The Wave (2008) Die Welle (original title)

Director:

Dennis Gansel

Writers:

Ron Jones (short story and original protocols)
Johnny Dawkins (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

27 May 2011 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A high school teacher's unusual experiment to demonstrate to his students what life is like under a dictatorship spins horribly out of control when he forms a social unit with a life of its own.

Plot Keywords:

High School Teacher | Experiment | Youth | Teenage Boy | Singing In A Car

Awards:

5 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Jürgen Vogel	...	Rainer Wenger
Frederick Lau	...	Tim Stoltefuss
Max Riemelt	...	Marco
Jennifer Ulrich	...	Karo
Christiane Paul	...	Anke Wenger
Jacob Matschenz	...	Dennis
Cristina do Rego	...	Lisa
Elyas M'Barek	...	Sinan
Maximilian Vollmar	...	Bomber
Max Mauff	...	Kevin (as Maximilian Mauff)
Ferdinand Schmidt-Modrow	...	Ferdi
Tim Oliver Schultz	...	Jens
Amelie Kiefer	...	Mona
Fabian Preger	...	Kaschi
Odine Johne	...	Maja
Tino Mewes	...	Schädel
Karoline Teska	...	Miri
Marco Bretscher-Coschignano	...	Dominik
Lennard Bertzbach	...	Bommel
Thommy Schwimmer	...	Maxwell (as Tommy Schwimmer)
Joseph M'Barek	...	Thorben
Jaime Ferkic	...	Bobby (as Jaime Kristo Ferkic)
Darvin Schmidt	...	Leon
Leander Hagen	...	Zecke
Lucas Hardt	...	Kulle
Maxwell Richter	...	Faust
Sophie Kurzke	...	Freundin Jens
Liv Lisa Fries	...	Laura
Lena Lutz	...	Leyla
Hendrik Holler	...	Marktverkäufer
Ilo Gansel	...	Marktverkäuferin
Natascha Paulick	...	Verkäuferin
Maren Kroymann	...	Dr. Kohlhage
Teresa Harder	...	Mutter Karo
Thomas Sarbacher	...	Vater Karo
Hubert Mulzer	...	Dieter Wieland
Gerald Alexander Held	...	Vater Tim (as Alexander Held)
Johanna Gastdorf	...	Mutter Tim
Friederike Wagner	...	Mutter Marco
Dennis Gansel	...	Hängengebliebener
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ron Jones	...	Coffee Bar Visitor (uncredited)

Directed by
Dennis Gansel

Writing credits
Ron Jones		(short story and original protocols) (as William Ron Jones)
Johnny Dawkins		(screenplay "The Wave") and
Ron Birnbach		(screenplay "The Wave")
Dennis Gansel		(writer) and
Peter Thorwarth		(writer)

Produced by
Christian Becker	....	producer
Antonio Exacoustos	....	co-producer
David Groenewold	....	co-producer
Franz Kraus	....	co-producer
Nina Maag	....	supervising producer
Martin Moszkowicz	....	co-producer
Peter Schiller	....	line producer
Anita Schneider	....	consulting producer

Original Music by
Heiko Maile

Cinematography by
Torsten Breuer

Film Editing by
Ueli Christen

Casting by
Franziska Aigner-Kuhn
Uwe Bünker

Production Design by
Knut Loewe

Art Direction by
Petra Ringleb

Set Decoration by
Tilman Lasch

Costume Design by
Ivana Milos

Makeup Department
Dörte Dobkowitz	....	makeup artist
Franziska Dominick	....	assistant makeup artist
Irina Tübbecke-Bechem	....	makeup artist
Renate Wetzel-Wagner	....	additional makeup artist
Mieke Willaert	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Dierk Beck von Rohland	....	post-production supervisor
Natalie Clausen	....	unit manager
Ulrike Fauth	....	production manager
Axel Vogelmann	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hendrik Holler	....	first assistant director
Hendrik Holler	....	second unit director
Matthias Nerlich	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Philipp Hübner	....	property master
Tilman Lasch	....	set dresser

Sound Department
David Arnold	....	adr recordist
Tomas Bastian	....	adr editor
Christian Bischoff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Hans-Jörg Bramm	....	sound (as Hans Bramm)
Christian Bruckmair	....	adr mixer
Tschangis Chahrokh	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stephan Fandrych	....	adr supervisor
Florian Fricke	....	sound: second unit
Dana Hopfe	....	adr production manager
Hadon Install	....	boom operator
Mathias Maydl	....	sound re-recordist
Henry Mayr	....	sound project coordinator
Michael Mitra	....	foley editor
Pierre Peters-Arnolds	....	synchronisation
Jörn Poetzl	....	foley artist
Alexander Saal	....	supervising sound editor
Philipp Sellier	....	foley recordist
Patrick Veigel	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Michael Apling	....	special effects office coordinator
Ronny Klost	....	special effects technician
Adolf Wojtinek	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Christopher Chaber	....	lustre operator
Willy Delgado	....	film scanning
Geoffrey Grafwallner	....	digital supervisor
Ulrich Hochleitner	....	digital transferer
Kathie Klippe	....	film recorder: ARRILASER (as Kathi Klippe)
Nina Knott	....	digital intermediate producer
Traudl Nicholson	....	digital colorist
Marco Ringler	....	digital compositor
Hari Schernthaner	....	lustre operator
Abraham Schneider	....	visual effects supervisor
Ania Senckpiehl	....	digital transferer
Sascha Stiller	....	film recorder: ARRILASER
Steven Stueart	....	film scanning

