Crazy (2000 film)

For other films of the same name, see Crazy (disambiguation).

File:Tom Schilling and Robert Stadlober in Crazy (2000).jpg

Tom Schilling and Robert Stadlober in Crazy (2000)

Crazy is a 2000 German film directed by Hans-Christian Schmid. It is based on the autobiographical book by Benjamin Lebert, published in 1999. The film is a drama about a 16-year-old boy named Benjamin who, after experiencing some academic problems, is switched to a boarding school in an attempt to improve his grades. When he reaches the new school, he has difficulty acclimating to his new environment along with some coming of age issues, when he falls in love with a dreamy school girl named Malen. The part of Benjamin was played by Robert Stadlober.

Technical Specs

Runtime: 97 Sound Mix:  Dolby Digital Colour:  Colour Aspect Ratio:  1.85 : 1

Plot

Benni (also known as Benjamin), a shy, troubled teenager is sent to a posh boarding school held in a castle, after unsuccessfully having a troublesome time academically. His family drops him off and seem to be quite used to the routine of him starting a new school. He is terrible in math which gives him much trouble academically.

Benni meets Janosch, his roommate who has posters all over his wall including a lewd female nude, who gives him attitude when Benni tries to introduce himself. Janosch is seen smuggling beer underneath his mattress and dismisses Benni's warm introduction. During his first class at the new school, Benni's French teacher tells him to sit down in a seat when he arrives, but he tells her he as trouble because his left arm and left leg are paralyzed. After class his French teacher asks Malen to show Benni around the school. Immediately Benni falls for Malen as she appears to be very refined and has her head on her shoulders, as she explains her extra curricular activities and interest in choir.

Later on Benni buys groceries and tries to sneak a pornographic magazine but gets caught at the cash as it falls out of his jacket. He buys it anyways despite trying to steal it. Benni eventually gets caught masturbating in his room in bed when Janosch wakes up. Pretending nothing happened, Benni shuts off his light and lays still after Janosch purposely coughs to let him Benni know he is awake. Janosch then sly-fully asks Benni if his penis is paralyzed too.

The next morning in the school showers Benni asks Janosch what he has against him despite his physical disadvantages and wants to be treated like everyone else at the school. Janosch assures Benni he will be and then the boys throw Benni in the shower as a prank. In tears and in distress Benni yells at Janosch in anger. Janosch explains to Benni the boys at school do this to everyone who is new at school as a ritual. After Benni's initial initiation, he associates with Janosch, the alpha male of his small group of friends which include Troy, and others who all seem to be the social misfits of the school. Janosch seems to be sexually experienced as he asks Benni if he's slept with a girl.

In a voiceover, Benni explains he has always been in love with a girl, but they have always thought he was too weird and instead he would watch his friends pick up the girl he was in love with. At night he sneaks in a hallway with just a lighter to rip off a photo on the wall of Malen. Later he then explains his infatuation with Malen to his sister when he visits his family home for the weekend. During his visit, his mother and father argue to the point in which Benni's sister throws a fit and leaves with Benni behind her. She tells him this is happening all the time and Benni isn't around to see what really goes on, since he has been a the new school.

When Benni returns to school, all 9th graders have to attend a special sexual education class from a guest lecturer. The group of boys decide to go to the sex educators office during her office hours to pull a prank. Janosch says he will be the one to do it, if he gets a bottle of tequila for being the one to do the prank. The boys agree. They all meet her and Janosch goes on to say he is questioning his sexuality from Troy's advances. Troy is upset and leaves.

By now Benni is used to the routine of boarding school. He is social, and is seen out in the water with Malen while he is seen struggling to swim up to her and pull himself onto the dock despite his physical limitations. Politely she asks Benni if he needs help. He declines. Benni confides in Malen telling him how he thinks there are only two people in the world, ones who get math and ones who do not. The two further engage in conversation when Janosch interrupts them.

The boys go out in the woods for more fun and games when they decide to have a game of whoever ejaculates (from masturbating to a poster of a nude woman hung up on the cabin) on a cookie wins and whomever misses has to eat it. Benni and his friend are shown drinking and spitting out water violently, as they have lost the contest. Knowing person who works there, Janosch convinces the boys to all go to the strip club. Attempting to get in, they get asked if they are from the boarding school and then are told to leave my 11. This is Benni's first experience with a nude woman in the flesh and sees her pubic hair as he describes it “shaved and shaped into an arrow”.

During math class Troy is rocking on the back of his chair and collapses to the ground and is taken to hospital. Benni goes to visit him and for the first time, he speaks, and informs Benni he is not gay after what Janosch said when visiting the sexual health educator. Troy tells him the strip club was fun for him. The following day the boys are reprimanded and punished by the principle for going to the strip club. Benni's mother drives up to see him. His mother tells Benni his father hasn't been home and is having an affair with a 22-year old trainee. Benni doesn't know how to react to the news, but hugs his mom. She also tells him that she wants him to get tutored by his math teacher and that his teacher likes him and wants him to succeed.

Benni visits his mother and sister and are out for dinner. Minutes later, Benni's sister tells their mother their father is there with his mistress. There is an upset. Benni is seen in the car having a breakdown.

