Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei

the edukators is a hugely enjoyable film that perfectly balances the human themes of friendship, love and trust with it's more political undertones.

the main characters are all performed with warmth and a playfulness that keeps the human side of the story engaging, while the plot develops with continual twists and tension. of course the idealism and activism of the protagonists plays a central roll, but the film never falls to the temptation to preach or bog itself down with weighty polemic.

all in all, the edukators is a breath of fresh air that is both satisfying to the head and the heart. highly recommended.

The first review I read of this movie criticized the camera work. I wonder why? For an indie production, this was a surprisingly high quality film and nowhere near as jerky as, say, Cloverfield. If you tend towards sea-sickness and have been avoiding watching this film for that reason then rest assured that there is no need to bring a sick bag to the viewing.

Having said that, I found the Edukators to be a well developed character drama that pulled the carpet out from under my feet just when it started to get too comfortable. The three central, activist characters have perfect amount of cynicism, idealism and vulnerability. Their views never came across as preachy, merely pragmatic. But then I'm left wing, so I guess I would say that - however, the 'other side of the story' gets a chance to be heard in the form of Mr. Hardenberg. As a child of a baby boomer I found him to be a familiar character, full of his generation's mournful sense of complicity in corruption. The only complaint i had is that the action drags a bit towards the end, but this is compensated for by the clever twist at the ending.

It's hard to find a story out there that actually contributes emotional depth to the 'capitalist vs. socialist' debate instead of focusing on rhetoric. That's why I am thankful to the makers of this film for contributing such a solid story to the mix. I would definitely recommend it to any activist friends who want to think beyond the next demo and/or leafletting session.

Die Fetten Jahre sind vorbei (The Edukators) is the first German film in competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival since Wim Wender's In weiter Ferne, so nah! (Faraway, So Close!) in 1993. The film's protagonists, Jan, Peter and Jule, dream of changing society. They form "The Edukators," a group that warns the rich and disturbs their material comfort with non-violent actions. In "the Edukators" Hans Weingartner raises the question: "What happened to the revolutionary generation of the sixties? Where are all the anarchists, hippies and idealists that wanted to change the world? I loved the movie, it is condemning and inspiring at the same time, depressing and uplifting and as a viewer you are forced to decide if you feel sympathy for the idealistic young people or the successful materialistic businessman. Or both?!

I went to see the film completely unprepared, and I left the theatre rather euphoric. I liked the film because of the amiable story, the roughly-sketched but believable characters (even if we don't learn too much about their backgrounds) and the funny, witty dialog. And last but not least the surprise in the end -- until three minutes to the end I wouldn't have had an idea how to end a story like this.

The four main characters were cast exceptionally well, and the dialog -- whew! Yes, the kidnappers seem very naive (so does the manager, btw, in another way), and the words they use are heavy with cliché, but it's not a message of any kind that's new and interesting. It's what happens beyond words: I've rarely seen people in a movie talk and talk so much about convictions and ideology, but all the really important things happen inside them and without words.

So go and watch this film but don't jump on the political statements. Things might have some more layers here.

... but the days of plenty for German Cinema obviously just started!!

I saw this movie at the Cork Film Festival yesterday night. Being originally from Germany and a huge Daniel Bruehl Fan I HAD to watch this movie. Of course I didn't get disappointed: it's such a brilliant movie with such a profound statement. Hans Weingartner seems to be gifted with a unique power of observation: not living in Germany at the moment made me very sensitive for clichéd German behaviour (Scenes like the one in the tram and the restaurant are just so typical!) Great acting by outstandingly talented young actors (can Daniel Bruehl get any better? Obviously he can!), witty dialogues and a surprising ending made this movie pure fun watching every single second! I am very glad that if German movies make it abroad they are such smart movies as this one (or Run Lola Run, Goodbye Lenin,...). I hope to see more and more German movies over here in the future.

The days of plenty just started for the German Cinema!