Way of the Cross (2014)

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Movie
Original title Way of the Cross
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 2014
length 110 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
JMK 12
Rod
Director Dietrich Brüggemann
script Anna Brüggemann ,
Dietrich Brüggemann
production Jochen Laube ,
Leif Alexis ,
Fabian Maubach
camera Alexander Sass
cut Vincent Assmann
occupation

Kreuzweg is a German film by Dietrich Brüggemann from 2014. The film premiered on February 9, 2014 in the competition at the 64th Berlinale . It opened in theaters on March 20, 2014.

action

Maria Göttler is a member of the arch-conservative priestly society of St. Paul. The 14-year-old is currently preparing for Confirmation with other young people . In a preparatory talk, Father Weber not only explains the meaning of the sacrament to them. He also points out to them that with confirmation they are "soldiers of Jesus Christ " and must fight against evil, including satanic music and other seductions. They should also be willing to sacrifice something to receive Jesus' love. Mary begins to think about making the greatest sacrifice: her own life.

While taking a walk with the family, she talks to the French au pair girl Bernadette about victims. She gets into an argument with her strict mother because she takes off her jacket and behaves listlessly at a family photo. From now on, your appearance should no longer have any meaning.

While Maria is doing her math homework in the school library, she starts talking to Christian, a student from the parallel class. The boy flirts with her and arouses her interest in a church choir that sings soul and gospel in addition to Bach chorales. Mary explains to him what conservative views prevail in her community, which is based on the time before the Second Vatican Council . On the way home there is another conflict with the mother. This is stressed because Maria's four-year-old little brother Johannes has not yet spoken a single word that the doctors cannot explain. When Maria tells her mother about her interest in the choir, she pretends that it is about a classmate. In addition, the mother is upset about the unchristian music.

At confession , Mary not only confesses arrogance, but also the lie to her mother that was made out of fear of punishment. Father Weber reminds them that other sins can result from unchastity. She also shares her thoughts on becoming holy by offering her own life as a sacrifice to God. However, God needs them on earth, says the priest, who not only demands repentance but also reparation. Shortly before dinner with the family, Christian calls and shortly afterwards Maria admits her lie about the boy. While the mother makes violent accusations against her daughter, Bernadette tries in vain to support Maria. The mother also criticizes Maria for allegedly not caring enough for Johannes, whereupon she bursts into tears.

Maria refuses to take part in physical education classes at school because the teacher is playing " satanic music ". Some classmates then start bullying Maria . Christian tries to tell the class something about religious freedom, which he also uses to get rid of the other students. After class, Christian speaks to Maria again because he thinks she is feeling bad. She explains to him in no uncertain terms that she is not interested in a love affair. Instead, she just wants to go to God and rejects the life of normal youth.

In the Confirmation Service, the Bishop appeals to the young people and their parents to keep the true faith and reminds of the faithfulness of the Mother of God, Mary, until Jesus' death. When Maria kneels in front of the bishop and he wants to draw the sign of the cross on her forehead with chrism , she suffers a fit of weakness. The mother takes Maria to the doctor who, in addition to a potentially life-threatening fever, recognizes signs of malnutrition . Since the mother reacts indignantly and patronizes her daughter, the doctor even fears abuse and decides to take Maria to the hospital. Maria is desperate and seeks consolation from Bernadette.

Later Maria is in the hospital. She is physically very weak, but refuses to eat, although Bernadette and the nurse ask her to. Maria asks Bernadette about her belief in God and describes her as a role model. On the other hand, she sees herself as a person with many defects. She tries to imagine what it is like to go to heaven. She worries about her mother's love that upset her. Then she prays with Bernadette “Hail, Maria” . Then she tells her that she wants to sacrifice herself for Johannes and asks the au pair girl to bring Father Weber so that she can receive the last holy communion . Bernadette is shocked and arranges for Mary to be transferred to the intensive care unit. However, she fulfills her wish. When the priest puts the host in her mouth, Maria begins to choke and then shows no more signs of life. The doctors try to resuscitate, but Maria dies. At the moment when Mary's life ends, Johannes, who is in the room with his mother, asks where Mary is, which is an indication of a game that Mary had often played with him.

