DIE WELLE (THE WAVE)
Germany, 2008, 107 minutes, Colour.
Jurgen Vogel, Frederick Lau, Max Riemelt, Jennifer Ulrich, Christiane Paul, Lyas M’ Barek, Christina Dorego, Jacob Matschenz, Maximillian Vollmar, Max Mauff, Ferdinand Schmidt -Modrow.
Directed by Denis Gansel.
Our potential for being or becoming fascists. That is what this film is about.
While the experience on which it is based occurred in Palo Alto, California, and a 1981 44- minute film was made for television on the experiment, the story of a school where a week is devoted to a project to teach the realities of anarchy or autocracy to the students seems very Germanic indeed.
Initially, the students voice their opinion on the topic by saying that fascism is something from the past. They say they know that Hitler and the Nazis were fascists. Some want to leave it there. Others are concerned about guilt, others about responsibility. The class has to make an option on which project to enrol for. It is the popular teacher, Rainer, who gets the most students. He had wanted to teach anarchy – and remembered what he did in his student days. However, he loses out and has to teach autocracy, putting together a plan at short notice.
As the film takes us through the project day by day, we and Rainer soon realise that he has been more than successful. His autocratic discipline (standing when speaking, breathing deeply, referring to him respectfully, marching in step to reinforce unison) soon gives energy to the students and then it enthuses them. What starts as role play soon becomes quite real: uniforms, logo, rally cry, exclusive partying and sports support, as well as hostility towards those who refuse to conform and seeking out of 'the enemy'.
Rainer himself is caught up in the excitement despite warnings from his wife and is accused of manipulation.
However, the film is strong in its portrayal of quite a wide range of students and showing the effect that the experience of fascism has on them without their quite realising it. Before the experiment they would have been shocked to know what was happening to them. Some of them become quite fanatic, especially the loner who designs the logo, has not family so becomes totally dependent on Rainer and the group, The Wave, as they decide to call themselves. There are a few rebels but they are relegated to the periphery of the class. It builds up to quite a frightening climax.
The actors who portray the students are quite convincing – that this could happen within such a short time, the potential for Rainer becoming a new Hitler and they being devout Nazis.
Some audiences may find the film and its structure and its detail of fascism a bit obvious, almost like an allegory rather than a parable. However, most will be caught up in the enthusiasm or the increasing horror that the students are behaving in this way.
For an alarming deadly variation on this theme, try the Japanese film, Battle Royale,
1.The impact of the film? In view of society, history, autocracy, anarchy? Contemporary education? German schools? (And the fact that the original experiment took place in Palo Alto, California?)
2.The German background, the town, homes, lifestyles? The schools, classes, the project? The pool, sports, training? The play, theatre? Credible?
3.The credibility of the project, the experiment and one week’s classes for anarchy and autocracy? The teachers? The students? Learning processes? Identifying with their subject? The consequences?
4.The title, the name of the group, Community? With its logo, bonds? Symbols? The rallying cry? Opponents?
5.The setting, Rainer and his swimming, home, his relationship with his wife? Sports teacher, politics teacher? His feeling that people criticised him? His appeal to the principal? The clash with the rival teacher? His wanting to teach anarchy? His having to prepare the course on autocracy quickly?
6.The members of the class: Marco, sport? Sinan and sport? Denis and his directing the play? Ferdie and his acting, changing the lines, troublemaker? Caro as the lead in the play? Maja as her stand-in? Lisa and her feeling on the outer? Kevin and the background of East Germany? Dropping out? Bomber as his friend? Tim as the loner? Jens as the earnest student? The other students and their backgrounds?
7.The group opting for autocracy because of the teacher? The end of the day, others joining from anarchy? The students and their behaviour in class, answers, questions?
8.Rainer as intelligent, his initial questions for the students, listening to them, putting material on the blackboard, the lists, the definition of autocracy? Getting the information, discussing the causes, the bonds between the students, the effect of the lessons on them?
9.The comments that this could not happen in Germany again, the attitude towards Hitler, the past, Nazism? Responsibilities, guilt? Discussions of contemporary skinheads? Groups from East Germany?
10.The structure of the film, day by day with the project? The rousing of enthusiasm, the gaining of energy, having to stand up and answer questions, Rainer urging them to breathe better, the gaining in confidence? The issue of the uniform, going out to buy the white shirts? Tim and the development of the logo, spreading it around the town as graffiti? All feeling equal? Prejudices lessening? The meetings, the party, the supporting of the sports team?
11.Caro, her home life, her relationship with Marco, her brattish younger brother? Her being in the play, upset with Ferdie’s interruptions? Her love for Marco, the relationship with him? Her deciding to wear red in class, Mona and her support? Preparing the emails, denouncing the group, the leaflets, photocopying them, her apprehension at night in the school? The clash with Marco, going to the pool, the distribution of the leaflets? Standing up to Marco and his hitting her?
12.Tim, drug dealings, the loner? Designing the logo? Buying the gun on the internet? His enthusiasm, dependence on the group, dependence on Rainer, going to his home, sharing the meal, Rainer’s wife and her edginess? The disbanding of the group, his feeling abandoned, producing the gun, wounding Bomber, killing himself?
13.Denis, the play, the changes, people not obeying him, giving orders? The rehearsals, the substitute for Caro, Lisa and her reporting back to Caro?
14.The families, the background of Marco and his mother and her affairs? The Turkish background of Sinan? Kevin and the hippies? East Germany?
15.The sports practices, not working as a team, the improvements, different moves, the match itself, the brawl and the fights? Rainer having to intervene?
16.Rainer as teacher, his plans, the good ideas, his changing his approach, moving to manipulation? The march steps and being in time, on the roof of the anarchy class? Rousing enthusiasm? Anke, her warnings? His harshness towards her, his feeling inferior? Accusing her about taking tablets before classes? Her leaving?
17.Marco, his worry about the group, his visit to Rainer?
18.The background of the activities of the Wave, the enthusiasm of the students? Their turning into fascists? The attitude towards opposition? The needs for the group? The wearing of the uniform?
19.The final lecture, Rainer and his rousing the students, revealing to them what had happened? Tim seeing him as a traitor, the confrontation? His death?
20.Rainer’s arrest, Anke going with him, the students and their dismay, the principal and her looking? How much was Rainer’s responsibility? The future of the young people?
