Film: The Edukators
Release date: 26th September 2005
Release date: 26th September 2005
Certificate: 15
Running time: 120 mins
Director: Hans WeingartnerStarring: Daniel Bruhl, Julia Jentsch, Stipe Erceg
Genre: Crime/Drama
Studio: UGC
Format: DVD
Country: Germany
“Sie haben zu viel Geld,” or “You have too much money,” is the audacious claim of the self-proclaimed “Edukators” of the title. Passion is an integral quality; both in the complexities of romance and in the enthusiasm with which the male protagonists maintain their idealistic beliefs.
Its documentary-style quality and cinematography fit perfectly with the grungy, mysterious work of Jan and Peter, otherwise known as “The Edukators”. They carry out intricately planned and fairly harmless, but nonetheless criminal, activities at night which involve rearranging the interiors of the homes of wealthy people, and leaving a note informing the owners that their “days of plenty are over.”
When Peter’s girlfriend, Jule, is evicted from her house owing to unmanageable debts, she convinces a reluctant Jan to allow her to seek a small revenge on the man whom she owes the money to. It inevitably ends in a horribly convoluted mess that they cannot escape from.
Enlisting the help of Peter, this results in the abduction of the owner of the house while they think of how to solve their dilemma. The subsequent scenes find The Edukators becoming the educated, as they discover that they may not be so antithetical to the people whose houses they invade. The protagonists are thrown into a tangle of emotions and discoveries, which forces all of them, including their wealthy captive, to rethink the very foundation of their values and lifestyles…
The premise of the film sounds incredibly grave, and a little self-righteous: a couple of preachy anti-capitalists forcing their basic Marxist views onto innocent people. The hostage, Hardenberg, makes the point that it is his right to make money, and for that he should not have to apologise. This statement could have derailed The Edukators’ entire ethos for the audience, however, the characters’ insolent idealism and passion for their cause are more than enough to make them extremely likeable. They are unlike many other cinematic representations of young adults as they are not materialistic, selfish and lazy. Despite the impracticality and romanticism of their ideas, at least they have established beliefs, which are in fact reminiscent of major movements at the time of Hardenberg’s young adulthood. Jan, in particular, is a captivating character, full of poetics and philosophy – this draws the attention of the female audience members, and unfortunately also of Jule, his best friend’s girlfriend.
Romance in the film is a constant presence, which, without doubt, appeals to the audience. The obvious attraction between Jan and Jule is evocative of an archetypal Hollywood ‘love triangle’ narrative. However, the emergent temptation between the characters is much more subtle and delicate than usual and, typical of the protagonists, the situation culminates rather differently to audience expectations.
Ideology is scattered with hesitant romance, making this a very accessible and enjoyable film with which Weingartner attempts to both entertain and encourage fervent dedication in the audience. Even if The Edukators do not make much of a dent in their revolutionary endeavours, they keep trying right to the closing scene. They don’t have it all figured out, but who does? They occasionally contradict their own morals and values, but who doesn’t? In a particularly philosophical monologue by Jan, he talks about the impossibility of happiness in the people who buy into the system he hates so much. Although he is ranting about capitalism, his speech could well describe himself and his friends. They are never fully satisfied or content, which leaves the audience somewhere between sympathy and pity.
Their boisterous assertions that the consumerist, money-driven lifestyle of their targets won’t last forever is thrown back at them as Hardenberg leaves them realising that it may not be practical to live as rebels as they age. However, preferring to think of the present rather than the future, the choice to think about changing their ways is a barrier for both parties. Weingartner achieves a sort of catharsis through its exploration of the consequences of living at either end of the materialist spectrum; the audience is left thinking about the concepts of right and wrong, justice and blame.
Perhaps the most memorable line is left, oddly, to the least articulate of the protagonists, Peter: “It's not who invented the gun, but who pulls the trigger.” Despite the consistent cynicism regarding contradictions within both sides of the conflict, the film stresses the importance of not just having opinions and principles, but doing something about them.
The enthusiasm and charm of the characters wins over the audience in a film which is the perfect combination of mainstream accessibility and art-cinema expressiveness. SJC
Its documentary-style quality and cinematography fit perfectly with the grungy, mysterious work of Jan and Peter, otherwise known as “The Edukators”. They carry out intricately planned and fairly harmless, but nonetheless criminal, activities at night which involve rearranging the interiors of the homes of wealthy people, and leaving a note informing the owners that their “days of plenty are over.”
When Peter’s girlfriend, Jule, is evicted from her house owing to unmanageable debts, she convinces a reluctant Jan to allow her to seek a small revenge on the man whom she owes the money to. It inevitably ends in a horribly convoluted mess that they cannot escape from.
Enlisting the help of Peter, this results in the abduction of the owner of the house while they think of how to solve their dilemma. The subsequent scenes find The Edukators becoming the educated, as they discover that they may not be so antithetical to the people whose houses they invade. The protagonists are thrown into a tangle of emotions and discoveries, which forces all of them, including their wealthy captive, to rethink the very foundation of their values and lifestyles…
The premise of the film sounds incredibly grave, and a little self-righteous: a couple of preachy anti-capitalists forcing their basic Marxist views onto innocent people. The hostage, Hardenberg, makes the point that it is his right to make money, and for that he should not have to apologise. This statement could have derailed The Edukators’ entire ethos for the audience, however, the characters’ insolent idealism and passion for their cause are more than enough to make them extremely likeable. They are unlike many other cinematic representations of young adults as they are not materialistic, selfish and lazy. Despite the impracticality and romanticism of their ideas, at least they have established beliefs, which are in fact reminiscent of major movements at the time of Hardenberg’s young adulthood. Jan, in particular, is a captivating character, full of poetics and philosophy – this draws the attention of the female audience members, and unfortunately also of Jule, his best friend’s girlfriend.
Romance in the film is a constant presence, which, without doubt, appeals to the audience. The obvious attraction between Jan and Jule is evocative of an archetypal Hollywood ‘love triangle’ narrative. However, the emergent temptation between the characters is much more subtle and delicate than usual and, typical of the protagonists, the situation culminates rather differently to audience expectations.
Ideology is scattered with hesitant romance, making this a very accessible and enjoyable film with which Weingartner attempts to both entertain and encourage fervent dedication in the audience. Even if The Edukators do not make much of a dent in their revolutionary endeavours, they keep trying right to the closing scene. They don’t have it all figured out, but who does? They occasionally contradict their own morals and values, but who doesn’t? In a particularly philosophical monologue by Jan, he talks about the impossibility of happiness in the people who buy into the system he hates so much. Although he is ranting about capitalism, his speech could well describe himself and his friends. They are never fully satisfied or content, which leaves the audience somewhere between sympathy and pity.
Their boisterous assertions that the consumerist, money-driven lifestyle of their targets won’t last forever is thrown back at them as Hardenberg leaves them realising that it may not be practical to live as rebels as they age. However, preferring to think of the present rather than the future, the choice to think about changing their ways is a barrier for both parties. Weingartner achieves a sort of catharsis through its exploration of the consequences of living at either end of the materialist spectrum; the audience is left thinking about the concepts of right and wrong, justice and blame.
Perhaps the most memorable line is left, oddly, to the least articulate of the protagonists, Peter: “It's not who invented the gun, but who pulls the trigger.” Despite the consistent cynicism regarding contradictions within both sides of the conflict, the film stresses the importance of not just having opinions and principles, but doing something about them.
The enthusiasm and charm of the characters wins over the audience in a film which is the perfect combination of mainstream accessibility and art-cinema expressiveness. SJC
