Undine – A Subtle and Refreshing Look at Love (Early Review)

Undine tells the story of a woman named Undine (Beer), a historian working in Berlin. Just when her lover leaves her for someone else, she unexpectedly finds love in another man, and it is the beginning of an unexpected love story. But, an ancient myth catches up, and Undine must confront the curse for the sake of her love.

Undine is based on a popular European myth of the same name, Undine. The name Undine is derived from the Latin word unda which translates to “wave”. Undine is given a feminine form because of the feminine nature of water. According to the myth, Undine is a water spirit in the human form who can get an immortal soul only upon marrying a human. If her husband leaves her, she must kill him. The film does not stick to the myth but mutates it into a form that is more humanistic and relatable to the modern world. Our leading lady is no ethereal spirit, and a human being just like us. The integration of this real-world myth into a fictional love story does not feel forced or detract the audience from the core. With appropriate motifs and witty quick inserts, the film successfully brings a fantasy aspect to a human story in a way that does not cross the line.

Now that we understand the myth, what remains is just the love story. The best part of Undine is that it remains true to what it promises. Right from the very first scene, audiences are told that it is a love story at its heart, and the film stays true to it. There are no visible attempts to subvert the genre. The film takes us through the journey of a relationship as it begins and develops. The first two acts are filled with sublime romantic moments that fulfill the protagonist’s purpose and allow for the viewers to fully take in the essence of what writer-director Christian Petzold conveys. Petzold also does not miss the opportunity to add some of his personal touches to the scenes, which although makes the film seem a bit of a stretch, but prevents it from becoming a conventional romance story. There are love triangle dynamics, but it is not stressed enough for good and for bad.

As a German film set in Berlin, Undine leaves no opportunity unturned to showcase the exquisite city. There are two substantive history lectures about the city, and not to mention, the beautiful shots captured in trains and on the streets. The peaceful score further accentuates the beauty of the city. Petzold uses the locations to their strength and creates a setting that suits the tone of the film. The water scenes are carefully crafted so that we do not lose the mythical touch of the story.

Talking about the cast, Beer does justice to her character. She gives an elegant performance in portraying a troubled woman looking to cement her love. The film has mainly two characters Undine and Christoph (Rogowski), so it is not much of an ensemble film, with the supporting cast rarely getting their moments.

However, Undine begins to stumble as it progresses. Petzold avoids pacing things up in the first half, and the actual conflicts emerge only after the mid-point. The first half does not contribute much to the film as everything happens quickly in the second half, creating an adjustment period. Having more obstacles and conflicts later into the film could have made the film a little more interesting, but instead, Petzold chooses to keep it simple. A little more exposition would have been more informative for audiences unaware of the myth going into the film, and without knowing that it could be difficult to truly appreciate what’s going on.

In the end, Undine is a film that brings forward a human love story against the backdrop of a myth. The work done by Petzold and Beer ensures that the film does not fall into the trap of conventional romance tropes, and provides a subtle, refreshing look at a human feeling that is love.

still courtesy of IFC Films

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