Wednesday, 3 April 2013

The Wave, a German film, by Agie


For this new article we had to write something about a film, a song, a play or a book that moved us and we had to explain why.
This time I chose to talk about a dramatic and really captivating movie which is « The wave » (German :  « Die Welle »). The story of this film, directed by the German Dennis Gansel, is based on a real social experiment : The Third Wave (experimented by Ron Jones in 1967).

 
It happens in Germany three generations after the Second World War and it begins in a high-school, in which there's a project week. This time, they have to discuss about anarchy and autocracy (I.e when the supreme political power is concentrated in the hands of one person), more precisely about dictatorship.
 
Two classes are chosen and Rainer Wenger, the teacher in command of the autocracy group, is in front of the absolute certainty of his students: they don't believe that a dictatorship could be once again established in modern Germany. Wenger decides to start an experiment to demonstrate how people can be naive and manipulated. At the beginning all the students are involved in this project and give their full attention to the teacher.
A real organization is setting up and this project becomes a life size role-play. A community sees the day: the Wave. They have a salute, uniforms, a symbol, common values and rules that are also putting into practice outside of the classroom and the school. The community spirit and the discipline turn to a real political party. As soon as the third experimental day, persecution and exclusion appear: students are too much involved in it. The teacher loses the control and the situation is degenerating. After a violent fight between Wave's members and non-members, Wenger decides to stop the experiment but... it is too late: the Wave is out of control.
 

 
Well, I chose to talk about this movie because I think it's really relevant and it shows perfectly how a society or a few people can be manipulated and can reach to the point where they impose their rules and ideas violently.
I watched this movie three times and I was moved similarly every time. This film gives a kind of fear feeling because it shows how easily an autocracy could reappear nowadays.  Maybe we shouldn't think that this way of living is something definitively gained and should pay more attention to it.
 
 
 

23 comments:

  1. Very interesting. I love films whiches denonces real events, and in it, it's better because it treats facts whiches we don't really want to speak about because we are afraid of. But like it shows something which can arrive if we aren't be careful. I think i will watch this film.
    ~Amazilena~

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  2. I think that's a good film, it really shows that dicatorship is dangerous and it spreads quickly.

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  3. I watched this movie and I loved it, because of its message. It is a bit scary when we think about how naive we can be (or at least, some of us) ..
    I also found that the actors played very well.
    In any case, I remember I was moved by the end of this movie, I didn't think it will end up like this.

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  4. I saw this film in German, last year, I think. I think this is a very good film, and at the end, we can see a very good lesson because we did " take " by the story during the whole film. Very good lesson of real events too.

    Tsitsa.

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  5. i want look this movie which is really interesting, i read the sum up and in will Watch that

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  6. I watched this film last year and I loved it. We can see well how people can be manipulated by one person and do horrible things. A dictatorship can come again.
    Cockatoo

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  7. Very good film, but it scared me to death the way this " dictatorship" grew very fast .

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  8. I love this movie too. While I was watching it, it was like I was one student of the class, I was really enjoying the way little by little, everyone was enjoying the project with the teacher. And yes, the end gives us a real lesson...

    Holysnail

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    1. I come from onch onch.

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    2. I come from onch onch.

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    3. I don't remember that Onche onche has ever been pregnant...

      haha, my jokes are so...

      Holysnail

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  9. Well... I've never seen this movie, but now, I think that I should. It's never too late, right? :)

    - Sailor' girl

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  10. It's really a movie to watch, nobody can knows of what we are able ...
    Cinnamon

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  11. To my mind This film is a film very intetesting because it shows like a population can be manipulated
    It's a very famous film
    Lil

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  12. I have see this lovie last year and I loved it. It's a beautiful movie and we learn many thing
    Cockatoo's friend

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  13. I like this film !
    -DESTINY-

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  14. I've just watched the film Agie! I really liked it and since watching it I've thought a lot about it. I've been pondering the teacher's motivation and one thing I don't understand is the last scene: how do you interpret the scene in the police car, when the teacher suddenly seems to see something (us???)... It's at the very end of the film and it doesn't make sense for me... Any idea???

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    1. Well, to be honest MrsP, this scene also perturbed me. I think moreover that there are many possible interpretations and that it's a real choice from the film maker, to end the movie with this strange and interesting look. It encourages the audience to deepen its thought about it.
      To be able to answer to your question, I've watched the scene once more and ... I've got some ideas.
      When he's in the car, he's looking around him, at the outside and he seems to realise the impact of his actions on the students, and that it was THE reality. He probably also realises that it(the experience) has gone too far, that HE has gone too far. Moreover, when he's taking his head in his hands, and is looking up, he realises even more and maybe he compares himself with a dictator... Or at least, he understands that he has just take the place or "play the role" of a dictator for a while. He certainly regrets how quickly the things happened.
      (I could go on with my interpretation but it would be too long... I hope you'll understand what I've meant. Of course, it's just my point of view so... i'd be interested if you have some ideas too)

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    2. Interesting... I've been thinking about that film since I finished watching it!
      And I agree with you: maybe he suddenly "gets it", understands the situation... I think it wouldn't happen this easily in a French school because teachers are more distant with pupils, so discipline wouldn't feel so attractive to pupils (it's an interesting paradox in the film)...

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    3. Yes I think so.
      But the story takes place in Germany. And maybe we could make a link between their History (with Hitler) and the motivation they feel, to show or to prove to themselves (in vain) that something like a dictatorship couldn't happen anymore. I mean, their heavy and complicated past certainly plays a big role in the "success" (if we can say so) of this experience.

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  15. I liked this film thanks to it message and it could be real so it's quite frightening!

    Bobbie.

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  16. It to look really good, I have to look!

    K-ZA.

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  17. This movie is very interesting by the way that it proof that only one person can manipulate others, and create like a "little army"... It shows how Hitler did during the Second World War to manipulate all the persons who "worked" for him. How he did to convince people that they were upper than others. How he did to convince the Nazi to kill Jews.

    -Harley

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