Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei

Plot synopsis:
A wealthy family comes home from vacation to find their home has been broken into. Nothing has been stolen, but the furniture is stacked in the center of the room, a collection of porcelain figures is in the toilet, and the stereo is in the freezer. A note is left, stating: "Your days of plenty are numbered." It is signed The Edukators.Jule Julia Jentsch is a young activist. She goes around telling people about the working conditions of sweatshops. She returns to her apartment only to be given an eviction notice. Jan Daniel Brühl is a young man. He is riding the trolley when he overhears an elderly homeless man who is being ridiculed. He hands the man his ticket and gets off. Jule is dating Peter Stipe Erceg, Jans roommate. Jule is suspicious of Jan and finds him strange, voicing her concerns after a scene where he causes a racket in another room while Jule and Peter are having sex. Peter assures her that Jan is a good guy.Peter offers to take Jule with him on a trip to Barcelona. Though she does not have the money, Peter offers to pay her expenses, and so she initially agrees.Jan and Peter go out on what they claim is their job, putting up posters. On the way they discuss the importance of the difference between what they do and petty theft. Jan argues that stealing things just betrays their cause, while Peter is more laid-back and laments that they could have sold an expensive Rolex watch for good money after Jan throws it out of their van's window. Afterwards, we see Jule working in a high-class restaurant where she is treated like a servant; she keys one of the expensive customers' cars in frustration after being treated like dirt by them.The next morning Jule receives a call stating she clear out of her apartment immediately and clean it up including paint the walls. This means that she cannot go on holiday with Peter; he offers to stay, but Jule doesn't want him to waste his opportunity, so he recruits Jan to help. Jule and Jan paint side-by-side in awkward silence. Eventually, Jule turns some music on and they bond over their common interest in the same musician. Jule tells Jan of her financial trouble due to an automobile accident she was in last year with an executive driving a Mercedes. Now she must repay the man the cost to buy his new Mercedes - she is nearly 100,000 euros in debt. Jan sees this as unjust and volunteers to help Jule handle the problem.Jan invites her over for dinner and they talk about fear and using it as a drug to do things you never thought possible. Jules goes home and Jan stakes out a house and almost gets caught by the police. The next day Jan helps Jule hang wallpaper. Angry at the injustices they have suffered, Julia decides to forfeit the rental deposit by letting out some pent-up frustration; they end up wrapping Jule in wallpaper and painting "Every heart is a revolutionary cell" onto the wall in red. Jan takes several photos of Jule standing in front of the defaced wall.That night at work, Jule is caught smoking in the kitchen with the bartender. He is fired and Jule tries cover up for him and is fired as well. Jan and Jule stand on a rooftop discussing the current state of revolution and how it has entered popular culture. To help with Jules pent-up aggression, Jan shares with her what he and Peter do at night. She recognizes the area and begs Jan to drive a few blocks down the street. They come upon a house and Jule jumps out to verify she is correct. It is the house of the man who owns the Mercedes she hit. She persuades Jan to break in, Edukator-style and he relents only if the alarm company that Peter used to work for guards the house. Lucky for Jule it is. They break in and begin to move around furniture. Eventually, at Jule's request, they decide to throw the couch into the pool. As they carry it, Jules takes off her coat. When the throw the couch into the pool, Jan falls in. He pulls Jule in and she discovers he has the pictures from the wallpaper day in his jacket. They kiss in the pool.Jan goes to the bathroom to process what has happened and Jule goes to get some alcohol, throwing several expensive bottles onto the ground before finding something she likes. While Jule is standing on the terrace, floodlights turn on and Jule runs inside. Her and Jan gather their items and get away before the police show up. The next morning Peter comes home. Jule comes over and tells Jan she lost her phone. Jan tells her not to mention this to Peter, then runs to the car to look for it without result. He concludes she must indeed have left it at the house.That night Jan, Peter, and Jule go out partying. On the way home, Jule goes her separate way and Jan says he is going to go for a walk while Peter goes to bed. Jan and Jule return to the house looking for the phone and wiping fingerprints. Just as Jule finds her phone the owner, Hardenberg Burghart Klaußner, comes home. He comes in and recognizes Jule as the girl from the accident. They scuffle and Jan comes out and hits Hardenberg on the head. He is knocked unconscious. Jan and Jule freak out: Jan has Jule call Peter to help them out. They tie up