The mother wants a clean, white coffin for Maria at the undertaker. She is now certain that her daughter died without sin. She regards the fact that John began to speak at the moment of his sister's death as a miracle, which clears the way to beatification . As usual, the father behaves cautiously, whereupon the mother begins to cry. After the funeral, Christian comes to Maria's grave while an excavator driver is already filling the grave with earth. The view goes from the grave up to the sky.

background

The film is divided into fourteen scenes. These are based on the fourteen stations of the Christian Way of the Cross .

number Station of the Cross Scene in the movie
1 Jesus is sentenced to death. Conversation between the priest and the confirmed
2 Jesus takes the cross on his shoulders. Family walk
3 Jesus falls under the cross for the first time. Maria's flirt with Christian
4th Jesus meets his mother. Conversation between Maria and her mother in the car
5 Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross. Mary at confession
6th Veronica gives Jesus the handkerchief . Conversation over dinner
7th Jesus falls under the cross for the second time. Bullying in physical education
8th Jesus meets the weeping women. Conversation between Maria and Christian
9 Jesus falls under the cross for the third time. Maria's fit of weakness at confirmation
10 Jesus is stripped of his clothes. Examination in the doctor's office
11 Jesus is nailed to the cross. Maria in the hospital
12 Jesus dies on the cross. Mary's death
13 Jesus is taken from the cross and placed in his mother's lap . Maria's parents at the undertaker
14th The holy body of Jesus is placed in the grave. Christian at Maria's grave

The fictional Society of St. Paul, of which the protagonist Maria is affected is the real Society of St. Pius X. ajar. Dietrich and Anna Brüggemann have gained experience with this brotherhood themselves.

production

Filming began on October 15, 2013 and lasted a fortnight. Four scenes (conversation of the confirmed, the confessional, the dining room and the doctor's office) were recorded in a studio in Magstadt ; other locations were schools in Remseck and Bönnigheim as well as in Waiblingen .

Each of the fourteen scenes (see above) was shot in a single shot. There are camera pans only in three scenes, otherwise the camera does not move. At the beginning of each scene, the title of the corresponding station of the cross is displayed. The performers had to memorize all of their text for each scene.

Lea van Acken played her first leading role in the film. At the time of production, she was preparing for confirmation, just like the girl she was playing. Many of the other young actors also made their first appearance.

The film was realized with a budget of 1.2 million euros. The Baden-Württemberg media and film company contributed EUR 225,000, SWR and Arte EUR 600,000. The film was also financed by the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (150,000 euros) and the German Film Fund (approx. 200,000 euros). In contrast, however, there is only income of 86,200 euros in Germany. The film opened in the United States on July 10, 2015.

criticism

The film service judged that the film sketched “meticulously and in great detail” the “world of thought and belief of the Catholic Ultras, whereby the crazy scenes in one shot would gain enormous immediacy”. In the “coolly reflected aesthetics of the film” the “claim, as if set in stone, of an absolutist religion of command that only knows subordination and obedience” is reflected.

In an article on Deutschlandfunk, Josef Schnelle emphasizes the “stylistic rigor” that makes the work “one of the most promising films in the very young German cinema. The film continues to drive consistently and impressively towards a tragic consequence. "

In Die Zeit online, Wenke Husmann describes the attraction of the protagonist: "You want to push this uninvolved camera aside, run over to Maria and finally hug the girl, stand by her." She also refers to the effect of the "ultra-rigid camera work": "Nevertheless, within a short time you feel provoked not only by the depressing story, but also by this camera that seems so uninvolved."

Karolin Jacquemain particularly praises the leading actress Lea van Acken at Hamburger Abendblatt and “her transformation into the disturbed, lonely Maria. […] You won't forget Maria's face anytime soon. "

Awards

Kreuzweg received nominations and awards at numerous film festivals. At the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival , the film won the Ecumenical Jury Prize and the Silver Bear for the best screenplay.

literature

  • Michael Beisel: Way of the Cross - radicalized belief in sacrifice and the death of Jesus , in: draft 2/2017, pp. 38–41.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Release certificate for the Way of the Cross . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , January 2014 (PDF; test number: 142 789 K).
  2. ↑ Age rating for the Way of the Cross . Youth Media Commission .
  3. ↑ Film data sheet Kreuzweg. Berlin International Film Festival , accessed on June 12, 2015 .
  4. ↑ a b c d Wenke Husmann: Verfluchter Katholizismus. Die Zeit , February 9, 2014, accessed on February 18, 2017 .
  5. ↑ a b c The ordeal of a 14 year old. Stuttgarter Zeitung , October 21, 2013, accessed on February 18, 2017 .
  6. ↑ a b c d How fanaticism can be misleading. Deutschlandfunk , March 16, 2014, accessed on February 18, 2017 .
  7. ↑ Lea van Acken plays her first major role in “Kreuzweg”. The West , March 19, 2014, accessed February 18, 2017 .
  8. ↑ Way of the Cross. Blickpunkt: Film, accessed June 14, 2015 .
  9. ↑ Way of the Cross. film service , archived from the original on July 28, 2015 ; Retrieved June 12, 2015 .
  10. ↑ Lea van Acken: A face that you won't forget. Hamburger Abendblatt , February 11, 2014, accessed on February 18, 2017 .
  11. ↑ IMDb, Awards