User Reviews

"Undine" is a German theatrical movie from 2020, so a pretty new film still. The director is Christian Petzold, who is certainly one of Germany's most successful filmmakers these days and has been for a while. He turns 60 next month and looking at his profile page, I just realized that he looks a bit like Tony Shalhoub. Maybe just me. Anyway, as always with his works he is also the writer and his movie here runs for exactly 1.5 hours, which is not too long, but also not uncommon at all for Petzold. He is not a filmmaker known for super long movies. On the contrary, some of his works barely make it past the 80-minute mark, even if this one here is also not one of his longes though if we are looking at the other end of the scale. Somewhere in the middle. The film is named after its protagonist and if we take "Barbara" and "Yella" for example, then this is also very common for Petzold. In those two movies, Nina Hoss was his muse if you want to call her that. Now it is Paula Beer and the key difference is that she is much younger and also the hair color obviously. Here it is red, but she usually wears darker hair I think while Hoss has always been a blonde of course. So yeah, Paula Beer, who really has been riding on a wave of success lately, is the lead here and her male co-lead is Franz Rogowski. Actually, these two have worked with Petzold before in his previous movie, so he is definitely a filmmaker who likes to cast the same actors on several occasions. Probably not to a Fassbinder level, who had a circle of actors that he always picked from, but still. Matschenz and Ratte-Polle are also familiar faces maybe to my fellow German film buffs here I am sure. And even if their roles are small and supporting and the film is never really about anybody other than Undine and Christoph, it is also a worthy addition to everybody's body of work to be in a Petzold film. Oh yeah, Enno Trebs I have to mention. His role is really minimal, but maybe how he is worked up as a waiter and tells the woman and Matschenz' character to leave immediately was the funniest moment of the film. I am only really mentioning him because he was also in "Das weiße Band", an Oscar nominated movie by Haneke from a decade ago and there he was still a boy and now he is a grown-up actor. Found it interesting somehow.

Of course, one major inclusion and reference here is mythology, maybe the major component. It is no coincidence that the central character is called Undine. As a consequence, you will constantly see references to water in this movie, some really obvious, others mostly subtle. The obvious ones are the male protagonist's profession for example or also the surprisingly violent scene in the swimming pool at the end. The more subtle ideas I will not include here, you can check these out for yourself. There is probably also a lot I did not recognize immediately. You can never be really sure if Undine in this movie is a normal human or really an ancient creature. She seems to struggle with issues like everybody else, having to prepare speech on short notice, being sad after a lost love etc. but at the same time, she talks in an apparently serious manner about how her ex-boyfriend has to die because that is the tale, at the same time she wanders into the water and is apparently never seen again, at the same time she comes up from the water out of a situation that easily could have been deadly for her and is completely unharmed, actually asks for more liplock from her boyfriend. Unfortunately I must say I only know very vaguely about the mythological character of Undine and I felt that if you knew more about her, then maybe it is easier to enoy the movie. But it is still a success nonetheless. I was genuinely curious what would happen next when seeing this little movie and Petzold has a style and narration with which he always manages to keep the viewers interested. He is really good I think. Will Christoph see Undine again? What happened to her. It is also not the first time that Petzold included narratives where you could never really be sure what is real and what isn't. I will not tell you the names of the other films in which he did so becaue I don't want to give any spoilers about films other than this movie, but I surely recommend that you check out his other works. Most of those have higher ratings here on imdb than this one and I sort of would agree. Maybe they are slightly superior. However, they do not have the stunning Paula Beer in them. She really transformed into a beautiful swan over the years and the reward is that she can appear in films like this one we have here. They could not have cast a homely actress for the part. Also pay attention to how Christoph's character's colleague asks her if she wants to take the ride to the hospital with him. Was he hitting on her knowing her boyfriend is pretty much gone? Up to you to decide. I must say though that after being declared braindead his recovery out of nowhere is a mystery to me. Was it real? Chances are so low how he is so well so quickly again. I am not sure. But I must say the final part, even with interesting references like the red wine on the wall, did not do too much for me. It felt like an unnecessary epilogue. The movie could have ended very well with Undine walking into the water and Christophe being (as good as) dead. So death really strikes for all the men she runs into. Anyway, the epilogue is also not horrible or anything, but it was maybe a bit too much and there is the reference to the title of my review. I also kinda doubt it will be easier to understand (for me) on a rewatch, but you only fully get it if you read Petzold's script I suppose. Who was the woman he finally saw in the water? And before that, was Undine really down there holding his hand, even if she is not on tape. Nice preparation ith the big catfish though early on. Again, up too you to decide. There is no one solution here, no one clean explanation, but it is all lefta bit up to interpretation and that I like though. Also up to interpretation is if the awards recognition for this film, especially Paula Beer at the Berlinale, is justified. I do like her, but even I must say that it was maybe a bit too much. So i agree with the other reviewer there. However, there is not the slightest bit of doubt for me here in giving this film a thumbs-up and positive recommendation. Moments of greatness are also rare, but it is a good and exciting watch from beginning to end. I suggest you go check it out, it will probably also be shown abroad and available with subtitles (or dub) anyway. Go for it. You most likely won't regret it, even if I would say that it may not be the best choice to start with when digging into Petzold's body of work. There are films more representative of his style. And better. But this is just because those are that good and definitely not because this one here is weak or anything. See it, especially if you like the Bee Gees. But also if you don't because if we are talking the music perspective here, the score is always good in Petzold's films and here I felt it was especially good! Shame the composer is not (yet) credited here on imdb.

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.

"Without giving away too many clues, Petzold captivates us with the divine, scintillating underwater sequences of the lovers (Undine is carried off by a giant catfish), underpinning Undine's numinous affinity to the liquid world without startling Christoph's suspicion, it is an accident in his eyes and all is well after all. When disruption finally transpires, it is another inexplicably preternatural happenstance that pulls wool over viewers' eyes (who is the night caller?), and in retrospect, all can be boiled down to the curse Undine coldly uttered in the beginning."

read my full review on my blog: cinema omnivore, thanks.

The German drama "Undine" was a clever and revealing take on complicated romantic and existential tropes.

Containing equal parts suspense (is she capable of murder?), passion (of the romantic kind), and fantasy (is she or isn't she a type of mermaid?) the movie brought with it a world of meaning that needs to be seen to be fully appreciated.

Written and directed by Christian Petzold, "Undine" 2021 on Amazon Prime Video was a masterclass in storytelling.

Paula Beer's performance as the titular Undine Wibeau carried the film through from start to finish. She was exceptional in her role.

Her (professional) talks on Berlin's urban/historical/cultural/national development held value and merit. It made me want to see something more happen in my own country (India) and State (Tamil Nadu) regarding the implementation of progressive development without sacrificing heritage.

Her mention of 'Berlin' having Slavic name-roots meaning 'swamp' or 'marsh' made me question Undine's potential (amphibious) semi-mermaid nature, and perhaps even her age (she could be hundreds of years old).

Franz Rogowski's Christoph brought viewer-centric counter-balance. Jacob Matschenz's Johannes was good, and so were other cast members.

Hans Fromm's cinematography lent an intimate, almost intra-personal, feel to the entire film. Katharina Ost's costume design was neat and apt. Music - which doesn't seem to be listed on the movie's IMDB page - was simple and sweet.

Amazon Prime Video's "Undine" was at once strange, mysterious, and captivating. The movie held such subtle 'in the moment' intensity and an unconventional 'what's gonna happen next' flavour. I couldn't help but be drawn into its narrative. Many a scene is sure to stay with you long after the movie has ended.