Hardenberg. The three discuss a plan.Meanwhile Hardenberg has grabbed a phone and is calling the police. Left without any other options, they grab Hardenberg and throw him in their car and drive away before the police show up. They arrive on a dirt road in the woods, where they walk to a cabin belonging to Jule's uncle. The following morning they continue their discussion on what to do. Peter goes to the local village to stock up on supplies. Hardenberg asks them their motives for kidnapping him. He and Jan go back on forth arguing about capitalism. Peter storms off and the relationship between Jan and Jule is growing.That night at dinner, Hardenberg shares how he was once a revolutionary like them. Hardenberg warns them he must call the housekeeper so that she will not go in the house and find the mess. They decide to drive him into town but Peter will hold a gun to him in case he decides to run off. (In private, Peter reveals to Jan that it is a broken gas pistol, unable to do any harm.) Jan volunteers to be the one to take him along with the gun. That night Peter finds the picture of Jule in Jan's jacket.The next day, they all drive into the village to use the pay phone. Jan takes Hardenberg to the phone. He tells his housekeeper not to come and when a tourist approaches the duo, Hardenberg lies and calls Jan his son, who feels isolated without using the phone. Jan, Jule, and Peter are surprised by Hardenberg's cooperation.Back at the cabin, Hardenberg and Jan talk about how he changed from a revolutionary in the 1970's to a businessman today. Peter begins to notice the growing relationship between Jan and Jule. At dinner that night, Hardenberg mentions their free love and how he used to live that way. Peter seems confused. The next morning Jan and Jule go out to buy some more supplies. Along the way they stop and succumb to their feelings for each other. While they are gone, Hardenberg appears to have escaped, but Peter eventually finds him a short distance away from the Cabin, staring off into the distance. Hardenberg explains how he's tired of his rich yet empty lifestyle and has considered giving it all up and moving to the countryside. He also tells Peter of Jan and Jule's relationship. Upon their return, Peter confronts them and leaves in a rage after he and Jan fight; he drives away, leaving behind only the broken gun for Jan. He goes out on a night of drinking, only to return the next morning.They decide that it was wrong to kidnap Hardenberg, as they did it only to save themselves and not for any lofty ideals. Thus they agree to take Hardenberg home. Peter and Jan make up as well. The trio drives Hardenberg back to his home. There, he releases Jule of her debt to him and promises not to call the police. Jan is ready to give up the Edukators life, but Peter persuades him not to.Hardenberg eventually changes his mind and calls the police. A special police commando shows up at Jan and Peter's apartment blasting down the doors; the audience is led to believe that Jan, Jule, and Peter are there, but they are not. All they find is a note on the wall reading, People Never Change. Instead Jan, Jule, and Peter are living in free love in Barcelona.

Tags: thought-provoking, romantic, avant garde, psychological

Review:
Calling themselves "the Edukators", they break into the homes of the fabulously wealthy only to make some absurd adjustments to the arrangement of their furniture and leave a simple note behind: "You have too much money."With this basic plot, The Edukators delves into that ill-defined human notion of morality, eventually blurring the line between the ethics of social politics and the ethics of personal relationships.Don't let the plot scare you, you don't have to be an anarchist to enjoy this movie!
You will notice this for about 10 seconds.Two hours later however you won't quite understand anymore what exactly it was you liked so much about this great Hollywood-movie that suddenly seems to be so shallow, so void of real issues and characters ...
It is a film about political activism, love, friendship, ideals in life and how we betray them, the generation if 1968 and what became of them, the dynamics of small groups and, and, and...To wrap so much relevant issues into a gripping, highly entertaining and even funny story for me is a real miracle in scriptwriting.
All four main characters are absolutely phenomenal and of course Danny Bruehl and Julia Jentsch show again that they are the best German actors of their generation.This movie touches you emotionally, gives you food for thought and entertains immensely at the same time.
the edukators is a hugely enjoyable film that perfectly balances the human themes of friendship, love and trust with it's more political undertones.the main characters are all performed with warmth and a playfulness that keeps the human side of the story engaging, while the plot develops with continual twists and tension.
At first it seemed to me this movie was the continuation of Good Bye Lenin (probably because of Daniel in Berlin?) Eitherway, It made me want to travel around Europe some more, learn German, and also think about my obsession with shopping and TV.