During a game of Foosball, Janosch hints at the idea he wants to Malen to like his new shirt he is wearing after the boys tease him. In the same night, Benni confesses to Janosch that he too likes Malen. The two agree whoever she chooses is okay and their friendship is more important.

Benni goes to see his math tutor at his house, and struggles and wants to give up immediately. He asks his teacher if he can leave earlier since it is a Friday. His teacher then gives him an inspirational talk saying how he needs to know what is more important.

The boys go to a house party, where Benni tries to confess his liking to Malen, but Janosch again interrupts and later on are seen kissing which upsets Benni. Benni wakes up still at a party walks down steps and is given direction by Marie who was sitting up against a wall. She follows him into the bathroom to talk eventually the two have sex with each other, as this is Benni's first sexual experience with her instead of Malen.

It is the end of term Benni decides it is pointless to write his math exam so he fails it. Janosch gets by with a D-. Benni then is flunked out of the school. He celebrates with the rest of his classmates and friends for his final night of the school. Benni finds out Troy is not with the rest of them celebrating and he goes to knock on his door, there is loud music playing so Troy cannot hear him as he enters the room. This startles Troy and a lamp is knocked over and broken. When Benni tries to help Troy with moving furniture in his dorm, he exclaims the bed is wet and Troy gets embarrassed. The two talk and Troy confesses to Benni he hates himself for it. Benni convinces Troy to come downstairs and celebrate his last night at the school. Benni and Janosch are introduced to Malen's boyfriend who is visiting the school and tells them they are lucky to be attending such a school. Malen and Marie along with another girl come into the kitchen where the boys are and surprise Benni with a song, as Troy reunites with them. They all sing together, one by one, ending the film with Benni smiling.

Cast

• Robert Stadlober as Benjamin (Benni) – a partially disabled sixteen year old whose his left arm and left leg are paralyzed. He is terrible and math which leads to him to be flunked out of several schools. He falls for Malen but later loses his virginity to another girl he met at a party the following morning.

• Tom Schilling as Janosch – the rebellious, quick witted alpha male of the group. Benni describes him as a little abandoned dog, never knowing when he'll bite, with a certain sense of humour. He too is bad in math but passes with a D-.

• Oona-Devi Liebich as Malen – the archetype of the “Girl next door” in the film who shows Benni around the school and takes a liking for. Janosch describes her as luxurious, he too likes her. The two strike out as she picks another, older guy who they are introduced to near the end of the film.

• Can Taylanar as Troy – part of Benni's and Janosch's group of friends. He is known as silent and gets through life not speaking to anyone. Benni is the only one two is able to have him speak. Troy confesses to Benni he wets the bed at night which makes him feel self conscious and unable to grow up.

• Christoph Ortmann as Kugli – an overweight, and positive member of the clan. He is the only one who stands up to Janosch's alpha male attitude.

• Joseph Bolz as Dünner Felix – part of the group of friends who takes a seat back from Kugli, Janosch, and Benni. He has a band which gets them into a party near the end of the film.

• Julia Hummer as Marie – alternative punk girl friends with Malen who eventually sleeps with Benni.

• Willy Rachow as Florian – a bandmate with Dunner Felix.

• Dagmar Manzel as Benni's mother - she comes to his school when the boys get caught at the strip club. She is the one who tells Benni his father hasn't been home and is having an affair with a younger girl.

• Burghard Klaubner as Benni's father - argues with Benni's mother when he is visiting them for the weekend. He has an affair and wants to go live with a 22 year old trainee.

• Mira Bartuschek as Benni's sister - whom he confides in his feelings for Malen before he tells Janosch. She sees the dwellings of their parents, which Benni misses out on.

Concepts and Cinematography

Specific Film and Artistic Methods

The film relies more on dialogue than action sequences. It has a slow rhythm to capture a real, conversation than a film full of action sequences. The colours used in the film again, are very real and natural, avoiding overly saturated looks.

Key Scenes and Significance

During the opening sequence, a Point-of-view shot is used inside a car to feel like the viewer is along for the ride with Benni to the boarding school. Thorough out the opening credits, you see the camera capture the lights in a dark tunnel the same speed as a driving car on a city freeway. Combining these sequences with the Point-of-view shot, it is though the viewer of the film is seeing what Benni is going through when he is on his way to the new school to start a new chapter in his life. This sequence is key, since it also provides foreshadowing later in the film when Benni, his sister, and mother leave a restaurant after a fight his mother has after running into their father. This gives the audience the feeling of travel, a fresh start, and arriving to new destination with Benni's character so the audience feels the journey with him, creating and gaining more sympathy with the character.

Later in the film there is a voice-over scene where Benni is explaining (in a voice-over) his situation and lack of confidence with dating girls which further explains his trouble impressing Malen. There is a heavy symbolism in this scene since Benni is featured “in the dark” looking at photos of girls on the school wall, with a small light source.

Connections to Historical and Cultural Contexts

Although the film is German it still has transnational context, especially being made in the year 2000 since German film had had more success internationally then ever before. German modern art films provide 'authentic' images and narratives compared to overdone mediums for foreigns trying to grasp a sense of what German film is like. As author Randalle Halle explains , German modern film speaks for a national community for an educated, global middle class.

The film features english songs in the soundtrack which also allows more international gain and recognition broadening the audience spectrum.

External links

Crazy at IMDb