Saturday, November 16, 2024

Tom Gronau in The German Lesson


'Not the banality of evil but the evil of banality.'


In 2019's Deutschstunde, (The German Lesson) actor Tom Gronau plays Siggi, a young man in juvenile detention, just after the Second World War.  As part of his punishment, Siggi is must write an essay with the theme, 'The Joys of Duty.'  Overwhelmed by the topic, Siggi begins suffering from an acute case of writer's block. 


Later, after being put into solitary confinement, Siggi finds the clarity to look back over his childhood during the wary in the small north-German village where he grew up.  His memories focus on the relationship between his father Jens, and a family friend Max, who's an artist.  Siggi's father is a police officer, and is dedicated to enforcing the will of the Nazi Party.


'More specifically:  to enforce the ban on the possession and creation of all modern modern art. This directly affects Max, who resists despite the dire consequences. Both Jens and Max enlist Siggi  to help their differing agendas. Caught between his father's loyalty to the laws of the Nazi Party and Max's passion for expressionism, Siggi must choose between fitting in and resisting.'




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