THE ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
Germany, 2006, 103 minutes, Colour.
Moritz Bleibtreu, Christian Ulmen, Martina Gedeck, Franka Potente.
Directed by Oskar Roehler.
Writer-director, Oskar Roehler, has adapted a well-known European novel by French writer, Michel Houellebecq). Dramatic, philosophical, controversial in its portrayal of intimate behaviour, the novel is one of those that commentators say defies adaptation for the screen. Many forget that a film is only a version and interpretation of a novel and demand that the film replicate the novel. This is not possible and the film must be judged accordingly.
The Elementary Particles is an impressive film, wide in its philosophical, psychological and social scope. It is very well acted and won for its star, Moritz Bleibtreu (Run, Lola, Run, The Experiment, Munich) the actor award at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival.
He and Christian Ulman portray two half-brothers who grew up not knowing that the other existed. Their mother was a free spirit who wafted off to India, blowing into their lives only now and again. Michael (Ulmen) is a mathematician, examining the particles of life and attempting formulae that will clone individuals – and eliminate the need for sex, something that plays very little part in his private life. On the other hand, Bruno (Bleibtreu) is sex-obsessed. He is unhappily married though a father. He makes advances on his literature students, visits brothels and finally goes to a holiday camp which could be politely described as permissive.
Each man has an important encounter with a woman, Bruno with a divorcee who could become the love of his life and transform him, Michael with the woman who, as a girl, was in love with him. Their lives and their tragedies run in parallel. They come together as their mother is dying and later because of further deaths.
In one sense, the film is quite pessimistic (though there is a verbal postscript describing what happened to the two men in future decades), though there is an attempt at a romantic touch at the end.
The characters are always interesting even when profoundly irritating or annoying offering the audience jolts by their behaviour, challenges by their faith and lack of faith, and hope that there are possibilities for some redemption.
1.The classic and famous novel? The acclaim, the difficulties in adaptation? A version of the novel?
2.The style of the film: narrative, the parallels between the two central characters, their quests? Sexual issues? The meaning of life? Women who were ill? The use of flashbacks? The musical score? Songs and lyrics?
3.The quotation from Einstein, the meaning of life, finding one’s way in life, the elements, the particles? Truth and its parts?
4.The intertwining of the stories, the two sons, the mother abandoning them, each looked after by a grandmother, the deaths of the grandmothers? Their memories? Their meeting as teenagers? Their experiences, adolescent sex – or not? Their respective careers? Their mother’s presence and absence, her dying and their being there, the different reactions? The parallel with the move to Ireland and the move to the clinic? Meeting the women, the possibility of life and love? Life and madness – madness a kind of life? The epilogue – and the information from the future about the lives of each of them?
5.The portrait of Michael, the academic, the opening with his writing the letter, his resignation, his expertise in maths, the application of theories and theorems to reproduction, the elimination of the sexual experience? Cloning? The photos, not kissing? His discussions with his mentors? The decision to go to Ireland, the reasons for his leaving in the first place? His wanting to verify his theories? The fact that they had been proven? His speech to the staff? The possibility of a career? A man involved in science, evidence, proofs, theories, reason?
6.The background of enlightenment theory, surrendering all to reason?
7.The contrast with Bruno, his background, teaching the literature class, the poetry of Baudelaire, the girl’s essay? The graphic masturbation? His making advances to the student, his desperation, her reaction? The strong sexual drive, his lack of control? At home, his wife? The baby, feeding it the tablets? His own articles, the deep colonialism, racism and fascism? People calling him reactionary and Nazi? His undertaking therapy? The interviews with the psychologist? Recalling his childhood, his grandmother and her scalding herself? His mother’s visits, looking at her bedroom, sex? His going to meet Michael? The adolescent friendship, the friendship with Annabel? Visiting Michael? The decision to go to the holiday, the camp? The people at the camp? His wanting sexual encounters – and his actually living out the pattern of his mother’s hippie style? The New Age courses at the camp, massage? His chatting up people? The girl from Brazil? His meeting Kristiana, the hot tub? Her promiscuity, their being together, forming a bond? The return, going to the club, her underwear and style, the visits to the club and the orgy? Her life, her illness, his going to the hospital, unable to stay? The phone calls? His hurrying and her death?
8.Kristiana, her husband, the separation, the five years? The discussions with Katya, about emasculation, about feminism? Kristiana being sick of it. The encounter with Bruno, the tub? At home, the lingerie, the clubs, her hurting her back, hospitalisation, alone and desperate, the return to her apartment, waiting for the phone call, her decision to kill herself? Her visit to her father? Her suicide?
9.Michael and his grandmother’s grave, the Stevens family? Meeting Annabel again? The photo, the swimming, the flashback to this scene? The importance of his memories? The discussions, the card and the letters to Annabel, her letters to him, his not replying? The friendship? The discussions about sex, the encounter? His decision to go to Ireland?
10.Annabel, as young, the love for Michael, friendship with Bruno? Her reappearance, her memories? Working as a librarian? Her partners? Her relationship with the dancer, the abortion? Her loneliness, meeting Michael again, the joy, listening to him, encouraging him, the sexual encounter? The decision to have an abortion, going to the doctor, her illness? Michael returning, her revival? Their visiting Bruno? Her looking at her parents, the film showing them at home, working together, mending the roof, putting the washing on the line – and her admiration for their long fidelity?
11.Bruno at the clinic, the kindness of the nurses, the psychiatrist and listening to him? The frankness of his talks? His imagination, seeing Kristiana again? Wanting her to forgive him?
12.The outing, Annabel and Michael, the beach, taking Bruno in the car, his imagining Kristiana present, sitting in the sun? Michael going to Ireland? Annabel going with him? The finale at the beach, content?
13.The philosophical themes through character, through the narrative? About life, age and illness, death? Accidents? Ordinary life, changing, the possibility of maturity or not? Issues of sexuality? Family, marriage, break-up? The role modelling by parents, the lack of guidance? Repression, adolescence, promiscuity? Singles bars, clubs, orgiastic behaviour? Love and fidelity? Science and reason?