It's what happens beyond words: I've rarely seen people in a movie talk and talk so much about convictions and ideology, but all the really important things happen inside them and without words.So go and watch this film but don't jump on the political statements.
Hans Weingartner seems to be gifted with a unique power of observation: not living in Germany at the moment made me very sensitive for clichéd German behaviour (Scenes like the one in the tram and the restaurant are just so typical!) Great acting by outstandingly talented young actors (can Daniel Bruehl get any better?
I loved the movie, it is condemning and inspiring at the same time, depressing and uplifting and as a viewer you are forced to decide if you feel sympathy for the idealistic young people or the successful materialistic businessman.
I'm sure there will be plenty of people that will accuse "The edukators" of being such a cheap anti-capitalism manifest, a "cool" product designed for rich boys who feel like making a revolution.
"The Edukators" is one way of doing all those things from the cinema screen by telling the story of three rebel young guys that won't stay and look without doing a thing while the big corporations destroy this world and turn us into working-hard zombies.
It is a wonderful illustration of how all politics is personal -- as one character quotes, "every heart is a revolutionary cell" and compares the hormonal rush from political action to love.Helped enormously by an appealing cast who perfectly capture the ebullience, exuberance and idealism of twentysomethings, director/co-writer Hans Weingartner brings to life an intelligent film about politics that is also very funny and wonderfully romantic.
They are more about what used to be called consciousness-raising, hence the original German title, as they warn rich capitalists "Your Days Of Plenty Are Numbered" and sign themselves "Erziehungsberechtigter," a mouthful which I understand translates more as "guardians" than the nevertheless evocative English title.The first half of the film has a breathless New Wave feel, and I'm sure it's not a coincidence that one character is named "Jule" as the "Jules et Jim" triangle is a driving plot point.
So how can she help but be surprised that his Angry Young Man best friend and "weird" roommate "Jan" can really talk to her.Music is used marvelously throughout the film (even though covers of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" -no, it's not Jeff Buckley's version, it's Lucky Jim- have been way overused in films lately, the words actually are meaningful in a climactic scene here).
The camera simply falls in love with him, too, in frequent close-ups, and wet opportunities to take his shirt off, as he puts poignancy into every look, even a furtive, frustrated glance in a rear-view mirror.Just when a baby boomer is feeling nostalgic watching these kids, the film makes the connection with the '60's explicit as it very amusingly crosses "The Big Chill" with "Ruthless People." There are at least two lines from these comparisons that are very laugh out loud funny, while making points about the 1968 of protests, sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.
Hans Weingarten's Edukators however, is balancing on the edge of full-blown idealism and the realm of common sense, and finds the perfect solution to let ourselves be seduced by the sensible and sensitive combination of the two.Jan, Peter and Jule are young souls worn out by the controversies of modern-day life.
The tycoon defends himself, saying he works 14 hour days: at first he wanted to be able to provide security and good education for his children, now he thinks buying new things makes people happy.
And in the end the 60s generation did change society by making the personal political, even if the communes are now only rose-tinged memories in the back of the minds of fat cats now running conglomerates.What I enjoyed most about "the Edukators" is the question it raises about its three young major characters, and how their generation can make a difference to the world of the 21st century.SPOILER SPACE Maybe in the end the tycoon called the police: it didn't look like an easy decision for him at any rate.
The scantily clad Irish woman said she saw it coming, but she didn't tell me before hand so maybe she was just baiting me.I highly recommend this movie for any time that you are in the mood for something to discuss, a film that will make you think about the nature of people..
We learn what they do and we watch while Peter, essentially a good looking, shallow dope, lose his girl to the sullen Jan. Talking of shallow, were I not myself sufficiently weak as to be a willing target for the considerable visual charms of Julia Jensch as Jule, I'd have caught up on some sleep, I'm sure.Problem two involves the plotting.
It shows the ideals of revolutionaries of our times in a simple manner that people who aren't interested in politics and matters of the world can understand as well, whether they agree with them or not, and it also shows ways of dealing with these problems even if you're just a "small, insignificant" individual.
In short, this movie has everything - good acting, a gripping story and ideas that aren't new, but that people of today obviously need to be reminded of!.
