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The Wave

Original title: Die Welle
  • 2008
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
112K
YOUR RATING
The Wave (2008)
The Wave: Clip 8
Play clip1:07
Watch The Wave: Clip 8
4 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaThriller

A high school teacher's 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.A high school teacher's 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.A high school teacher's 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.

  • Director
    • Dennis Gansel
  • Writers
    • Ron Jones
    • Johnny Dawkins
    • Ron Birnbach
  • Stars
    • Jürgen Vogel
    • Frederick Lau
    • Max Riemelt
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.6/10
    112K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Dennis Gansel
    • Writers
      • Ron Jones
      • Johnny Dawkins
      • Ron Birnbach
    • Stars
      • Jürgen Vogel
      • Frederick Lau
      • Max Riemelt
    • 135User reviews
    • 101Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 9 wins & 8 nominations

    Videos4

    The Wave: Clip 8
    Clip 1:07
    Watch The Wave: Clip 8
    The Wave: Clip 2
    Clip 0:41
    Watch The Wave: Clip 2
    The Wave: Clip 6
    Clip 1:43
    Watch The Wave: Clip 6
    The Wave: Clip 4
    Clip 0:49
    Watch The Wave: Clip 4

    Photos338

    The Wave (2008)
    The Wave (2008)
    The Wave (2008)
    The Wave (2008)
    The Wave (2008)
    The Wave (2008)
    The Wave (2008)
    The Wave (2008)
    Liv Lisa Fries in The Wave (2008)
    The Wave (2008)
    The Wave (2008)
    The Wave (2008)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jürgen Vogel
    Jürgen Vogel
    • Rainer Wenger
    Frederick Lau
    Frederick Lau
    • Tim Stoltefuss
    Max Riemelt
    Max Riemelt
    • Marco
    Jennifer Ulrich
    Jennifer Ulrich
    • Karo
    Christiane Paul
    Christiane Paul
    • Anke Wenger
    Jacob Matschenz
    Jacob Matschenz
    • Dennis
    Cristina do Rego
    Cristina do Rego
    • Lisa
    Elyas M'Barek
    Elyas M'Barek
    • Sinan
    Maximilian Vollmar
    • Bomber
    Max Mauff
    Max Mauff
    • Kevin
    • (as Maximilian Mauff)
    Ferdinand Schmidt-Modrow
    • Ferdi
    Tim Oliver Schultz
    Tim Oliver Schultz
    • Jens
    Amelie Kiefer
    • Mona
    Fabian Preger
    • Kaschi
    Odine Johne
    Odine Johne
    • Maja
    Tino Mewes
    Tino Mewes
    • Schädel
    Karoline Teska
    • Miri
    Marco Bretscher-Coschignano
    • Dominik
    • Director
      • Dennis Gansel
    • Writers
      • Ron Jones
      • Johnny Dawkins
      • Ron Birnbach
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Based on the novel "The Wave" by Todd Strasser (under the pen name Morton Rhue), a fictionalized account of the "Third Wave" teaching experiment by Ron Jones that took place in a Cubberley High School history class in Palo Alto, California in April 1967.
    • Goofs
      Although set somewhere in western Germany, all policemen wear insignia of the state of Berlin.
    • Quotes

      Rainer Wenger: So you don't think there could be another dictatorship in Germany?

      Jens: No, we are too enlightened now.

    • Crazy credits
      Opening and closing credits appear as graffiti.
    • Connections
      Featured in Die Johannes B. Kerner Show: Episode dated 12 March 2008 (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Rock 'n' Roll High School
      Written by Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone and Dee Dee Ramone

      Performed by EL*KE

      Produced by Mirko Schaffer

      ©1980 WB Music Corp. and Taco Tunes

    User reviews135

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    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).
    helpful•122
    40
    • sesmallz
    • Feb 25, 2008

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 27, 2011 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Germany
      • France
    • Official site
      • Constantin Film [Germany]
    • Language
      • German
    • Also known as
      • La ola
    • Filming locations
      • Berlin, Germany
    • Production companies
      • Rat Pack Filmproduktion
      • Constantin Film
      • B.A. Produktion
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €5,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $32,350,637
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 47 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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