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The Edukators
2004
Three activists cobble together a kidnapping plot after they encounter a businessman in his home. Read more
| Starring | Daniel Bruhl, Julia Jentsch, Stipe Erceg, Burghart Klaussner |
|---|---|
| Director | Hans Weingartner |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama, World Cinema |
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The Edukators
Three activists cobble together a kidnapping plot after they encounter a businessman in his home.
| Starring | Daniel Bruhl, Julia Jentsch, Stipe Erceg, Burghart Klaussner, Peer Martiny, Petra Zieser, Laura Schmidt |
|---|---|
| Director | Hans Weingartner |
| Studio | UGC FILMS |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 9 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama, World Cinema |
| Language | DVD: German |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 26 Sep 2005 Production year: 2004 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Engaging in a superficial way, a loquacious examination of revolutionary ideals past and present is embedded in an uninvolving love triangle together with a modicum of suspense.
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Flatmates Jan (Daniel Brühl) and Peter (Stipe Erceg) have been close friends for ages one reason the latter... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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54 out of 56 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
The Edukators
A German comedy (no, really) about three young anti-globalisation activists (Bruhl, Jentsch and Erceg) whose MO is to break into the houses of rich people, not take anything but move everything around, leave, and leave a note along the lines of 'Your days of plenty are numbered'). On one such expedition their target (Klaußner) arrives home and they, having knocked him out and been seen, take him hostage. The four leads are practically the only people in the film and their relationships are complex and often funny. Jule (Jentsch) is an object of affection for both Jan and Peter (Bruhl and Erceg respectively) and the film develops her relationship with Bruhl in a particularly charming seies of scenes which means you can't help rooting for them. But it is their relationship to Hardenberg (Klaußner) that is the film's most interesting, changing slowly from Hardenberg's fear of them (and their fear of what they've got into) to a grudging respect and, hillariously, Hardenberg's almost fatherly regard for them by the end. This is a comedy and laughs come thick and fast from not just the dialogue but visuals and even a few wry and well placed camera moves. The second half of The Edukators is unquestionably better than its relatively slow opening, which takes some time in getting Jan, Jule and Peter into their predicament. But it is the last few scenes that truly make the film. A stunning, funny, montage, set to Jeff Buckley's heartbreaking rendition of Hallelujah is a true standout moment. That whole sequence will have you emotionally torn as it's hard to hear that song and not want to cry but what is on screen will often be making you laugh, it's a wonderful juxtaposition. The final scene of the film steals a key moment of The Silence of the Lambs to brilliant effect (no, nobody is 'having an old friend for dinner') and will have the audience laughing and cheering as the credits roll. Unless you really loathe subtitles (and aren't German) you could do a lot worse than this fun, witty, exciting film for a Friday night in with friends.
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Most recent members' review
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11 out of 12 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Not as good as it thinks it is
German film about three student types who decide to bring revolution to the rich by invading their houses and re-arranging furniture. It's a little bit more complicated than that and has some good ideas about what it wants to say, before it crumbles a bit under its own sense of importance as it swayed from interesting social commentary to ill-advised Hollywood style thriller. Although the film had a couple of good points it wasn't as good, clever or subversive as it thought it was and in the end played out like what a middle class student's idea of subversion is, or that's how it felt to me. I listened to Bill Hicks' Rant In E-Minor right after this which sounded two or three times as fresh, relevant and funny even though it's material that's over ten years older than this. Nice try, but it wasn't on the edge like it wanted to be.
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