This movie was the first German movie that i had ever seen but i must say, that it was worth the $8.50 i paid for my ticket.I have only studied German for 3 years and i thought that i should try and see at least 1 German movie before i travel to Germany in December.The German wasn't very difficult to understand it was just some of the slang that tripped me up a bit.Some of my friends said that it was definitely the best German movie that they had ever seen.the educators was well worth going to and praise must go to the wonderful actors/actresses especially Daniel bruhl.after seeing this movie i cant wait to see any new movies with Daniel bruhl.this movie is definitely worth seeing and i now know how good German movies really are..
Moreover, there's a skillful depiction of a complex four-way dynamic among the leading characters, and it's a real strength of the movie that, while it gains some tension from aspects of its story that might seem to be generic thriller material, the plot is resolved around the film's own specific mixture of the personal and political.
I never read about it before, but after watching it yesterday night with a friend, i couldn't stop thinking about the whole plot, the ending, the dialogs, all the words and actions in the movie.
The Joe Cool Review: Fetten Jahre sind vorbei, Die(The Edukators)(2004)Starring: Daniel Brühl as Jan, Julia Jentsch as Jule, Stipe Erceg as Peter, and Burghart Klaußner as HardenbergPlot: Two liberals, Peter and Jan like to pull pranks on rich people by breaking into their homes, re-arranging their furniture and leaving cryptic notes.
A girl and two guys want to change the world by breaking into large mansions, rearranging the furniture, and leaving messages to make people think about their capitalistic lifestyles and take away the sense of security that all their possessions have given them.
Eventually, things (naturally) get out of hand, forcing them (and one of their "victims") to rethink their ideas about just about everything.Thus goes the story of "The Edukators", a German movie that blends action movie, romantic drama, and political statement into a mostly successful package that manages to entertain and perhaps even make you think a bit."The Edukators" probably works best as a drama: the three main characters are undoubtedly sympathetic, and the young actors do a great job of portraying them in a believable way.
The Edukators is a German flick starring Daniel Brühl as Jan (you may have seen him in 'Goodbye Lenin'), Julia Jentsch as Jule, Stipe Erceg as Peter, and Burghart Klaußner as Hardenberg ...I absolutely loved this film...
The two male leads, Jan and Peter are best friends who've grown bored with chanting slogans as a means of resistance and decide to take it up a notch by breaking into the estates of elite Germans, rearranging their furniture and belongings only to leave a note saying "You have to much money" or "Your days of plenty are numbered"...
A bunch of subversive, anti-capitalist youths meet the bourgeois person they'll probably be when they're over 30.I'm afraid the plot leaves few subtleties in the characters: All are naive, shallow and clichéd to the extreme, making what could easily be a thought-provoking movie feel outrageously light-weight.
The characters' youth is cast on a fulcrum, teeter-tottering between exultant power and fragility.Daniel Brühl (Jan), Julia Jentsch (Jule), Stipe Erceg (Peter) and Burghart Klaußner (Herr Hardenberg) forged a dynamic ensemble and completely absorbed me into their world.
Whether it's the bonds of friendship that wax and wane throughout the movie, the politically-charged rants delivered from the heights of bridges, the scheming of the terrorized or the latent homo-eroticism brewing between the two male leads, the cast delivers nuanced, multi-layered performances.If I have one complaint about this film, it's on the last point: the sub-dermal attraction between Jan and Peter is never really addressed in a satisfactory way, though it's hard to ignore the (barely-sub)text to their interactions.
People who are persuaded by this wonderful acts, raise your hands.A kidnapped businessman begins to love their work and it seems like he wants to join this everything but intelligent group.
This film is full of good intentions and has a good initial concept but the execution is so awful that 20 minutes in you'll be heading for the door.A bunch of bourgeois kids (where does their money come from anyways?) take their revenge on the filthy rich in the name of all oppressed people in the world (or Germany, at least) by breaking into their houses having bland parties and then leaving grafittied warnings similar to "Repent for the time of judgment is nigh".
Especially after hearing mostly great things about it.Jan and Peter are two activists making their anarchist statement by breaking into rich peoples houses.
The foreshadowing was extremely heavy, so it's easy to predict what's about to happen as the story goes along, though the final ending did surprise me.I got the impression that German viewers would get more out of the movie than Americans: there are a number of quick references to political movements I had never heard of, that must have more resonance in Germany..