Stunts
Rainer Werner	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Johannes Burow	....	video operator
Katharina Dießner	....	second assistant camera
Fred Dombrowka	....	gaffer
Christopher Durth	....	electrician (as Christofer Durth)
Pip Hare	....	second assistant camera
Arne Hartländer	....	assistant grip
Thomas Hübener	....	scorpio head operator
Sandro Kieburg	....	electrician
Conny Klein	....	still photographer
Daniel Kraus	....	underwater assistant camera
Martin Leitsch	....	second assistant camera
Andres Lizana Prado	....	underwater camera operator
Frank Pawlowski	....	electrician
Philip Reinhold	....	second assistant camera
Axel Renner	....	best boy
Bernd Schultz	....	grip
Matthias Wrage	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Johanna Ragwitz	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Inga Kusche	....	costume assistant
Anja Lafin	....	additional costume
Anske Lipinski	....	wardrobe
Natalia Riede	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Sandra Aichinger	....	color timer

Music Department
Volker Hinkel	....	musician: electric guitars
Pia Hoffmann	....	music supervisor
Torsten Kamps	....	electronic orchestrator
Matthias Raue	....	musician: keyboards
Mathias Willvondseder	....	musician: CS 80
Andre Winter	....	programming

Transportation Department
Ralf Pitzius	....	production driver
Miklas Wittmann	....	cast & production driver

Other crew
Jan Birka	....	script supervisor
Mathias Braun	....	location scout
Christian Dosch	....	location manager
Gabriele Friedel	....	production coordinator
Darius Ghanai	....	title designer
John Kaylin	....	dubbing producer
Angela Reedwisch	....	key account manager
Philipp von Hoff	....	location manager
Gernot Zeglien	....	location scout

Production Companies

• Rat Pack Filmproduktion
• Constantin Film Produktion (co-production)
• B.A. Produktion (co-production)
• Medienfonds GFP (co-production)

Distributors

• Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Distribution (2008) (Canada) (theatrical)
• At Entertainment (2009) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2008) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Aurum Films (2008) (Spain) (theatrical)
• BIM Distribuzione (2009) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Bac Films (2009) (France) (theatrical)
• Constantin Film (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmware International (2008) (Taiwan) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2011) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Impacto Cine (2009) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Momentum Pictures (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• Moviemobz Rain (2009) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Premium Film (2008) (Russia) (theatrical)
• SPI International (2008) (Czech Republic) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• SPI International (2008) (Slovakia) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2009) (Finland) (DVD) (2-disc edition)
• Highlight Film (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2008) (New Zealand) (all media)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (200?) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• SP Films (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Seven Films (2008) (Greece) (all media)
• Six Sales (2009) (Greece) (DVD)

Other Companies

• ARRI Sound  sound re-recording
• Delikatessen Requisiten Fundus  prop house
• Deutsche Filmförderfonds (DFFF)  funding
• Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA)  funding
• Götterspeisen Filmcatering  catering
• Mecon Media Concept  payroll service
• Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg  funding
• Moviebus Michael Meiser  bus
• Neels Mobil  caravan
• Patin-A  costumes
• Uwe Bünker Casting  children's casting

Also Known As:

"Die Welle" - Germany (original title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:12 | Czech Republic:12 | UK:15 | Ireland:16 | Argentina:16 | Netherlands:16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Sweden:11 | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | Portugal:M/16 | Finland:K-15 | Australia:MA | New Zealand:R16 | Japan:PG12 | Brazil:16 | Chile:TE | South Korea:12 | Spain:13

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Rat Pack Filmproduktion

Trivia:

Much like Napola, the film was partly inspired by Gansel's grandfather who Gansel had a lot of fights with when young because the grandfather used to tell him he was supportive of the nazi government when they where in power. It was not until Gansel's grandfather told him about his ambitions of becoming an artist, but because his family was poor he ended up joining the National Political Academy (NAPOLA). Gansel understood that the lure of fascism was all about seduction and psychology. This laid the basis for the film and its themes.

Goofs:

Continuity: The way the word "Autokratie" is written on the black board changes between shots.

Quotes:

Karo:Rainer I don't think you have this under control anymore, not at all.

Movie Connections:

References "Hape trifft!" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Spending My Time

A Clever, Ironic Account of Fascist Autocracy

Die Welle (The Wave) is truly a brilliant tale that lures viewers into its cleverly developed plot just as Herr Wenger lures his unsuspecting students into a sense of fascism. When Wenger, an affable schoolteacher who seems to be rebellious towards traditional instruction, gets selected to teach a class on autocracy, he is upset. However, he soon devises a plan with which to teach the students a valuable lesson on the sheer dangers of fascism and the ease with which one can be lured into it.

His class starts out simple and nonthreatening. The students choose Wenger as their leader and are instructed to wear a uniform and create a name for themselves (the students choose Die Welle "The Wave"). But, this club slowly turns into a sort of fascist regime. The unsuspecting students think they are participating in some sort of fun club, but they are really being shown how easily impressionable people can be attracted by autocracy.

The biting irony of this film is that at the beginning of the autocracy class, Wenger touched on the subject of Hitler's reign, and the students almost instinctively spit out answers about how Germany would never fall into that trap again knowing what they know now. But, the children soon eat their words when they become members of a much less disturbing, yet frighteningly similar clique.

There is a glimmer of this fact when two students who aren't members of "The Wave" pick on a student who is. Two other members come to the rescue of the victim. Though many may view this as a positive aspect of this sort of togetherness, the point is that fascism has developed and can easily become corrupt.

I highly recommend this to any potential viewer who either holds the same views as the students at the beginning of the film or simply wants to be entertained by the ironic theme of the film (so long as you don't mind the subtitles).