"Die Wölfe", literal translation "The Wolves", is German 3-part mini series from 2009, so this one has its 10th anniversary this year. This is not an animal documentary, but another of so many projects here from Germany that focuses on German history and I cannot really be more specific right now and I will soon enough tell you why. But first of all, lets go with the basics. This was made by the Fromm Brothers with Friedemann directing all episodes and also being in charge of the script together with his brother Christoph. The cast includes a handful of names that you also find on the big screen here on a regular basis like Prahl, Brandt, Auer, Fitz and others. So you can see that for a television release this was a high-profile project for sure. Each episodes runs for 90 minutes, slightly under in fact, and takes place during very different crucial times. Episode 1 is set after the end of World War II and we have a group of German youngsters being friends with each other and swearing an oath that they will always stick together and be there for each other. Episode 2 moves forward over a decade when they are young adults and witness first hand the construction of the Berlin Wall, so you could say politics gets in the way of their friendship as well as their future as they have to detemine which half of Berlin is right for them and it won't be easy anymore to see each other on a regular basis. In the third and last chapter, most of them have drifted apart because of this forced seperation, but now the fall of the Berlin Wall is near and there is chance for reunion. Do they even want it or have they drifted too much apart from each other by now? Watch for yourself. Or maybe don't because honestly it was underwhelming as a whole. I think the idea offered the room for something big and memorable, maybe even defining for German history films, but the outcome was far from epic, mostly because the script certainly lacks in the quality department. And the attention to detail is almost non-existent. I think the mini series gets worse with each episode unfortunately. I give all of them 2 stars out of 5, but there are differences in quality. The first was still a bit charming from the perspective of a kids movie. I enjoyed a bit seeing how these young people interacted with each other, even if the key story was hardly overwhelming, but there was some charm to it watching how they were attracted to each other sometimes more, sometimes less i.e. one-sided, but it never felt tragic. In the second episode, it is all far more serious and said charme is virtually non-existent unfortunately. It is still not a horrible watch and feels at least slightly realistic most of the time, but a convincing film, it is not anymore. And the final chapter, well, it goes south even further without becoming a failure. But the last 30 minutes or so are pretty close to failure territory and that stupidly unrealistic story line of the children of the protagonists about to marry and then there is a telenovela plot twist that they could be siblings because of an affair decades ago... oh well it just felt do wrong from every perspective.
This was especially disappointing as for me personally Prahl was the most interesting cast member in here and I like him quite a bit usually and his roughneck normal guy attitude, even if admittedly he plays basically the same guy in every movie. But he is still good. Brandt i like too, but the script they were given there just didn't work out at all. Such a shame. And don't be fooled by the cast list. It is true that Prahl for example is not only in the last episode, but basically he is. Yes we hear his voice (really like him as a narrator) in every episode and seem him also at the very beginning, but the big jumps in time make it basically impossible for every cast member to portray his actor in more than one episode. Mentioning Prahl in episode one, there is a bit of a framework and we see a scene at a church when two people are about to marry and a most inconvenient meeting happens before that. This is the scene that happens at the end and I suppose they used it as an appetizer early on to make people wonder what is going on in detail that this situation happens. I must say even if I liekd the idea, it may have not been the greatest choice how it was executed here and for a 4.5-hour project there may be better approaches. Especially if the idea behind said meeting at the end is such a major disappointment really. If you even plan on rewatching and see this early appetizer, you are probably immediately in the mood to turn it off again because honestly this is not worth sitting through a second time, probably not even a first time, even if in-between there are some okay moments. But honestly, I also felt this one takes itself way too seriously in terms of the historic impact it wants to make and the artistic quality just isn't there. Not even close. I guess people who lived through the years just like the characters did will not be amused. Finally, I would also like to say that apart from this being a wated opportunity subject-wise, of course it is not easy to bring something new and innovative to the table when it comes to the subjects that have been elaborated on so many times in films. And I personally am pretty much more and more disappointed in Fitz as the more I see from him, the more mediocre he feels to me. Basically just like a slightly superior dark-haired Schweighöfer. And I think the latter is probably the most overrated person in German show business these days. So yeah, this mini series here could have been even worse with him on board. But it is also forgettable enough without him and has too mayn lengths. Honestly I also felt that it does not really think highly of its audiences. It felt like having a bit of an educational ambition while only teaching very basic things about the GDR etc. that honestly everybody with a school education knows anyway. In short, do not watch this one. It is not a complete waste of time, but there are many many other activities and films worth spending 4.5 hours on. Also films dealing with similar subjects. Skip it. Or if you really are going for it, make your decision after the first 1.5 hours if you want to keep going because it is not getting any better then.
This was especially disappointing as for me personally Prahl was the most interesting cast member in here and I like him quite a bit usually and his roughneck normal guy attitude, even if admittedly he plays basically the same guy in every movie. But he is still good. Brandt i like too, but the script they were given there just didn't work out at all. Such a shame. And don't be fooled by the cast list. It is true that Prahl for example is not only in the last episode, but basically he is. Yes we hear his voice (really like him as a narrator) in every episode and seem him also at the very beginning, but the big jumps in time make it basically impossible for every cast member to portray his actor in more than one episode. Mentioning Prahl in episode one, there is a bit of a framework and we see a scene at a church when two people are about to marry and a most inconvenient meeting happens before that. This is the scene that happens at the end and I suppose they used it as an appetizer early on to make people wonder what is going on in detail that this situation happens. I must say even if I liekd the idea, it may have not been the greatest choice how it was executed here and for a 4.5-hour project there may be better approaches. Especially if the idea behind said meeting at the end is such a major disappointment really. If you even plan on rewatching and see this early appetizer, you are probably immediately in the mood to turn it off again because honestly this is not worth sitting through a second time, probably not even a first time, even if in-between there are some okay moments. But honestly, I also felt this one takes itself way too seriously in terms of the historic impact it wants to make and the artistic quality just isn't there. Not even close. I guess people who lived through the years just like the characters did will not be amused. Finally, I would also like to say that apart from this being a wated opportunity subject-wise, of course it is not easy to bring something new and innovative to the table when it comes to the subjects that have been elaborated on so many times in films. And I personally am pretty much more and more disappointed in Fitz as the more I see from him, the more mediocre he feels to me. Basically just like a slightly superior dark-haired Schweighöfer. And I think the latter is probably the most overrated person in German show business these days. So yeah, this mini series here could have been even worse with him on board. But it is also forgettable enough without him and has too mayn lengths. Honestly I also felt that it does not really think highly of its audiences. It felt like having a bit of an educational ambition while only teaching very basic things about the GDR etc. that honestly everybody with a school education knows anyway. In short, do not watch this one. It is not a complete waste of time, but there are many many other activities and films worth spending 4.5 hours on. Also films dealing with similar subjects. Skip it. Or if you really are going for it, make your decision after the first 1.5 hours if you want to keep going because it is not getting any better then.
