Audience Member
There is something to be said about all male, boarding school, coming of age tales. My tastes in them began when I fell in love with Parker Stevenson's Gene in the 1972 version of "A Separate Peace". While there are some all male boarding schools in the U.S. (mainly in New England), most boarding school today seem to be European -- especially the U.K. We DO have college dorm life in the U.S. Of course, many young men in universities have already gone through a major coming of age period. Some college students are even married. "Teenage Angst" is made particularly interesting with realistic drug use and pent-up sexual aggression thrown into the mix.
"Teenage Angst" centers on four boys from very wealthy families. These boys engage in the usual "away from parents" antics: drinking, rough housing and petty mischief. They renounce all of the qualities that have allowed them to be where they are: discipline, morals, and social service. While acknowledging the family fortune has accorded special privilege, they still take on a hedonistic mantra, truly living with abundance and not afraid of pushing life's envelope. Unfortunately, as the nights pass, the activities escalate into some serious -- almost unbearable - S&M behavior. Two of the boys take on Leopold and Lobe characteristics. There is Dyrbusch (well played by handsome Niklas Kohrt) the intelligent, aggressive alpha male leader of the pack. Dyrbusch is the vocal, charismatic dictator of the group. The most villainous of the foursome is Bogatsch (Michael Ginsburg) chunky and plain -- if it weren't for family money he'd never be in the group, much less have the ability to get any decent snatch. He is Dyrbusch's right-hand man. He follows his leader's narrow-minded, power hungry, woman-hating ways. The other boys include typical nice guy, Konstantin (Franz Dinda). He is the only one of the group who has any semblance of a moral center. He has returned to school after attending the funeral of his mother. Lastly, there is the "little prince," Leibnitz (Janusz Kocaj). His family is the wealthiest. He's a bit of a mama's boy. Unfortunately, he ends up being the prime object of physical and mental torment by Bogatsch and Dyrbusch. They persist in inflicting Leibnitz to more and more pain and humiliation. He complies because he aches for acceptance. Leibnitz wants to remain in the group regardless if Konstantin, who cares for him, wants him to leaves. Thus, Leibnitz becomes a masochistic doormat for Bogatsch and Dyrbusch. Konstantin, though slow to react, finally refuses to participate in any additional herd mentality. He sees the boys becoming common thugs. They spiral into decadence.
The cinematography of the lakefront, picturesque school, which is a magnificent old castle and its lush grounds, is sometimes dark, and a lot of detail is frequently lost in the scenes. Colors seem intentionally dull, and the image frequently has uniform tones, mostly greens and browns. While overall the image isn't always sharp, you can still see detail in foreground images. Some minor grain is present. Overall, it's a strong presentation, and the problems are minor. There is an abundance of homoerotic tention. The subtitles are well done. The writing by Holger Jäckle is top notch. He shows influence of Kurt Cobain's commentary on teens as well as Austrian author Robert Musil's homoerotic novel "The Confusions of Young Törless". Director Thomas Stuber creates a Hitchcockian claustrophobic atmosphere where there is violence without motive.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
01/29/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This was an interesting study into what must be the rarefied air of elite European boarding schools. It's well acted and directed but has to be since it's such a short film at just over 1 hour, although it packs a lot into that time. If you're looking for a short but good film, this is a good one.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/06/23
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Audience Member
This movie seemed like some bad after school special, but in German. And the poster/cover art has these two guys on it, neither of whom are in the movie I'm pretty sure.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
02/20/23
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greg c
Dark and a little disturbing, but worth the 1 hour and 3 minutes.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
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Audience Member
Muy mala .... no lo vean si pueden!!
Rated 1/5 Stars •
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
01/13/23
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