The Edukators – Hans Weingartner
Every generation has its own set of revolutionaries. In The Edukators (German title: Die Fetten Jahre Sind Vorbei, or “the days of plenty are numbered”), Hans Weingartner tells the story of three such idealistic students, Jan, Jule, and Peter. Forward-thinking activists working against the mainstream is not a new concept, as the status quo-visionary relationship is ever-present; the Motorcycle Diaries, for example, captures the early days of legendary revolutionary Ché Guevara. What Weingartner adds to the typical structure is a lesson in modern social theory. Where capitalism has been seen as the ultimate economic and social system for developed countries, the three student activists in The Edukators see it as the old hat system of doing things. Their adventures are infused with heavy discussions about the way “things should be,” clearly showing the rift between young and old in Germany’s ultra-capitalist society.
Goodbye, Lenin star Daniel Brühl plays an eccentric activist named Jan, who, together with his roommate Peter (played by Croatian actor Stipe Erceg), breaks into the homes of wealthy families and rearranges their furniture to “educate” the wealthy class of senseless spenders. The film opens with a family returning home to find their mansion in disarray, and a message that reads “die fetten Jahre sind vorbei.” Jan and Peter make a point to leave everything untouched, so that they are not seen as common thieves, but as idealists with a purpose. Their relatively harmless lives are changed when Peter goes to Barcelona on a trip, leaving Jan to help Peter’s girlfriend Jule move out of her apartment. Jule has been evicted due to her inability to make rent on time, which is in turn caused by her massive debt accrued from an unfortunate accident involving a 100,000 euro Mercedes-Benz. After a politics-filled dinner conversation, Jan shows Jule what he and Peter do at night. The house they break into happens to be the home of Hardenberg, the middle-aged German businessman whose car was mangled by Jule.
Sparks fly during their satisfying break-in of Hardenberg’s house. Unfortunately, Jule’s forgotten cell phone causes them to have to break in again; but this time they are discovered by Hardenberg. Frantic, Jule and Jan call Peter, and the four of them hide away in Jule’s uncle’s mountain chalet. In those intimate quarters, the four share ideologies and experiences over shared meals. In a way, they live out the young people’s social theory by sharing everything in the cabin. They discover that Hardenberg was not always a capitalist pig, but that he himself used to be apart of the revolutionary movement of his time. By a tip from Hardenberg about “free love,” Peter discovers the feelings blooming between Jan and Jule, and a short altercation erupts between the two young men. Their vacation comes to an end eventually, making their kidnapping just that – a vacation, albeit a very philosophical one. The final moment is a very honest comment on keeping with the status quo, an excellent payoff for someone who manages to sit through the intelligent discussions throughout the film.
The Edukators is a deliciously young film, apt to make a good connection with anybody with any hunger for change. However, unless you are particularly interested in theory-charged discourse, reading subtitles and listening to the actors argue about social theory in rapid German may not be very entertaining. The heavily electronic and energetic soundtrack is a reflection of the views of the three German students. Though the originality of the story only receives a B, the plot and acting are decent A-‘s. Viewers can look forward to getting a peep into the decadent lives of the upper class in Germany, and the virgin fog-covered hills of the Alps. The well thought-out vistas of this film give the visuals an A. Overall, the film is a fairly enjoyable A-, especially if you’re into modern German society.
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