Die Welle (The Wave) poster & wallpaper
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Jurgen Vogel, Frederick Lau, Max Riemelt, Jennifer Ulrich, Christiane Paul ...( see more  see more... ) , Jacob Matschenz , Cristina do Rego , Elyas M'Barek

A high school teacher's unusual experiment to demonstrate to his students what life is like under a dictatorship spins horribly out of control.

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13 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: Dennis Gansel

Release Date: January 18, 2008

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Flixster Reviews (787)

  • mrpopcorn
    September 17, 2009
    mrpopcorn
    "Can there be another dictatorship in Germany?"

    A high school teacher's unusual experiment to demonstrate to his students what life is like under a dictatorship spins horribly out of control when he forms a social unit with a life of its own.

    ...( read more)Century Schoolbook">REVIEW
    How does anyone really portray autocracy and/or fascism? In most ways, it can be done in the usual one-dimensional concoction of corruption, evil deeds, extreme delusion and paranoia amongst the ruling elites of the regimes. The Wave ("Die Welle") though looks at the issue from a different angle, examining how it can arise and entrance those it touches, and in the process makes the whole issue look fresh again.

    The basic story is that of a school teacher (an anarchist at heart) who has to teach a class about "Autocracy". Failing to get their attention, he decides to create an experiment whereby they are to create their own mini autocracy and rules amongst themselves (named "The Wave"). With such a controversial subject, the whole thing gets out of hand with the pupils succumbing to the autocratic fascist methodology with grave consequences.

    One important point that needs to be added is that its a German movie, and for historical reasons the topic is a delicate one, yet seems to add to the whole feel. The film is quite realistically disturbing in many ways, and shows how most of the pupils slowly fall for fascism in quite innocent ways. It will make you think and possibly reassess the important question, as asked in the film, if Autocracy can rear its head again.

    The writing, the acting and direction are excellent. Jürgen Vogel as the class teacher is both entertaining and thoughtful in his role, but the cast in general is exceptional especially as in the main they are mostly teenagers.

    If you like thoughtful films, and wish to see something that is questioning historical events in the present, then there is little to better this. Deserves to be watched. Its a film that will definitely be spoken about and re watched by many repeatedly for many years to come.
  • EarthlyAlien
    June 18, 2009
    EarthlyAlien
    "Heil Headmaster!"

    Based on a real event from a California high school in 1967 and transposed to Germany today, The Wave is a cautionary tale about the roots of fascism. Seductive and horrifying at the same time, it suggests that anything is possible in today's uns...( read more)table environment. And it's pretty damn scary to think it might be right.

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    An assured piece of filmmaking by Dennis Gansel, The Wave captures the intoxicating power of conformity. Gansel opens the film with a rush of energy and doesn't let go. Charismatic teacher Rainier Wenger (Jurgen Vogel) is driving to school with the Ramones' "Rock 'n' Roll High School" blasting in his car as the camera gazes at the calm life of the city passing outside. It's not going to last long.

    It's Project Week at school, and though Wenger, an aging post-punk radical with unconventional teaching methods, is disappointed he doesn't get to teach the class on anarchy, he dives headfirst into the preparing for his class on autocracy. It's a hard sell to the indifferent students and as one puts it, "What is there left to be against? All we want is to have fun." What follows is a textbook study of how fascism starts and takes hold. When Wenger asks if a dictatorship like Hitler's would be possible in Germany today, the students either say no or don't care. But Wenger gets an idea for an experiment.

    So the class elects him as leader and in contrast to his usual easygoing style he demands that students call him Mr. Wenger and stand when they have something to say. The motto for the day is "strength through discipline." Once he's got the students' attention, things escalate within a week. Fascism has traditionally taken hold among an underprivileged, alienated population, and who is more alienated than high school students? They like the idea of dressing the same to reduce social pressures and they start wearing jeans and white shirts. They name the group "The Wave," create a cool logo and a come up with a salute scarily reminiscent of Hitler's.

    Much to their surprise, and Wegner's, they find that they like the power of unity, of being able to rely on others, and soon this new-found discipline spills over to other school activities, and newcomers join the group. One student, Karo (Jennifer Ulrich), who has a fairly stable familial structure, resists the rising conformity, but even her boyfriend, Marco (Max Riemelt), who comes from a broken home, is smitten.

