The Nazis were obsessed with the occult. They were equally obsessed with the pagan past of Germany, or rather, with their own biased and incomplete comprehension of that past. Back in the 1930's and 40's neither of these traits contributed to the general happiness of Mankind ; on the contrary, they added an extra layer of poisonous WTF to what was already a deeply irrational ideology. However, in later decades the Nazis' twin liking for the occult and for pseudo-history was to turn into a rich source of inspiration for authors and screenwriters. By now we've got a whole subgenre of comics, books and movies, generally situated at the crossroads between horror/fantasy and action/adventure, in which the Nazis try to obtain or use an important historical or religious artefact in order to achieve their aims. (Several entries in the "Indiana Jones" series immediately spring to mind.)
One rather gets the appeal of this subgenre : it's a good occasion for spinning action- and intrigue-filled tales about dark mysteries, forbidden rituals and weird cults, just like it's a good occasion for describing exotic settings and picturesque buildings. Moreover, the subgenre allows for variations on a theme. For instance, the villains can be actual Nazis, Neonazi's, Nazi lookalikes or just people who wear sinister black uniforms, while the artefact can be anything from Noah's ark over the Crown of Thorns to the Five Screaming Bracelets of Attila the Hun (which bracelets, of course, I've just pulled out of my little hat). The goals too can vary : world domination, superhuman powers, immortality, the establishment of a thousand-year-long empire, the return of a pagan Spring god, and so on.
"Allein gegen die Zeit", which is meant for a Young Adult audience, clearly belongs to this subgenre. In the movie, a group of students on a school outing to an historically important church get kidnapped by a black-clad and black-hearted sect bent on obtaining eternal youth, even at the cost of human sacrifice. (Thankfully, a small band of gallant and faithful friends will save the day.) There's a lot of talk about forgotten rituals, ancient fertility rites, medieval battles between Christianity and paganism and so on - and yes, the villains are clearly spiritual heirs of Nazism.
"Allein" is not an entirely bad movie : for instance, it contains a number of more or less successful jokes, ranging from the proper way in which to drive away from the police to the alternative uses of hairspray. Sadly, it isn't a particularly good movie either. Much about it looks like an episode for a television series that has developed ideas above its station. The plot doesn't feel all that original - especially to older, more experienced viewers who've already seen their share of movies. One cannot shake the impression that it should be possible to use many of the same ingredients and turn them into a far more compelling cocktail.
The same older, more experienced viewers will probably wonder about the age of the characters versus the age of the actors - quite a lot of the actors look at least five years too old for their roles. Or perhaps we're just talking about an unusually thorough educational system...
One rather gets the appeal of this subgenre : it's a good occasion for spinning action- and intrigue-filled tales about dark mysteries, forbidden rituals and weird cults, just like it's a good occasion for describing exotic settings and picturesque buildings. Moreover, the subgenre allows for variations on a theme. For instance, the villains can be actual Nazis, Neonazi's, Nazi lookalikes or just people who wear sinister black uniforms, while the artefact can be anything from Noah's ark over the Crown of Thorns to the Five Screaming Bracelets of Attila the Hun (which bracelets, of course, I've just pulled out of my little hat). The goals too can vary : world domination, superhuman powers, immortality, the establishment of a thousand-year-long empire, the return of a pagan Spring god, and so on.
"Allein gegen die Zeit", which is meant for a Young Adult audience, clearly belongs to this subgenre. In the movie, a group of students on a school outing to an historically important church get kidnapped by a black-clad and black-hearted sect bent on obtaining eternal youth, even at the cost of human sacrifice. (Thankfully, a small band of gallant and faithful friends will save the day.) There's a lot of talk about forgotten rituals, ancient fertility rites, medieval battles between Christianity and paganism and so on - and yes, the villains are clearly spiritual heirs of Nazism.
"Allein" is not an entirely bad movie : for instance, it contains a number of more or less successful jokes, ranging from the proper way in which to drive away from the police to the alternative uses of hairspray. Sadly, it isn't a particularly good movie either. Much about it looks like an episode for a television series that has developed ideas above its station. The plot doesn't feel all that original - especially to older, more experienced viewers who've already seen their share of movies. One cannot shake the impression that it should be possible to use many of the same ingredients and turn them into a far more compelling cocktail.
The same older, more experienced viewers will probably wonder about the age of the characters versus the age of the actors - quite a lot of the actors look at least five years too old for their roles. Or perhaps we're just talking about an unusually thorough educational system...
