Klass

Klass (2007) ****

Although sadly school violence has become all too common place in recent years, very few films have dared to examine it. Gus Van Sant did it thoughtfully and patiently in his Tarr inspired Elephant, which took home the Palm D'Or at Cannes when it debuted. That film dealt with the daily routines of a number of high school students on the day of the shooting. Conversely, Ilmar Raag's Klass details the weeks leading up to its sad climax, dissecting just how such an event can happen.

One day, after being chided by his girlfriend, Kaspar (Vallo Kirs) for helping pick on Joosep (Part Uusberg), he begins to change his ways, and sympathize with the boy. This causes his friends - the bullies - to turn on him, and soon both are the victims. Their daily routine consists of Kaspar trying to protect Joosep, and trying to stop their beatings. After weeks of torture, and a fateful trick used to assemble the two into a trap on a beach one day changes everything for everyone.

Director Raag uses a frenetic editing pace in many segments. Some scenes are masterfully created with cutaways timed nicely, while at other times the editing is too busy, trying to be too flashy. That can be a distraction, and I think takes away from the film. Raag also mixes up his soundtrack, at times using pounding techno music, sometimes working, good sometimes not. On the other hand, Raag also employs a few beautiful orchestral pieces, sparsely. Although I would have liked to see them used more throughout the film, when they do occasionally play I admit it does seem to make what's on screen just that much more poignant. Raag also uses some ambient strings here and there, usually playing one booming note at a time, which i thought was interesting. He seems to have a keen sense for tonally offbeat direction, which I like. If he can tone down his want of flash (which I do not really like), I think he has some serious potential.

Although i would have preferred Klass to be a quieter picture, I still think this is a very very strong film. It is unquestionably a modern film, dealing with somewhat modern issues. Some certainly will - and have - call into question some of the plausibility of the film. For example, teacher's rarely seem to be present. My answer to their quarrel would be that such realist logic need not apply here. Whereas Van Sant's Elephant was shot as documentary, Klass is shot as parable. It's about why otherwise good kids can to unthinkable things. Typically, these kids are no more evil than those who pushed them over the edge to begin with. Klass does something that is not uncommon in pictures, by making its villains worthy scum. Given that this is about a school shooting, that is actually quite a bold move. Raag makes his bullies despicable, putting the audience in the uncomfortable position of wanting to see them punished, and handily. It's all about empathy.

Even teacher's have a hand in such cruelty. Klass includes a couple moments of subtle hostility by one teacher, as Joosep expresses the vanity of individuals defining themselves by label. This is a not so direct theme throughout the film in fact. The teenagers, of course, are covered in head to toe with their brand name clothes, and chide Joosep for not wearing such clothes, yet harass him for wearing brand name sneakers - shoes fit for someone cooler than he.

This is a very strong film from Raag. It is well acted by its leads. It contains flashes of greatness. The film works best when it sticks to its story. Raag gets carried away with his direction at times, but despite it the film still works very well. It is a thoughtful film. It can be painfully cruel, but such subject matter deserves cruelty. When Kaspar and Joosep make that fateful walk into the school, their expressions are not of anger, but of profound sadness, which I suspect is what most must be truly feeling. I found the last few moments of this film dreadfully sad. When the shots are silenced, the heavy presence of inevitability sets in with the contemplation of all which has just happened. Such weight should be felt on all our shoulders. We've all been bullied, bullies, or the conscientious middle man at some point in our lives. Klass is one Estonian export that classrooms all over the world could benefit from.

So, I watched this movie after hearing about it on many different occasions. I have always liked movies about teenage life, especially when they are cooked correctly. And this is such case. Movie perfectly shows the power struggles, that may occur in every class. And how cruel can teenagers be. I personally have been in a situation, where most of my class is against me. So I could easily associate my self with main character.

At some points of watching it, the movie really got to me, because my hands started shaking, and I got shivers on my back. Just because, I knew how painful such attitude can be.

I'd really like to give kudos to operator, and all the actors, that were working on this movie. Camera work always showed perfect angles, so people could easily follow the story. But all the new actors, that were working on this project, played really good, without hyping their performance, what usually happens for new actors.

This movie should be shown in every school around the world, because it shows where can cruelty lead.

Its been a while since I saw a movie that left my guts so unsettled. I have seen several graphic movies about rape, terrorism, cruelty, hatred. Some of them have managed to touch my soul and move me to tears. But none of them prepared me for this movie. The only movie that probably came close to making me feel so horrible was Chandi Bar. This movie will leave you with a lot of anger and hatred.

We have seen the horror of gun possession with minors in movies like Elephant and American History X. But this movie goes beyond irresponsible and erratic use of a gun. This movie projects basic human feelings and the results of mob mentality and repressiveness anger. Most viewers can relate to this movie because they have all experienced school violence, either first hand or otherwise.

About the movie itself, the direction, cinematography and acting are all A-grade. You always feel at the center of each and every scene. This is what the movie does best. It involves you. And when you are done watching it, it will make you think about it and discuss it. It'll make you think of what's wrong with our education system and what can be done to prevent something like this from happening.

It kinda falls into the category of movies which make you lose faith in humanity. Don't get me wrong. We are capable of kindness too. But it is equally true that we humans can be very cruel and we should not ignore this facet of our basic instinct. There are many interventions that could've prevented the ending that the movie projected. But the reason the movie hit me so hard is coz' of the way it ended.

I would definitely recommend this movie to all those movie buffs who aren't afraid of watching movies with serious subjects. Stay away from it immediately before sleep time. This film will leave you so unsettled; you may not be able to sleep for next couple of hours.

As for me, I wonder if I'll ever gather my guts to see this great film again.

Most of the spectators will look at the film and say something as: I've seen it before/I've guessed the ending/the work is imperfect!

But the main thing is the other. It is a real story about real people coming across real problems. The thrilling story about insatiable and cruel youth. The story that makes you tremble.

But it is not the story about teens' relation. The story tells about adults being deaf to the problems of youth. As the teacher made that saying "I have nothing else to tell you". The parents that can not believe or just understand the problems of their children and especially trust them. The movie is not just a cruel story. That is a warning to the adults: beware and make best to predict.

All of us will watch this, talk a bit and forget about the movie. I'd force all the adults to watch it. For them just to understand.

Almost every class in high school knows one: a lonely child that is being picked on by everyone. Unable to give proper resistance against the different kids in the class that one person becomes the victim of just about everything. Most of the time it ends up OK in the end, but sometimes it goes to a point of no return and then it ends in full flexed drama. This film is about such a drama.

Starting out at the point where a kid is picked out as being the one to pick on the events that happen happen in just the right pace. The film switches between fueling the fire and licking the wounds, and later between fueling the fire and planning the counter strike. It becomes impossible not to feel a certain level of sympathy for the guy, even though his actions are unforgivable. And that is why this film works well. Klass is a harsh message and I think it should be shown to all kids in high schools to show them the darkest sides of peer pressure and the effects of it on some people.

9 out of 10 difficult lessons