SummaryUndine (Paula Beer) works as a historian lecturing on Berlin’s urban development. But when the man she loves leaves her, the myth catches up with her. Undine has to kill the man who betrays her and return to the water. Will Undine defy fate when she meets a diver (Franz Rogowski) offering her a chance at new love?
Directed By:Christian Petzold
Written By:Christian Petzold
Undine
Metascore
Generally Favorable
75
User score
Generally Favorable
6.6
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
88% Positive
28 Reviews
28 Reviews
13% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Jul 14, 2021
100
Undine’s hauntingly aching romance is enchanting, as thick as the feeling of inhaling water into your lungs. There’s a drowning sensation to Petzold’s myth-building in Undine that’s totally engrossing, once again proving he is one of the world’s most exquisite love story composers.
Jun 4, 2021
85
Undine allows for the magical while keeping its eyes firmly on the painfully real, making a valiant, full-hearted attempt to break the bonds of history.
Apr 5, 2021
80
There’s just enough magic and mystery to tease out a supernatural reading of the film, though Petzold encourages viewers to find pleasure in puzzling out his femme fatale for themselves.
Jun 4, 2021
75
Petzold keeps his mystery afloat (sorry) thanks to his impeccable craft even if this is a tale that sometimes feels like it needed a more magical and less direct approach.
Feb 28, 2020
75
In taking a centuries-old piece of mythology as its source material, Undine ultimately forgoes the inventiveness and sensuality of its first half by slipping into relatively bland predictability. And for a filmmaker who thrives on disregarding narrative conventions, it feels a fatal error. “Relatively” is the key here. This is still Petzold after all, if not peak Petzold.
Feb 28, 2020
67
Petzold remains a master of capturing frantic characters doomed by dark obsessions, and while Undine is certainly a minor work, it still shows evidence of a master’s hand.
Feb 28, 2020
60
It is possible to come away from the film less than convinced, but very impressed by the sheer force of Petzold’s film-making talent (recently so stunning in his drama Transit) but which has been here deployed for something which is a bit flimsy and silly.
User score
Generally Favorable
55% Positive
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
36% Mixed
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
9% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Aug 14, 2023
10
A superb love story with fantastic actors (Beer, Rogowski... and Bach). A must-see.
Mar 12, 2022
5
The piano music and the end scene makes all the difference with this film. Mid way through I felt it was a little bland and I wasn't sure of the plot direction but I thought it was somewhat touching by the very end. The musical score makes a big difference, its subtle but certainly not non-existent. It is most certainly an understated film and it may bore some people, its very much an arty film of course and its hardly gripping viewing but its thoughtful and ok at the end. I don't think I'd have persevered with this, had I not paid to view it. This is an ok film overall, no more really.
Production Company:
- Schramm Film
- Les Films du Losange
- Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)
- ARTE
- Arte France Cinéma
- Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (BKM)
- Canal+
- Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC)
- Ciné+
- Deutsch-Französisches Filmabkommen
- Deutscher Filmförderfonds (DFFF)
- Film- und Medienstiftung NRW
- Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA)
- Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg
- ZDF/Arte
Release Date:Jun 4, 2021
Duration:1 h 30 m
Awards
Berlin International Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 3 Nominations
Seville European Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 3 Nominations
Montclair Film Festival (MFF)
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
