Die Welle (The Wave) (2008)

When you hear of a film about the nature of Nazism, the immediate assumption is not that you will be viewing an entertaining, gripping film. Interesting, clever, 'improving' yes, but exiting? This film plays with your expectations throughout. From the metal music that plays under the opening credits to the surprise (and to a degree cathartic) ending, this film has ample capacity to shock. The film centers on a high school in Germany, where the students must choose which topic to study for 'project week'. Despite the popularity of Anarchism, many choose Autocracy, as it is being (unwillingly) taught by Rainer Wenger, a popular nonconformist teacher at the school. However, once in the classroom, enthusiasm soon fades, and Rainer is left attempting to gain their attention. When a student says that 'a dictatorship can never happen again' in Germany, Rainer is struck with an idea-why not run the class like a dictatorship? With this in mind, he creates 'The Wave'. However, as the week wears on, events begin to spiral out of control. While some of the plot elements of this film may not stand up to scrutiny (the timescale, for example, seems a little unrealistic), the film serves as a terrifying reminder of the seductive power of fascism, and the hold which it can have over individuals. By virtue of its relatively short length and the modern soundtrack, the film feels up to date, punchy and young, which only serves to reinforce the power of the message. This film is tremendously enjoyable, as well as providing a modern cautionary tale to a generation that has perhaps lost sight of the true horror of Nazism in World War 2. 'The Wave' therefore comes highly recommended, both as an intelligent picture, and an entertaining piece of cinema.