BEYOND THE SEA // A FILM REVIEW OF "UNDINE"
Undine in classical myths are elemental beings, sea creatures or water nymphs, that take the form of humans and those who betray their love are met with an untimely demise. This myth has taken on several different forms in literature over the years, one of the most famous being The Little Mermaid (minus the death part, at least in the Disney version). Christian Petzold plays with this myth and intermixes it within a modern day world in his new film UNDINE. Paula Beer plays Undine, a freelance urban developer who gives daily lectures on the history and architecture of Berlin. She also holds a deep secret: She also may be the Undine of European myth. She's also a broken hearted woman who in the first scene is being broken up with by her soon to be ex Johannes (Jacob Matschenz). She's confused, since she was sure that he loved her. But he wants out, and wants both of them to cleanly walk away. She doesn't agree, and tells him to wait for her at the cafe until she gets done with work. If he leaves, he will die. This isn't so much of a threat as it is a, "Hey, remember who I am? There are consequences for breaking my heart." He doesn't seem to buy it and walks away from Undine, just as a new man Christoph (Franz Rogowski) walks into her life.
Christoph is a diver, so he too has a connection to the water and even meet in the water, so to speak. Unlike her previous suitor, he falls for her completely and the two of them tumble into love fast, seemingly leaving the memory of Johannes behind. Or did they? Did Johannes die, or disappear, after he walked away from Undine? And can a human and a possible water nymph actually find love together? I'm leaving out a lot, which might make UNDINE seem cheesy, or overtly simplistic. But it's anything but. There's a lot of layers in the film, from the broken history of Berlin set against the broken love affairs of Undine to the small clues set throughout the film hinting at Undine's possible origins. It's also beautifully romantic, with Beer and Rogowski perfectly matched as the swooning main couple. It's magic that may or may not actually be magic and romance without a guaranteed happy ending, making the journey all the more beautiful and lingering.
GRADE: B+
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Christian Petzold STARRING Paula Beer, Franz Rogowski, Maryam Zaree, Jacob Matschenz NOW PLAYING IN SELECT THEATRES AND ON DEMAND. FOR MORE INFO: UNDINE