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Die Welle (2008)
Good story, movie failed miserably
OK, it's always difficult to watch a movie, when you know the book/story. And its more difficult with this special story, especially in Germany. Why is the book so famous here? It may have to do with the fact, that the original story demonstrates that fascism itself is not in the German genome, but could happen anywhere, even in hippie-esquire California....
Now, keeping that in mind and knowing that "Die Welle" was forced in book form upon generations of German students, what can we say about the movie? To me, the movie simply doesn't work as a film. Once you have recognized the point (immediately, if you know the book), the movie becomes too obvious in its pedagogical agenda, the characters act way too stereotypically, the whole thing basically becomes incredible. the only things that work are the sidelines (Tim, who finds a sense in his live when everybody is made equal, the slight drama of jealousy), and, in fact, the ending. These are the only things that are not completely predictable, and that do not tend to point a finger at the audience, trying to teach them.
I don't agree with many comments that say the movie let's you thinking why the wave is bad, even if it has positive effects on community members at times. This is inherent to fascist communities, not to this very movie. In fact, the movie doesn't want you to think, it's always pointing at the bad side! Only exception here - see above: SPOILER:
In the end, you are at times really tempted to believe that the movie left the book behind (it did after all), and that Wenger (the teacher) might have gone over to really become the fascist leader he depicted before (he didn't) END SPOILER
Anyway, if you want to see an entertaining movie about group pressure getting out of hands and going terribly astray - watch "Das Experiment" - now that's what I call a movie!
m.
Am Tag als Bobby Ewing starb (2005)
Sometimes Funny, Mostly Erratic
The day when Bobby Ewing died is a film about the origins of the green movement in Germany in the mid-eighties. A countryside hippie community founded in protest against a nuclear power plant is depicted as prototypical for the era - and this is the major problem of the film: All the stereotypes, memories etc. of the years gone by are packed into this film. Whether you actually liked or loathed the greens doesn't matter, there's something for everyone. What is not in this film, is actually a visible storyline or even script. In the beginning a mother and son arrive at the hippie community, apparently due to some problems earlier. The mother likes the new life, the son does not - why does not really become clear. In the end, its all different and the community's "chieftain" changed his mind also - again it is pretty unclear why... Was it all Chernobyl? Or because Bobby was dead? No one will ever know...
28 Days Later... (2002)
Well made and yet inexplicably given away
Contains minor spoilers!
The movie appears to be well-made. The story and some of the shooting - especially the silent London streets - are pretty disturbing, especially in today's context of ever-present threads of new diseases or acts of terror. It doesn't matter that you have seen the theme tens of times before - I am a legend, Mad Max, etc. And yet, you get the feeling that the movie has been given away. It doesn't know what it wants. The turn from an apocalyptic zombie shocker to the psychology of a small group of survivors with about 15 men and 2 women appears strangely unmotivated. The story contains tons of logical flaws (Don't they have tons of bridges in London? Why do they absolutely have to cross the river through a tunnel??) and the (rather simple) happy end is somewhat disappointing... The movie also proves that digital shooting (I don't know what specific technology was used here, maybe it wasn't the best) can still not cope even with smaller screens, the pan-shot across the houses of parliament makes Big Ben dance back and forth across the pixels...
And yet - it is not a movie to see and forget, it's capturing and keeps you thinking for days. 7/10
Ticket to Jerusalem (2002)
A Palestinian movie projectionist on a way to a screening in Jerusalem
The plot of the movie is in fact rather simple: A palestinian movie projectionist travels from camp to camp to show movies to the children. Movies are his life, he lives for cinema and it is always a drama when a projector fails or a new lamp is needed. One day he meets a school teacher who wants to arrange a show in Jerusalem, but Palestinians are not allowed to enter the city, let alone with cinema equipment. In the end he smuggles the equipment and the show takes place...
I went to see the film at our local festival - not because I was attracted by the plot but to get a glimpse of what everyday life is like in the palestinian autonomy regions. And it is in this field where the film does its best job: The story is indeed not very complex and technically (lighting...) the movie is not a masterpiece, but you do get an insight in family live and day-to-day affairs of the people living in Ramallah - and yes, these things do exist despite they never make it to the news. Crossing military checkpoints everyday on the way to work, the hassle to get hold of a lamp for a 16mm projector, bombings, water-pipe shops, economical crisis in the occupied and autonomous areas, Israeli settlers occupying houses, and still normal people getting by - all these things are shown in a non-spectacular fashion. Which makes the film so interesting...
