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The Film The Wave

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The film The Wave, released in 2008, best portrays Germany today, after enduring World War II and the Cold War. In this film, a high school teacher named Rainer teaches his class about autocracy. When the students in his class do not believe that a dictatorship could occur again, after being fed up learning about Hitler over and over, Rainer institutes rules that make the class come together as one, under his direct rule. Some of these rules included having each student wear a uniform, only allowing students to talk when standing up, and removing students from his class that objected his view. Rainer created a dictatorship called the Wave, by removing students who spoke against him and creating a common enemy. Karo, a female student that went …show more content…

Students are constantly reminded about the horrors of World War II, by Hitler. Many students see it as a burden learning the same thing over and over. Before watching this film, I too felt frustrated learning about Nazi Germany over and over again. The message of the film The Wave is what altered my interpretation of why Nazi Germany should be constantly taught about. The message is that we should learn from the past, so certain aspects are not repeated again. Specifically, the horrors of World War II. Students in the film failed to realize that is why they were frequently being taught about Nazi rule, not just beating a dead horse. As a result The Wave went out of control, a fascist movement was created, and lives were destroyed. Many tactics used by Rainer which created The Wave like forming a common enemy and making one figurehead that guides the movement were tactics used by Hitler to unite Germany under the Nazi Party. The one major difference I noticed was the result of ending The Wave, which resulted in what seemed to be a modern approach, a school …show more content…

For example, head military leaders and Eva Braun were partying, drinking, and dancing while Berlin was attacked by the Soviets. Even after the building they were in experienced impact by the mortar, Eva was set on drinking more and dancing harder. I realized from this that the Germans, at least in the Nazi Party, knew they were so screwed that the only drinking and dancing would take their mind off the destruction of Berlin. As a student I am taught about how victors win a war, not the emotions the defeated feel before a loss or actions they take before the loss. I would have never thought that members of the Nazi Party were celebrating with alcohol and dancing before the end of World War II. Drinking alcohol to forget things about the past or not think about events in the future is a common practice among college students, and even teenagers throughout the world. It is something I see even on the Siena campus. Students will drink to not think about upcoming assignments, issues in the past, or even issues in the present! Alcohol may be a temporary fix for issues, but in the long run, issues always have to resolved and not just forgotten

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