Based on the story of the mythological water nymph who becomes human through the love of a man, Christian Petzold’s Undine is an uncomfortable mix of folklore and contemporary love story.
Undine (Paula Beer) works at the Department of Urban Development in Berlin. Having been dumped by lover Johannes (Jacob Matschenz), she unexpectedly meets Christoph (Franz Rogowski), an industrial diver who introduces her to his underwater world. Love develops between the two but when Christoph catches up with former colleague Monika (Maryam Zaree), Undine is convinced he is being unfaithful to her.
Legend has it that Undine is doomed to die and return to the water if her lover is unfaithful. Having avoided her destiny once, can she circumvent it once more? The result is disquieting – a mix of magical realism, romance and Petzold’s trademark of characters with their dark obsessions. The German director always produces work worth watching – but Undine is not one of his best.
Rating: 63%
Director: Christian Petzold (Transit, Phoenix)
Writer: Christian Petzold (Transit, Phoenix)
Main cast: Paula Beer (Transit, Never Look Away), Franz Rogowski (Transit, A Hidden Life), Maryam Zaree (Transit, Faith)
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