THE EDUKATORS

Cast: Daniel Brühl, Julia Jentsch, Stipe Erceg, Burghart Klaußner...

Director: Hans Weingartner

Writer: Katharina Held, Hans Weingartner



Review Date: 08/19/05
Written By: suj
The Grade: 9/10

THE PLOT_________________
Three activists cobble together a kidnapping plot after they encounter a businessman in his home.

THE REVIEW_________________

In today's day in age, all over the world, their are anti-capitalist demonstrators protesting outside fancy establishments informing its customers that its latest pair of brand name sneakers or the newest attire to hit the market were made by children in a Third World sweatshop. Soon, the police would arrive in an attempt to relieve the area of this tension and to drag the protestors abruptly away. And this is what "The Edukators" is more or less about. That we all must look to ourselves to breakdown the status quo and open the eyes of the world to the corrupt hole that it has become.

The film follows friends Peter and Jan who break into the homes of the wealthy and rearrange the furniture before leaving cryptic notes saying things like, "Your days of plenty are numbered." They don’t steal anything, but they do leave their victims aptly unsettled. Soon after, Peter's girlfriend, Jule (who later falls for Jan), gets tangled into the mix after a break-in to the house of, Hardenberg, a man whom Jule owes money goes wrong. This threesome make up the sole members of the Edukators, who are your quintessential rebels without a cause; they know the world is broken, but haven't the first idea how to fix it. They genuinely want to make things better, and their criticism of society's class differences is well-founded. They seek a need for action, any kind of action, in the postmillennial world, where individualism has trumped community.

Director Hans Weingartner harnesses the handheld camera polish which creates a sense of mischievousness that establishes a sense of ease and provides a suitable dance floor upon which its trio of young protagonists may dance. While, the script gets us on the side of the anti-heroes, then throws us into a mind-bogglingly difficult situation with them. And when the action shifts gears to a peaceful mountainside hideout, we are as unaware as the characters themselves. As for the acting, it’s grand. Daniel Brühl is the standout, he is mysterious and intriguing and Brühl is able to bring a certain depth to the character. And his scenes with Burghart Klaußner's rich man, Hardenberg, are a joy to watch. Also Stipe Erceg is compassionate as Peter and Julia Jentsch has a sort of Sarah Polly arua about her which is a thrill to watch.

The film gets rather preachy and long, but the fact that it possesses such strong material makes everything it has to say relevant. It asks us to examine the movement for social change and how it is often tied to the passions of youth, and how the enthusiasm that fuels it can also lead to its ruin. The results become a sense of purpose for the characters and instead of being any random film the "The Edukators" becomes meaningful.