In this powerful movie, by master filmmaker Petzold, Love is seen as a force that can begin to overturn and re-write stories about betrayal and revenge, such as the myth of the water-nymph, Undine.
This myth decrees it to be Undine's fate to be betrayed by her lover and to kill him in revenge.
The movie opens in mid-action, with this event already unfolding, as Undine (a magnificent Paula Beer) is in the process of getting dumped by her boyfriend, Johannes. The myth is very much unfolding, and she warns Johannes: she will have to kill him if he leaves her. And he does.
And then within some minutes, on the same day, Christoph (a very handsome and endearing Franz Rogowski) shows up. Christop is an underwater diver, and is fluid in the water element. There is an instant chemistry, attraction and unspoken knowingness of a soul connection between the two. The fish tank in the restaurant explodes and not only do the fish come to land (as Undine has) but the diver model in the tank comes to land in Undine's possession. Could it be that she might be truly loved without betrayal?
In the passion, exuberance and fulfillment of the beautiful love flow between Undine and Christoph, Undine seems to forget about her fate of having to avenge her betrayal by Johannes. She seems to be rescued by this love. Christoph resuscitates her when she appears to be unconscious after going diving with him and seeing her name on a ship (reminding her of the myth, the duty of revenge). His love brings her back to a new frequency of love, outside of revenge and betrayal. She asks him, can he resuscitate her again? She is enjoying this.
And so Undine expands consciousness beyond the myth as she delivers a special lecture on the central Palace in East Berlin that was destroyed during the Russian occupation. In this talk, Undine discusses the various forms the grounds of the palace have taken over time, including a palace, empty, razed ground, and now, the museum. And yet, the identity of the palace as a central point around which Berlin arose is intact. The messages of how form and timelines can shift reflect Undine's own mood and optimism. How far can these new times of fulfilled love with Christoph go, Christoph, the new form of the boyfriend who was Johannes?
And yet the myth continues to reassert itself. The toy diver gets broken at the leg by a co-worker, although Undine re-glues it on. This pre-figures a fragility in the Christoph manifestation. And Christoph stains the wall of her apartment with a red blotch of wine, that looks like blood.
And then Johannes reappears and the timelines merge and the myth and destiny of revenge begin to catch up with Undine and Christoph.
We are in unknown territory of time and place. Christoph calls Undine up to accuse her of lying and implicit betrayal even though she has not betrayed him. The myth seems to be unraveling the true love in mysterious ways. And by doing so, sets in motion an accident for Christoph, while diving, as his leg gets caught in a turbine, as pre-figured by the toy's leg breaking and he ends up brain-dead. And yet time is fungible and unpredictable as timelines are being played around with. He calls Undine several hours after the accident occurred, and he was already brain dead.
The revenge on Christoph for rejecting Undine, for playing out the myth in the form of Christoph, just as Johannes had, is a done deal, and happens even before the actual betrayal and rejection.
Now Undine is engaged in the myth and fulfilling her destiny. She goes back and kills Johannes, as fate had required her to, before her brief interlude with true love.
And in so doing, she saves Christoph: by completing the revenge on Johannes - another life is not needed.
Christoph who awakens, after being brain-dead for months, with a sense of loss, yells out Undine's name, feeling the loss of his soul-mate, for she has returned to the water.
Some reviewers have stated that the epilogue of the movie is unnecessary. Yet, within the context of the themes, the re-sighting of Undine underwater by Christoph, and there subsequent holding of hands underwater and saying goodbye is an important salute to how eternal their love is, in spite of a world of myth that decrees that they cannot be together.
The power of their love is eternal, just like the importance of the palace in East Berlin, no matter how many forms it goes through, including being destroyed, being razed to the ground.
In another world, in another set of timelines, when we can let go of revenge for the woundings we have encountered, and forgive others, perhaps we can be free to find fulfilling love that is everlasting and not fragile. Although Undine does not succeed, she has made progress in changing the form of her myth, and love might find a way to her as form continues to metamorphose and new timelines are possible.
