The 75th Berlin International Film Festival opened with a sense of wonder. Besides the enchanting snow that gave the Opening Ceremony a spectacular Narnia effect, the first film that kicked off the German kermesse enveloped all the possible genres in the realm of motion pictures.
If Richard Wagner was fond of the term Gesamtkunstwerk — i.e. a work of art that makes use of many creative forms — Das Licht (The Light) strived to do so with the cinematic language. The synopsis does not give justice to the quirkiness of the film. It feels like it introduces a conventional flick about dysfunctional families, but there’s so much more to it…for better or for worse!
Milena (Nicolette Krebitz), her husband Tim (Lars Eidinger), their twins Frieda (Elke Biesendorfer) and Jon (Julius Gause), and Milena’s other son Dio (Elyas Eldridge), are a complex modern family, living in a Berlin apartment. They come across as champagne socialists, since the parents are immersed in a life that alternates institutional roles, with NGO initiatives, and start-up projects; whilst the children are the epitome of the woke generation.
Despite the privilege and the liberal frame of mind their lives seem to be filled with discontent and lack of emotional connection. But things change when Farrah (Tala Al-Deen) – recently arrived from Syria – is placed in their home as the new housekeeper. Suddenly their world is put to the test and hidden feelings come to light. Farrah is knowledgeable, empathetic and accepts this job despite being overqualified because she has a mission to accomplish, which unfolds fully at the end of the movie.
This is the third time a Tykwer film has been chosen to open the celebrations at the Berlinale Palast, after Heaven in 2002 and The International in 2009. The film premiered in the Special Gala section, therefore it is not part of the Competition, but the choice of having it as opening film is emblematic, since it embodies the multifaceted quality of its capital.
As a Hollywood Reporter article claimed: “What Martin Scorsese is for New York; what Paul Thomas Anderson is for Los Angeles; Yasujiro Ozu is for Tokyo and Federico Fellini is for Rome, so Tom Tykwer is for Berlin.” Indeed, through his filmmaking we perceive the city’s intellectual vibrancy, the eco-friendly cycling habits of its inhabitants, the diversified architecture, and an abundance of rain (that surpasses the one portrayed in the tv series The Killing, set in Seattle). Already with his 1998 experimental thriller Run Lola Run, the German filmmaker had delivered an unexpected portrait of Berlin, and Das Licht seems to be its 21st century evolution.
Tom Tykwer has established himself with thrillers such as Perfume: The Story of a Murderer and science fiction stories like the Netflix series Sense8. In Das Licht he doesn’t shy away from sprinkling such elements, because the family denouement goes off on tangents that include the migrant drama, sci-fi, the paranormal thriller, comedy, psychedelic cinema, musical, animation and above all magic realism, even with a twist à la The Shape of Water.
The motion picture is bold in vision and intention, yet flamboyantly dispersive in its final outcome. It attempts to bring a new dimension to how its characters experience and understand the human condition. Yet it gets smothered by an overdose of expressive forms. It’s bound to be a divise film, which for sure will not leave indifferent.
Light and darkness is what philosophy has dissected over centuries through the minds of multiple thinkers. Being, nothingness, the earthly dimension world, and the other worldly, are all packed in this unconventional rollercoaster of cinematic genres, atmospheres and styles. And if you’re a fan of the Queen rock band, be prepared because Bohemian Rhapsody will never be the same again. Spectators are bound to experience a wild ride.
Final Grade: C+