Die Fetten Jahre Sind Vorbei*

I was watching The Edukators this evening with my Mom. It's the second time I've seen the film, and it's odd how a film can change by simply changing the people with whom you view it. But that's really a topic for a different post. My Mom's reaction to the three protagonists and their actions throughout their film was that they were a bit silly; well, ridiculous was the word she used. She may not admit it, but I think she connected with their idealism and sympathized with them just a bit by the end of the film. It's interesting to note that Julia Jentsch who plays one of the cheerful revolutionaries also plays Sophie Scholl in the film "Sophie Scholl: The Final Days." My Mom also felt that Sophie's actions as a young member of the German resistance in the 1940s were fairly foolish, but she connected with the character quite strongly, perhaps because Sophie had the unquestionable moral high ground.
I, on the other hand, really connect with what The Edukators and their subversive anarchism. I like what they do and why they do it; and although they may not always make the wisest or most ethical choices, I feel a kinship with them. I wonder if it is age that causes the difference in our perceptions. Perhaps it's a factor, but I think there is something deeper. I can't exactly put my finger on it though...perhaps it is because I revel in gray areas and my Mom sees things more in black and white. Maybe it's my own sense that I should be part of something that gives the finger to our materialistic, corporate society. Einstein said that imagination was more important than knowledge...is the sometimes foolish idealism of youth the battle of imagination over the knowledge and caution acquired with age?