Germany Pale Mother

Hans, a low-level bureaucrat who is not in the Nazi party, wins Lene's affection. After confirming he's not a Nazi, Lene agrees to marry him. The couple's early happiness exists alongside the looming shadow of Ulrich's Nazi affiliation.

On Lene's birthday, Hans is drafted to fight in Poland, leaving Ulrich spared due to party connections. Lene battles anxiety over his departure and the dangers of war. The separation marks the beginning of a harsh wartime period for the couple.

In Poland, Hans murders civilians and struggles to adjust to the brutal realities of war. The moral weight of violence weighs on him as he tries to perform his duties. His fragility under stress foreshadows the trauma to come.

Hans returns on two-day leave and, during this time, Lene becomes pregnant with their child, Anna. The reunion briefly rekindles warmth between them amid the surrounding chaos. This fragile hope is overshadowed by the looming hardships of war.

Anna is born amid an air raid, a stark symbol of how war intrudes on family life. The newborn's arrival occurs under bombardment, grounding their moment of joy in fear and destruction. The newborn ties their fate to the ongoing conflict.

After their home is bombed, Lene takes baby Anna to see Hans during a two-day leave. The encounter is tender yet strained, revealing the complexity of their relationship under the stress of war. They cling to a brief sense of normalcy before further tragedy.

Hans becomes jealous of the bond between Lene and their child, and Anna's presence unsettles him. The tension adds emotional distance between the couple and foreshadows deeper fractures. Lene's growing weariness compounds the strain.

To keep herself and Anna safe from the advancing war, Lene treks on foot across the country. The journey is arduous and perilous, testing their endurance and resilience. Their trek highlights the vulnerability of civilians in wartime Europe.

After the fighting ends, Lene is raped by two American soldiers in front of Anna. The trauma compounds the family’s suffering and signals the brutal aftermath of war on civilians. The violence deepens Lene's isolation and fear.

Heading home, Lene reunites with a sister and, later, with Hans. The reunions briefly restore some sense of normalcy, even as memories of the war linger. The family tries to rebuild amid lingering distrust and pain.

The reunion unravels as Hans grows paranoid that Lene was unfaithful while he was away. His suspicions corrode trust and he becomes harsher toward Anna. The couple's fragile balance collapses under suspicion and resentment.

Ulrich’s promotion is followed by Hans’s renewed bitterness, and Anna’s teasing toward Hans triggers a brutal reaction. Hans beats Anna, breaking the fragile mood and revealing the depth of his fragility. The household atmosphere becomes tense and dangerous.

Depressed by her circumstances, Lene contracts facial paralysis. Her condition isolates her from daily life and from Anna, deepening the emotional distance in the family. The physical ailment embodies the trauma they all carry.

Hans returns with news of a promotion and, upon the doctor's advice, pressures Lene to have all her teeth removed to stop the paralysis. Lene resists but is overridden, further eroding her autonomy. The act amplifies her isolation and despair.

Lene sinks into despair, wearing a veil and withdrawing from life as Hans leaves for work. She locks herself in the bathroom, intending to gas herself, while Anna pleads for her mother to come out. The scene ends with the weight of unresolved grief and fear.