The White Sound (2001)
"Das weiße Rauschen" (original title)

Kati, Jochen and Lukas take a trip magic mushrooms. Lukas is not coming back.

Director:

Hans Weingartner

Writers:

Tobias Amann (screenplay), Matthias Schellenberg (screenplay),

Stars:

Daniel Brühl, Anabelle Lachatte, Patrick Joswig

6 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Daniel Brühl	...	Lukas
Anabelle Lachatte	...	Kati
Patrick Joswig	...	Jochen
Katharina Schüttler	...	Kinodate
Ilse Strambowski	...	Kinokassiererin
Michael Schütz	...	Psychiater
Karl Danguillier	...	Jesus
Michael Lentz	...	Opa
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tobias Amann	...	Hippie
Claudia Bach	...	Mädchen im Zug
Martina Balzig	...	Hippie
Peter Bösenberg	...	Störer vor der Dusche
Heinrich Cuipers
Daniel Dömer	...	Hippie
Dietmar Eisenreich	...	Hippie

Storyline

Driving through the countryside, Kati, Jochen and Lukas take some magic mushrooms. One of them, Lukas, is not coming down from them. Hearing voices like multiple different low turned radio programs, changing and mixing altogether. The diagnosis of the physician: paranoid schizophrenia. Not able to filter and interpret the sensations presented he encounters fear, inner voices, paranoia and is drifting away from reality.

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Plot Keywords:

magic mushroom | paranoid schizophrenia | schizophrenia | brother sister relationship | caravan | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Das weisse Rauschen [de] (German)

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

31 January 2002 (Germany)

Also Known As:

White Noise

Filming Locations:

Cologne, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cameo Film- und Fernsehproduktion, Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln (KHM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the scene in which Lukas is walking in the rain (right after flushing his medication down the toilet) there are two shots where part of an umbrella is visible which is protecting the camera lens from the falling rain.

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Connections

References Rebecca (1940)

User Reviews

OK to watch once

In short: The movie is about Lukas, a boy who moves from his grandparents to Cologne where his older sister lives with her boyfriend. The three take some drugs and out of a sudden Lukas hears multiple voices in his head. After a suicide attempt he is discharged of psychiatry. The voices return as he stops taking his medication. So far, that's the main plot. I was very disappointed, because I have heard so many good critics. Let's start with the positive aspects: The movie is very real, plain and simple shot to make its point. The effects of the voices are great if you own a Dolby surround receiver with 5.1 speakers. The mental illness is supposed to be delivered in its natural form. This works great, but after some time it gets boring. Very well woven is the relationship to his sister. The negative parts: The story is too flat. I expected some insights into the illness itself, some more advice of the psychiatrist, multiple outbursts in different domains. It would have been more interesting watching the protagonist getting healed by the time or how he gets his life together, finds a girlfriend, gets a real job. By the way, has anything to do in his leisure time, some kind of hobby? He seems pretty much in puberty, only drinking, listening to music, driving car etc.

But the main mistake this movie does are the hints given, WHY all this happens. Herety is an important factor for mental illnesses, as well as drug consume. It all doesn't fit together. And instead of showing the options what one could improve or how Lukas learns to cope with his illness they relied on a romantic, Hollywood-like, pathetic ending which doesn't enlist the possibilities one could have with this mental state.

If you expect a movie about a teenager and his problems in a well conveyed style don't hesitate and go see "Das weisse Rauschen". What you won't get is information about the aetiology, the progress, proper treatment or realistic perspective of schizophrenia.