Der Bunker

I just finished Der Bunker and I'm still laughing about it a few hours later. It's F'd up and funny as hell. Great performances and direction all round. And definitely one I'll go back to.

Kudos.

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This film is about a man, known only as the student, who has sought out a quiet place to live while he works on a scientific theory. The place he finds is a home to a family of three that just so happens to be an isolated bunker. The family is odd but seem harmless enough that he chooses to move in. Not having all the rent, he is allowed to stay with the understanding that he can help out with chores and such to cover his outstanding debt.

The family is indeed odd being as it consists of the father, who considers himself an intellectual, the mother, who has a few issues and a son, who claims to be 8 but looks more like he is in his mid to late 20's. The son is the main focus in the family. He is homeschooled by his father but the mother is not satisfied with the boy's progress and she suggests that the student start tutoring the boy. There is an understanding that by doing this the student will have covered his debt. The parents have certain aspirations for their son and take his education quite seriously but we quickly learn that the boy is emotionally, mentally and socially underdeveloped. Without giving out spoilers, this is the movie's plot.

There is more going on than what meets the eye with this film and the longer you watch, the weirder and more perverse it gets. The film isn't bad but you need to have an interest in strange movies to enjoy it. There are plenty of moments where you can find yourself looking at the screen sideways, asking WTF with this one.

The pace of this film is a bit slow but I guess it should be in order to grasp the horror of the weird moments. I felt the actors were good portraying the individual oddities of their characters thus keeping the viewer interested in trying to figure them out.

This type of film isn't really my cup of tea but there is an audience out there that appreciates this branch of horror. I would suggest that if you are interested in blood, guts and violence, you'll be disappointed. However, if you are into situational horror it might be just what you are looking for.

Considering the high rating Der Bunker got on here I was expecting much more from this movie. It started all right, mysterious is the first thing that popped into my mind, but soon enough you realize this is just going to be another weird movie going nowhere. It's not that I don't like bizarre stories but I have to be in the right mindset for it and it has to be a bit interesting as well. Unfortunately I wasn't and interesting wouldn't be a good word to discribe this story. The camera work wasn't bad, the acting was okay, even though Oona von Maydell wasn't always convincing, like when she was crying for instance which looked very forced and fake. As for the comedy well I'm still waiting for it. I read another reviewer couldn't stop laughing and that hours after the movie finished. I'm still wondering what he was laughing with or at? It's anything but hilarious. You just have to adore weird movies to be entertained by this one. Even though I was intrigued in the beginning, that feeling quickly changed into boredom. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone.

THE BUNKER is a weird little German film for those who enjoy offbeat or obscure cinema like TAXIDERMIA or the films of Jan Svankmajer. It doesn't really have much of a plot or narrative arc, instead it's a slice of very-weird-life set in a rather bizarre family home. The protagonist is your usual young, upstanding teacher who takes on a home schooling job for a couple's son. Most of the time he's in the cellar, teaching the kid geography and the like, but after a time he gets drawn into the family's weird ways.

I'm not really sure how to describe THE BUNKER, other than to say it's not particularly enjoyable. Some parts reminded me of the films of Werner Herzog but lacking the artistry and the subtext. Pit Bukowski is weird as the grown up kid, but weird in a good way and I did warm to him a little as the story went on. He comes across as a mix of Kaspar Hauser and Peter Bark in BURIAL GROUND! The other characters aren't as memorable, but there's a smattering of sex and violence to keep viewers engaged. As I said, it didn't work out too well for me.

I like twisted movies. I always have. Germans are front runners when it's time to make something twisted without any logic or order, just for the sake of it. This movie is like some weird critique of parental education in our society (in a slightly disturbing way).

This is not twisted enough for my taste. There's too much room in between where nothing happens. Asian directors would manage to create tension out of thin air. That's what's missing here. Also, more violence.

At times, I thought that the director was trying to copy David Lynch. If he was, he earned a hard fail in my book. Lynch (or anyone else for that matter) shouldn't be copied. One should try to create his own style.

I'm glad I caught this little feature, because it still beats most mainstream movies by far. If I had a choice between Vin Diesel's stupid face or something like this, I'd choose this every time. Some may the film a little sick (I've seen sicker), but it's definitely not filled with hidden advertising and/or propaganda. It's an honest first feature. 5.5/10