Dennis Gansel
L'Onda

How truly is it possible to nullify one's own identity in the face of a leader's charm, blended in the amalgam of the group?

Let's not beat around the bush. We have the books of the greatest thinkers, of philosophers, of magnificent politicians. Of poets, of people who wanted to deeply engrave their era. We have millennia of social and individual evolution, yet we have seen with our own eyes intellectuals of all times bend to the will of others. There are then peoples who seem particularly inclined to have someone to act as their supreme guide, capable of solving problems. A conqueror with the abilities of a demiurge, who needs nothing more than his own ego.

A true story inspires the German Dennis Gansel to tackle once again a difficult theme like dictatorship, after the test offered in Napula (2004). In a modern school, a professor, not one of those old and decrepit ones, with a Ramones shirt and a rock soundtrack to underline everything, sets up an experiment that should highlight the values of democracy. From a debate with some students, during a 'theme week', in which he conducts an in-depth course on autocracy, he takes on a challenge: is it possible that, precisely in that Germany of which we all know the history, a new dictatorship could arise? Thus we have The Wave of the title. It's the name the youngsters give their movement, formalized with a uniform (simple jeans and a white shirt), symbol, and salute.

But the director does not intend to dwell on the plot, nor on the related personal events of the 'misfit' Tim, or on the love affairs of Marco and Karo, intertwined with a certain mastery of editing by the director from Hanover. The question lies in posing a query. The professor will soon find himself in a situation that spirals out of his control. The film is a drama for a reason, and the ending is not positive, nor does it wish to leave hopeful messages, quite the opposite.

But how would we have behaved? Each of us feels more like a Tim, a boy without a family and without reference points, who fully identifies with the Wave to draw vital energy, feels more compassion for the teacher Wenger, a brilliant Jürgen Vogel, crushed by the irreversible force of events, or makes their own the ideals of the young Karo, who 'opens her eyes' on what the movement is becoming before others do? Far be it for me to propose various interpretations of a work that should not be missing in anyone's personal video library. Even in Gansel's intentions, there are no pseudo-philosophical ramblings, there are no references to those great thinkers of the past, mentioned at the beginning of the review (there's an omission: the names of these minds are missing. Everyone adds the ones they believe suit best). A reality is simply presented as it is, and not as it should be.

It's up to us to decide whether to let this film slide over our skin, as we do with many other films, or whether to take the time to actually stop and reflect on what we've just seen. In the thin line that separates personal discipline from disdain for those who could never think like us, who decides who is good and who is bad?

The less glorious pages of our past would be the most instructive if only we accepted to read them in full (Tzvetan Todorov)