Summary
The film Barbara takes place in East Germany in 1980. The main character, Barbara, is a physician who attempted to escape to West Germany, and when apprehended, was put in a rural medical clinic to work, under constant surveillance in her new home and workplace. This sets the tone for the film, from the camera angles to the lack of music throughout most of the film, it creates this feeling for us, the viewer, of being constantly watched. Barbara’s goal is to flee what is depicted as being a totalitarian state in Germany and connect with her partner Jorg during this cold war period. Barbara's moral dilemma grows and grows as her attachment to the head physician, Andre, becomes one of romance, and her patients who are having very difficult times, develops into a sense of duty. This leaves her desire to flee as more of a fantasy than a reality. Andre himself operates as an informant for the Stasi (state security) , after having a medical error occur in a Hospital in East Germany. Barbara and Andre have led similar lives, with being oppressed by their own countrymen, and sent to live a life of no discretion, they share this. Barbara still has her lover who has dedicated himself to planning for her escape to Denmark. Meanwhile a patient who had been diagnosed incorrectly, named Stella, feels a great connection to Barbara after the physician had diagnosed her correctly with meningitis, whilst the other physicians had incorrectly diagnosed her and thought Stella had been feigning her illness. Stella had come from a labor encampment and was also a product of the Totalitarian state. This is where the larger moral Dilemma plays a huge role, Barbara is met with the decision of escaping all of this, or not, and does not know what to do. Her sense of duty to the patients that she has treated and her growing love for Andre calls for her to stay, but her resentment for the country that has been treating her as a lesser human and her current relationship with Jorg, gives her much reason to leave. In the conclusion of the Film, Barbara decides to stay in the rural clinic with Andre and sends off Stella to escape in her place.
If I had been in Barbara’s shoes, I would have left. It would have been a very difficult decision as one's duties to the people who are being hurt in such an environment, especially as a talented Doctor, calls for an extremely difficult decision to be made, but ultimately I would choose what would better my situation, especially knowing that I would also be defiling the trust my partner has in me if I stay, and the risks that they are taking by aiding me in such a dangerous situation. This is based on Two of Chaffe's moral positions, one being following my conscience, and also doing whatever to improve my own situation. After my partner had gone through such lengths I couldn’t just let that go, and I would also not be fine with living under those conditions, watching what I say and not having any sense of freedom in my day to day life, while it would be a sacrifice, I feel I would be able to do more good with the liberty of being elsewhere. It is an extremely tough decision, as I feel I would also be leaving a part of my Integrity behind as well, but I would be losing that with staying as well, whilst destroying someone else in the process possibly. Granted, the same can be argued with my leave, It is a bit of a lose lose situation.