    The Wave gives these kids something to believe in for a change and some of the initial ideas about social equality and the will of the people are appealing, until they go too far. As in the rise of the Nazis, unstable and disturbed individuals latch on and feel powerful for the first time, and the most damaged become the lieutenants. That's what happens to Tim (Fredrick Lau), a disturbed, skittish student who no longer feels like an outsider.

    But when the insiders start bullying other students and violence erupts outside school, Wegner realizes things might have gone too far. The genius of the screenplay by Gansel and Peter Thorwarth is that they recognize Wegner's good intentions, his psychology and mixed feelings. His wife, Anke (Christiane Paul), who also teaches at the school, holds him accountable, and he admits he loves being idolized.

    Vogel (a very underrated German actor) is brilliant in the film's climactic scene as his agreeable face hardens and contorts into a scowl as he becomes the dictator he feared. The cast of kids, especially Ulrich as the dissenter and Lau as the most vulnerable, are convincing enough to command the belief that they really are high school students. Gansel is obviously dealing with complex stuff here and he does so with first class filmmaking. A pounding score of rock songs and music by Heiko Maile adds to the combustible mix and cinematography by Torsten Breuer captures the action, including some aggressive water polo matches, with a combination of outstanding hand-held and slow-motion camera work.

    Although the original experimental demonstration, named "The Third Wave," in a Palo Alto high school did not end this way in 1967, Gansel has updated the climax to what could and has happened in schools today. There is something additionally chilling about seeing it take place in Germany. But as the film makes abundantly clear, the roots of fascism grow everywhere. It's just particularly brave of a German filmmaker to decide to make this film, to acknowledge his county's history for once, and not look the other way.
  • RossCollinsUK
    May 2, 2009
    RossCollinsUK
    A high school teacher takes an experimental approach to his students' autocracy project. Demonstrating the ease at how fascism grew in Germany, he accidentally ends up creating a cult of his own.
  • kiriyamakazou
    January 30, 2009
    kiriyamakazou
    Like another German film Das Experiment, Die Welle translates a simple social experiment into a fascinating and tense drama. Everything is exaggerated, but it is done so in quite believable terms in order for us to see the most extreme outcomes. Die Welle is engrossing stuff. It ...( read more)makes you think about such a situation and the story/characters at hand. The acting is excellent and draws us in to each individual life. The screenplay is wonderfully written, slowly building on the idea presented. We see the joys of fascism and what makes it so attractive, as well as the inevitable descent into madness and chaos. Gripping to the end even if fairly obvious as to where it is headed.
  • gor41
    January 15, 2009
    gor41
    Passable German treatise on the potential for fascistic ideas to appeal to a modern generation but I didn't believe the pupil's relationship with their tutor would precipitate the radicalism so quickly if at all.
  • bbkiko
    January 23, 2010
    bbkiko
    well made , in germany . based on true facts ...
  • habzygoga
    January 7, 2010
    habzygoga
    un pò scontato,soprattutto il finale , e non mi ha detto niente di nuovo.
  • gultenreiz
    December 15, 2009
    gultenreiz
    Jurgen Vogel is Rainer Wenger, a teacher that comes up with an interesting idea for a class in order to distract the children from their apathy, but everything turns into something really ugly.
    The idea was to create a autocratic microcosm right in his class, so that the student...( read more)s would understand the mechanism of an totalitarian regime, but everything goes above himself.
    "Die welle" is well written , with some clever dialogue and decent acting, and tries to show how easily is to be influenced, to fall into the trap, and how one could lose his identity. A very good examination on mob mentality, even though I didn't believe, not even for a second, that a week was sufficient to turn those children into fascists.
  • blacksheepboy
    December 14, 2009
    blacksheepboy
    Very well written and directed, this film is a fascinating, thought-provoking study on men's terrifying disposition to let themselves be led by a fascist-like autocracy that can take root in any society.
  • Luciusthebigboss
    December 3, 2009
    Luciusthebigboss
    Awesome, just like the first one!!

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