Sia, le rêve du python (2001)
A young Girl is to be slaughtered in a human sacrifice but "saved" by her lover
The story outline is simple and complex at the same time: A young girl is picked to be slaughtered as a human sacrifice to
the "Python God". Her fiance is in the army at the front, his uncle, head of the army, delays the sacrifice until he returns to "say goodbye". This delay is supported by Sia's (the girl's) escape. In the end she is saved from death, but the structure of "the state", the religious
beliefs of the people, and in fact the love between Sia and her fiance are either ruined or turned out to be lies. In the struggle the state is overthrown, but the heroes of the revolution immediately turn into a lying, power-hungry class themselves immediately. In the end, becoming mad seems to be the only way of keeping a clear view of the world...
The movie supposed to be set in small village somewhere in central Africa. This village is basically "the state", whose army is engaged in some trouble at "the front". All sets, the town, the people are mere prototype and sometimes one has the impression of watching a theatre play instead of a movie, yet the impression one cen get from the african life is very well made. And the insiights into the internal entaglements, intrigues, lies and relationship of "the state"'s ruling class and the entire people are funny and alarmingly realistic at the same time.
Wie Feuer und Flamme (2001)
A pity...
The story is set in the Berlin of 1982 and 1990. A girl from west-Berlin meets an east-german punk during a funeral-visit. They fall in Love and of course it becomes complicated, not only because such relationships were complicated in general due to the harsh visiting regulations, but because the punk-band under fire from the state security. The punk goes to prison in the end and the girl leaves for the u.s. ... In 1990, after the fall of the Berlin wall, she returns to find her "captain".
The movie could have been really good - atmosphere and detail of the Berlin of the early 80s are well matched. The story is a bit of-the-shelf, but still entertaining. Alas, the performance of the characters is not too well - at no moment you believe "Nele" to be a girl risking her life by sneaking into the east to help "captain", and the "punk band" rather makes the impression of an acting class... which is were probably most actors in the movie come from.
The movie was made with considerable support from German national television, and as such it is still of high quality - for television standards. Anyway, it is not a waste of time and from the reactions of the 20ish audience in the sneak preview, contains a lot of details about how east Germany worked that these kids nowadays neither know nor believe ...
Swimming Pool - Der Tod feiert mit (2001)
rubbish
Here you can see what comes out, when european cinema tries to copy us-blockbusters with marginal budgets... a script obviously copied from a first-grade teaching book on horror movies, blunt of-the-shelf characters and a story so dull and predictable that after 15 minutes you wish you had gone visiting your mother-in-law instead. These first 15 minutes are dominated by utter disbelief that really somebody made a 253rd copy of scream without even pretending to be a parody, without any sense for suspense, in fact without any interest in making a movie. It seems Senator-Film is almost broke and with this movie, it becomes perfectly clear that it's better this way ... go, have fun in a swimming pool instead.
Das Experiment (2001)
A psychological experiment derails and ends in tragedy
The movie is made after a real experiment carried out in Palo Alto, U.S.A. A group of scientists gathers 20 people and have them carry out a psychological experiment for a cash reward: The group is split into 12 prisoners and 8 prison guards. The prisoners have to move into prepared cells and follow some "prison rules" while the guards are told to retain law and order in the prison but are strictly discouraged to use force.
Of course the obvious happens, there is some comeradeship at first but one of the prisoners (a newsman in disguise, but that is not important) starts small revolts and the guards retaliate with ever increasing brutality: It starts with "pushup" sanctions and ends with the first dead on the 5th day of the experiment. In the end, the "guards" not only torture the prisoners but also the captured scientists...
Inspite of the pretty obvious plot, the atmosphere in this movie is so dense that the audience gets literally pushed back into their seats. I saw the movie in a sneak preview with an audience not really adapted to this kind of films (something "funnier" usually...), but the movie seemed to capture everyone: Noticeable reactions from the audience included mild interest in the experiment at first, increasing bewilderment at the guards brutality and helpless laughs at every new turn of bestiality and then cheers of relief when the "prisoners" finally strike back at the most evil "guards".
Not really "easy viewing" but very impressive and definitely a movie to remember. Especially when keeping in mind, that it is made after a real event...