Wolfsburg

Having become a Petzold fan because of his latest films I am looking for some older ones. "Wolfsburg" is from 2003 and Petzold's second feature length movie. After seeing the film myself I am always interested in the opinion of other reviewers. For "Wolfsburg" there are very few critic reviews. Obviously Petzold was rather unknown in these days.

"Wolfsburg" is about a man who kills a child after driving recklessly. He drives recklessly after having a fight with his wife through the mobile phone. In a way "Wolfsburg" can be seen as a twin movie with "Tonio" (2016, Paula van der Oest) in which the grieving of the parents of a child lost in a traffic accident is the central theme.

Right after the traffic accident the driver seems to either panic or be anti social. He drives away, leaving the injured victim to his fate. After that he tries to continue his life / job as if nothing has happened. Here the film fits in a little twist of irony. The main character sells cars and the first car he has to selll after the accident is to a couple having a little baby. We hear him use the safety of a car again and again as a unique selling argument.

After a while however it turns out that the main character is not so insensible and cold hearted as it first seems. From that moment on a modern version of cime and punishment a la Dostoyevsky begins, culminating in a surprising ending.