Past and present merge in “Transit” — an alluring puzzle from Christian Petzold — which follows Georg (Franz Rogowski), a refugee from fascism who pursues Marie (Paula Beer), the wife of the dead man whose identity he has assumed.
As fascism spreads, German refugee Georg flees to Marseille and assumes the identity of the dead writer whose transit papers he is carrying. Living among refugees from around the world, Georg falls for Marie, a mysterious woman searching for her husband — the man whose identity he has stolen.
Adapted from Anna Segher’s 1944 novel, “Transit” shifts the original story to the present, blurring periods to create a timeless exploration of the plight of displaced people.
“The first great movie of 2019!” — Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
“Extraordinary! Conceptionally daring.” — Guy Lodge, Variety
“A thrilling, at times harrowing, labyrinth of a movie.” — Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
“Brilliant … like ‘Casablanca’ as written by Kafka.” — David Ehrlich, IndieWire