The Wave

2011 • 107 minutes
4.6
88 reviews
95%
Tomatometer
TV-14
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

Germany today. During project week, high school teacher Rainer Wenger (Jürgen Vogel) comes up with an experiment in order to explain to his students how totalitarian governments work. A role-playing game with tragic results begins. Within a few days, what began with harmless notions like discipline and community builds into a real movement: THE WAVE. By the third day, the students start ostracizing and threatening others. When the conflict finally erupts into violence at an intramural water polo game, the teacher decides to break off the experiment. But it's too late. THE WAVE is out of control...
Rating
TV-14

Ratings and reviews

4.6
88 reviews
BHAKTI BROPHY
March 12, 2017
Anyone who thinks this could never happen in America, it did... read on. I was so moved by this movie when it first came out, I contacted Ron Jones, the American teacher this movie and experiment are based on (loosely, but not too loosely), to talk to him further about the experiment, the effect it ultimately had on his students, where they are now and what he's currently doing. Ron's experiment, called The Third Wave, took place in California in 1981. This is a must see film. It proves that democracy can EASILY fall prey to fascism when power is in the wrong hands, and ignorant folk (in the true definition of the word: not capable of knowing any better) follow the leader into a fascist regime. Scary. Eye opening. Powerful. As important today as the experiment was in 1981. As long as there are humans who crave power for the sake of power, no one, no culture, will be immune to the reality of fascism. (Ron Jones has free materials available for classrooms and personal viewings. Google him for more info.)
5 people found this review helpful
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Joshua Vogel
December 29, 2015
Can't think of any other film where I sat silently in thought after watching it in response to its content. The Wave helped me see how some sects can come into existence. The whole film is in German with English subtitles, which would typically crush my interest; but in this case, I think language it was set in added to the atmosphere.
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陈坤
July 4, 2015
很不错的一部电影,看过之后有点后怕和绝望。人性这么容易被操控
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