So I feel the epilogue sounds an optimistic note on the Power of Love in a world of betrayal and revenge.
This myth decrees it to be Undine's fate to be betrayed by her lover and to kill him in revenge.
The movie opens in mid-action, with this event already unfolding, as Undine (a magnificent Paula Beer) is in the process of getting dumped by her boyfriend, Johannes. The myth is very much unfolding, and she warns Johannes: she will have to kill him if he leaves her. And he does.
And then within some minutes, on the same day, Christoph (a very handsome and endearing Franz Rogowski) shows up. Christop is an underwater diver, and is fluid in the water element. There is an instant chemistry, attraction and unspoken knowingness of a soul connection between the two. The fish tank in the restaurant explodes and not only do the fish come to land (as Undine has) but the diver model in the tank comes to land in Undine's possession. Could it be that she might be truly loved without betrayal?
In the passion, exuberance and fulfillment of the beautiful love flow between Undine and Christoph, Undine seems to forget about her fate of having to avenge her betrayal by Johannes. She seems to be rescued by this love. Christoph resuscitates her when she appears to be unconscious after going diving with him and seeing her name on a ship (reminding her of the myth, the duty of revenge). His love brings her back to a new frequency of love, outside of revenge and betrayal. She asks him, can he resuscitate her again? She is enjoying this.
And so Undine expands consciousness beyond the myth as she delivers a special lecture on the central Palace in East Berlin that was destroyed during the Russian occupation. In this talk, Undine discusses the various forms the grounds of the palace have taken over time, including a palace, empty, razed ground, and now, the museum. And yet, the identity of the palace as a central point around which Berlin arose is intact. The messages of how form and timelines can shift reflect Undine's own mood and optimism. How far can these new times of fulfilled love with Christoph go, Christoph, the new form of the boyfriend who was Johannes?
And yet the myth continues to reassert itself. The toy diver gets broken at the leg by a co-worker, although Undine re-glues it on. This pre-figures a fragility in the Christoph manifestation. And Christoph stains the wall of her apartment with a red blotch of wine, that looks like blood.
And then Johannes reappears and the timelines merge and the myth and destiny of revenge begin to catch up with Undine and Christoph.
We are in unknown territory of time and place. Christoph calls Undine up to accuse her of lying and implicit betrayal even though she has not betrayed him. The myth seems to be unraveling the true love in mysterious ways. And by doing so, sets in motion an accident for Christoph, while diving, as his leg gets caught in a turbine, as pre-figured by the toy's leg breaking and he ends up brain-dead. And yet time is fungible and unpredictable as timelines are being played around with. He calls Undine several hours after the accident occurred, and he was already brain dead.
The revenge on Christoph for rejecting Undine, for playing out the myth in the form of Christoph, just as Johannes had, is a done deal, and happens even before the actual betrayal and rejection.
Now Undine is engaged in the myth and fulfilling her destiny. She goes back and kills Johannes, as fate had required her to, before her brief interlude with true love.
And in so doing, she saves Christoph: by completing the revenge on Johannes - another life is not needed.
Christoph who awakens, after being brain-dead for months, with a sense of loss, yells out Undine's name, feeling the loss of his soul-mate, for she has returned to the water.
Some reviewers have stated that the epilogue of the movie is unnecessary. Yet, within the context of the themes, the re-sighting of Undine underwater by Christoph, and there subsequent holding of hands underwater and saying goodbye is an important salute to how eternal their love is, in spite of a world of myth that decrees that they cannot be together.
The power of their love is eternal, just like the importance of the palace in East Berlin, no matter how many forms it goes through, including being destroyed, being razed to the ground.
In another world, in another set of timelines, when we can let go of revenge for the woundings we have encountered, and forgive others, perhaps we can be free to find fulfilling love that is everlasting and not fragile. Although Undine does not succeed, she has made progress in changing the form of her myth, and love might find a way to her as form continues to metamorphose and new timelines are possible.
So I feel the epilogue sounds an optimistic note on the Power of Love in a world of betrayal and revenge.