To me, unlikeable characters can be great protagonists. Sometimes they help identify and purge the unlikeable parts inside of us. Like with the pretentious writer Leon (Thomas Schubert) in director Christian Petzold’s Afire (2023). A classic stick in the mud, Leon accompanies his friend Felix (Langston Uibel) to a holiday house in Felix’s family, out in the woods close to the Baltic Sea. The plan is for Leon to revise his second novel and for Felix to work on his photography profile. When they discover that they’ll be sharing the house with Nadja (Paula Beer, one of Petzold’s muses, star of Undine and Transit) who sells ice cream to tourists, this activates Leon’s fussiness. Particularly when Felix is more interested in going to the beach, fixing the roof of the house, than doing any work. Alongside the local lifeguard who Nadja is seeing, Devid (Enno Trebs), it’s a quartet of characters that keeps ending up a trio. For every spontaneous trip to the beach, Leon remains back at the house.
A recurring scene is Leon inside looking through a window at the others. There are a few moments where his frustration lands upon someone else, often his friend Felix, who is more and more keen to hang out with the strangers. Schuburt plays Leon beautifully, doughy and schlubby, but not too hard to take. And what’s apparent is that his superiority is on shaky ground; staying back to write, he distracts himself when alone, and what he’s working on is not up to scratch. He just can’t get out of his own way, even with Nadja taking an interest in his writing. And Paula Beer gives another great performance, charming and intriguing enough to make you believe her character could take an interest in Leon.
Of the films I’ve seen of German director Christian Petzold, they often have the impact of a great short story. Precisely laid out and landing with an emotional conclusion. Purportedly influenced by the films of Eric Rohmer, Afire is a hang-out film crafted with a tight sense of control. There’s also an apocalyptic element at hand, the reports of forest fires in the area that are continually dismissed as being nothing to worry about. As the sea breeze calls out to others, and ash comes to fall from the sky, it’s a coming of age story for Leon the adult, as everything begins to veer unexpectedly by the third act. And another great example of a drama elevated by the use of a Ryicuhi Sakamoto track in its closing moments. Available to stream on Kanopy. Recommended.
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