and struggles with the upcoming failure of his soon-to-be-published novel almost until the very end, despite people around him being sick and dying. The ending, in which he learns a lesson and writes his new novel about what happened throughout the film, and receives the blessing from his publisher, resounds particularly cynical, empty, or maybe simply bitter. It simply seems that the stakes of everyone and everything else are more important than his, and yet he is the protagonist. I hope to see Schubert in a role that will give him more nuance to play.
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