"The Edukators," a witty, entertaining but ultimately immature new German movie, is about a trio of rebellious young leftists who break into the houses of wealthy families, re-arrange their furniture (they don't steal anything) and leave them messages such as 'Your days of plenty are numbered.' They're the type of people who sit around, get high, romanticise Ché Guevara and despair at the state of society.The B&E thing goes fine until one day the owner of the house they are in returns while they are still in it (there is a wonderful moment of suspense just before he enters).
The movie is about, among other things, the relationship between the young Marxists and the 'capitalist pig.' He seems like a pretty nice guy.The trio are named Jan, Jule and Peter, and they are played, respectively, by Daniel Brühl, Julia Jentsch and Stipe Erceg.
Jule and Peter are girl and boyfriend, but we are unsurprised to learn that Jan has a crush on Jule too.One of the delights of the movie is the realisation that the kidnapped businessman, Hardenberg, is actually sort of enjoying hanging around with his young kidnappers; they remind him of his youth.
When something is merely good, it is not advisable for it to remind you of something that is great.While the movie has the guts to be political, it doesn't have the guts to risk giving its characters flaws; yes, they fall out a couple of times, but there ought to have been more of them realising that they were out of their depth when they kidnapped Hardenberg.
The dichotomy of opinions makes for a thoughtful and thought-provoking diatribe that lifts this film from an action movie into the realm of a psychological 'thriller' of sorts.Peter (Stipe Erceg) and Jan (Daniel Brühl) have been close friends for fifteen years, share a flat, and spend their time attacking the corrupt society in which they resentfully find themselves by breaking in to wealthy peoples homes while the owners are away, rearranging all the furniture and leaving notes that inform them their days of lifestyle are doomed.
The first half an hour is wonderful, very quick and thrilling the next 1 and 1/2 is a much slower movie.However, apart of the fresh air, there is a very good cast of 4 people Daniel Brühl as the brain, Julia Jentsch as the troubled young woman that want some help,Stipe Erceg the electrician and Jentsech boyfriend and Burghart Klaußner the kidnapped rich guy with a revolutionary past.
The problem of social precariousness touches many young people today I think, though there are probably not so many around who'd also take 'revolutionary action' as the people in the film do.The development of the Hardenberg character was also very interesting: at first, he is a very rich top manager, also a rather pathetic figure, but then, as he gets in touch with his own idealistic past, he shows much strength and wisdom.
The three young people, Jule, Jan, and Peter (Stipe Erceg) feel that now they're "blown" they must kidnap the rich guy and take him to a cabin in the mountains, which of course they immediately do.These are young revolutionaries after the fact.
Co-writer / director Heinz Weingartner manages to tell a story of three committed friends and their fight against a capitalist society that reminded me a bit of Finchers FIGHT CLUB.The involuntary victim of there actions is exposed as being not so different from his kidnappers, which leads to some hilarious moments in the film, and even they become endangered to "fail" in the same way.The emotions and tensions between the characters is very convincing and comprehensive as are their motivations.At one point when Peter asks Jan and Jule if they're having an affair, the actors manage do give the answer without speaking an barely moving their facial muscles - thats something only a few directors can achieve.
The acting, all around, is solid and Burghart Klaussner, as their captive, compliments the three main actors in a wonderfully subtle way.The film is as much about relationships and exploring ones place in the world as it is about any grand ideology and, mercifully, the debate between the capitalist kidnappee and revolutionary kidnappers comes across in a realistic manner and about what you'd expect from the characters you've gotten to know at that point in the film.The Edukators does a masterful job of presenting a snap shot view of the lives of a few people as they try to understand where they fit in the world and the actions they can take to create a better one..
we decided to read some reviews before posting our own and by the looks of things most people feel the same way as we do!this has been a very interesting film to study, however the ending shouldn't of been changed for us English viewers.
I enjoy this movie, it give me something different because I usually consume American movies, this movie give me a picture about day living in Germany, deutch youngsters...I buy the DVD, I assume i will get the struggle of activist against the system, yes I did found that jan, peter, and jule rearrange expensive furniture and give 'edukators' to rich people, hardenberg, in this case, but in fact, I've got the message that I should follow the hardenberg way to earn money as much as possible rather than follow those activists...below 30 you must idealist, after 30 you must capitalist.