UNDINE

Germany, 2019, 92 minutes, Colour.
Paula Beer, Franz Ragowski.
Directed by Christian Petzold.


Hans Christian Andersen created the myth of Ondine, a water spirit. Neil Jordan made an Irish version in 2010, Ondine. This version is set in Germany with the title, Undine.

The director is a prominent German director with such interesting films as Barbara, Phoenix, Transit,.. However, this is not quite in the same league, although its leading actress, Paula Beer, won the Silver Bear as Best Actress at the Berlinale, 2020.

At first meeting, we find that Undine is a rather wilful, even capricious, woman, not only angry at the boyfriend who is breaking up with her but even threatening to kill him. And then she transforms as she goes to her work, at a Museum in Berlin, a historical guide, dealing with an enormous three-dimensional map layout of the city. Berlin is to the fore of the film in many ways, locations, history, spirit.

There is a strange accident in the cafe, an accident with water. Undine encounters an industrial diver, Christophe (Frantz Ragowski) who is very taken with her talks, bumps a large fish tank in the restaurant which breaks and they are overcome with the water. This is a literal breakthrough for Undine and she Christophe enter a relationship which seems to be beneficial for each of them.

Christophe and his partners go to various dams and do underwater repairs. At one stage, Christophe imagines Undine under the water with him. He also finds her name carved on a wall in the water depths.

The film moves into the mythical while keeping to the realist situations. Undine encounters her former boyfriend again, Christophe seeming upset, but is this the case? Is Undine imagining the situation, how does she react when she finds that Christophe has had an accident is in hospital, and then walking into the water. But, there are further emotional complications for Christophe, for his partner, for his obsession with Undine…

The plot is quite strong but, somehow rather, it is not as compelling as it might have been.


1. The title? Hans Christian Andersen? The fairy tale of Undine? Adapted to Germany, 21st century? Realism? Imagination?

2. The Berlin setting, the views of the city, the countryside, the dams and the walls? The underwater photography? The episode with the catfish? The Museum, the layout of the model of Berlin and her explanations?

3. The significance of the descriptions of Berlin? For visitors to the city? The history of the city?

4. The introduction to Undine, attention, the meeting with Johanne, his breaking off with her, her intensity, the threat to kill him? That he should wait for her lecture? The contrast with her changing, the lecture, her efficiency, information, historian? The return and his disappearance?

5. The director drawing on the story of Ondine? From the water, the water creature, needing love from a man forever, destructive elements?

6. In the restaurant, the encounter with Christophe, the accident, the fish tank bursting, the effect on each? The miniature of the diver? The relationship between the two? Falling in love?

7. Christophe, his associates, their underwater work, industrial diver?

8. Christophe and his relationship with Undine? His falling in love? The outings together? The sexual relationship? Her travelling? His travelling and his work? Her work at the Museum, Christophe hearing her, admiring her, wanting to hear her supplementary lecture?

9. On the bridge, passing Johannes? Her looking back? The later phone call? Christophe and the accusation, her heart skipping a beat? Her denials? Her leaving a message on the phone?

10. Johannes, coming to the restaurant again, breaking with Nora? Undine dismissing him?

11. Christophe, underwater, seeing her name carved underwater? His visualising her, the previous swimming together? Her equipment, surfacing?

12. The news of Christophe being brain-dead, her going to the hospital, the associate explaining the time situation? The effect on her? Her walking into the water and disappearing?

13. The moment of Christophe recovering? Going back to work, underwater, the success of his work? His partner pregnant, her waking, following him, his walking into the water? Her appearance?

14. The blend of the realistic and the mythical?