A Christian Petzold movie always intrigues me. Today, I especially liked Yella, Barbara and Secret in Your Face films by this 60-year-old German director. He shot with his favorite actress Nina Hoss at that time… Now his favorite is Paula Beer and they bring good luck to each other. Just as this film brought the best actress award to Paula Beer at the 70th Berlin Film Festival…
This distinctive film opens with the love story of Undine and Johannes. Undine Wibeau is an academic specializing in Berlin and its history. He knows very well the history of buildings and urbanism, especially in the city of Berlin. For this reason, while showing the crowds the gigantic models showing the city, it also tells the history of the city in this respect. And it is up to us to learn this history with its key points.
On the other hand, Undine is a true love affair. He is so in love with her lover, Johannes, that when she finds out that the man is having another affair, she openly says: “I’m going to kill you!” But just then she meets Christoph. Less handsome than the other, with a ‘rabbit lip’ and an animalistic side, but he also needs love as much as Undine… One of his specialties is diving, which is another passion of his. He also films what he sees in or at the bottom of the water, such as a unique catfish. And even at night with his lover, they dive into the water and swim. Now Christoph is her true love, she has forgotten Johannes.
But danger is also behind them. Christoph was once breathless underwater for a full 12 minutes and was ‘brain dead’. Meanwhile, the regretful Johannes returns and tries to enter the woman’s life again. In short, a completely different and striking love triangle story like no other movie…
Undine is, in my opinion, the most different and original love movie I’ve seen lately. It is an astonishing story of heroes, all three of whom have tasted true passion and love passionate love. In the movie, where the only public transportation vehicle shown is a train, so the trains cross the city like a main vessel and set the scene for the story, the surprises increase as the finale approaches. In addition to a delicious Bach concerto in the background, the popular song Stayin’ Alive is heard from time to time. What Christoph likes the most…
All in all, an emotional feast, especially for those who are fed up with the platitudes of romance movies.
Undine (2020)
Directed by: Christian Petzold
Starring: Paula Beer, Franz Rogowski, Maryam Zaree, Jacob Matschenz, Anne Ratte-Polle, Rafael Stachowiak, José Barros, Julia Franz Richter, Gloria Endres de Oliveira, Enno Trebs
Screenplay by: Christian Petzold
Production Design by: Merlin Ortner
Cinematography by: Hans Fromm
Film Editing by: Bettina Böhler
Costume Design by: Katharina Ost
Set Decoration by: Tom Hecker
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: IFC Films
Release Date: July 2, 2020 (Germany), June 4, 2021 (United States)
Visits: 76
