Image courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films

Text: Belle McIntyre

Thus far, it is safe to assume that any film of Christian Petzold will have surreal elements woven into the stories he is telling which will have the effect of mitigating against predictability and introducing elements of surprise. In this latest, which he also wrote, which was filmed during covid shut down, he has also managed to project the conditions of isolation and detachment from the world outside of his purview. In this case, a sense of unreality is created by the fact that there are wildfires burning close enough to create a red caste in the night sky.

When two friends Leon (Thomas Schubert) and Felix (Langston Uibel) are almost at their destination, Felix’s mothers secluded beach house on the Baltic Coast, the car breaks down and they are forced to walk to the house. Felix knows the shortcut, which is through the woods. This is where the differences between these two guys begins to reveal itself. Felix is blythe and cheerful while Leon is grumpy and bad-tempered and freaked out by the woods at night. When they arrive at the house, it becomes obvious that someone has been living there.

The fact that it is a beguilingly attractive young woman named Nadja (Paula Beer) delights Felix, once he finds out his mother had rented the cottage to her and forgotten to tell him. Leon, on the other hand, is totally put out by it and continually bangs on about needing solitude to do his “work”. He is on deadline with his second book of fiction and seems to be suffering anxiety and writer’s block. He also spends most of his time stressing and complaining about his editor and not doing the writing. He only grudging joins Felix and Nadja for meals, declining to go to the beach or do anything enjoyable.

While Leon is busy being self-obsessed and lonely, life is going on around him with Felix, Nadja and Devid, the lifeguard and toy boy. There is a lot of wine being drunk, soul baring, and sex being had. Things take some unexpected swerves and relationships shift in significant ways. Even the ocean acts out with a phosphorescence display, and particles of ash rain down on the house as the news carries reports on the wildfires which no one seems particularly bothered by since they have been assured that the winds are going toward the fires.

When Leon’s editor arrives secrets are revealed and delusions exposed and the action escalates exponentially as things begin to seriously fall apart for Leon, who is tormented by self-loathing, insecurity, and obsession with Nadja. The characters are well-drawn as individuals and use a naturalistic acting style. Nadja’s character is finally fully fleshed-out in the last quarter of the film. Paula Beer seems to be the current muse of Petzold and she is a brainy delightful charmer. The cinematography is marvelously sun-dappled and warm-hued. Typically with a Petzold film, there are mysteries which remain opaque and a final scene which was a head-scratcher.