Kriegrein (2011)

Directed by: David Wnendt | 99 minutes | drama | Actors: Alina Levshin, Jella Haase, Sayed Ahmad, Gerdy Zint, Lukas Steltner, Uwe Preuss, Winnie Böwe, Rosa Enskat, Haymon Maria Buttinger, Klaus Manchen, Andreas Leupold, Najebullah Ahmadi, Anne Laszus, Elias Raudith, Helmut Rosentreter, Sven Spender

Hard pruning, vulnerable, clumsy, sensitive, violent, protective, caring, intolerant. All these qualities are in neo-Nazi Marisa. The early twenties hang out with a group of dangerous skinheads and enjoy humiliating foreigners, Jews and dissenters. One day things go wrong and she has to deal with a large guilt complex. In the end, she helps her enemy – the foreigner – to build a better life. While Marisa struggles with her philosophy, the insecure 15-year-old Svenja embraces the ideas of the Nazis. The lives of both women change instantly. That has fatal consequences.

‘Kriegerin’ is a hard, nasty film that gives you a glimpse into the life of neo-Nazis. According to director David Wnendt, it is a desolate scene where misfits with difficult childhoods meet and try to get rid of their feelings of inferiority by feeling superior to other population groups. Because of their ‘Aryan background’ they believe they are superior to people of color and persons with a different outlook on life.

Not a new insight, because films like ‘American History X’ and ‘Romper Stomper’ painted the same picture. What sets ‘Kriegerin’ apart from the rest is that it outlines the feminine side of neo-Nazis. Other films portray female neo-Nazis as image fillers or followers, while ‘Kriegerin’ does not do that. Marisa is a strong young woman who is just as tough – maybe even tougher – as her male colleagues. In a true tour de force, Alina Levshin knows how to draw you into the film. She portrays Marisa as a very nasty woman, for whom you gradually become more and more sympathetic – no, understanding. Marisa discovers much too late that she is wrong and that she has made wrong choices. That depends on her upbringing, but especially on herself. The acting is excellent.

Jella Haase also excels as an insecure teenage girl who derails ‘thanks to’ a tyrannical stepfather. Her choices are not acceptable, but they are somewhat empathetic. The men come out less well and almost all turn out to be wrought-up types with no feelings or depth. It doesn’t really matter, because it’s really about the female roles in this film. The film looks very realistic and the desolate atmosphere and hopeless situations in which the protagonists find themselves, make for a dejected film that will not leave you in the cold.

The story is not very realistic – a neo-Nazi who ‘suddenly’ changes his or her life – but thanks to the intense atmosphere and the good acting of the cast, you forgive the illogical plot lines. Rock solid movie!