“Colonia,” a historical romance film directed by Florian Gallenberger, fails to deliver the poignant insight and carefully-crafted drama necessary for the genre to be successful.
Centered on a German activist Daniel (Daniel Brühl) and flight attendant Lena (Emma Watson), “Colonia” seeks to entertain and enlighten audiences about the 1973 Chilean military coup and the “Colonia Dignidad” cult. However, the film neither provides a thoughtful, analytical view of the historical events nor successfully captivates and entertains audiences.
“Colonia” offers a look into Colonia Dignidad, a supposedly utopian religious commune founded by German Nazi fugitive Paul Schäfer (Michael Nyqvist) in Chile, when Daniel is captured by the cult and Lena joins in an attempt to save him.
The film’s single redeeming quality is the relationship between Daniel and Lena. Brühl and Watson possess unmistakable chemistry and portray a realistic and endearing romance. Gallenberger successfully captures the essence of a sweet, tender love — though it is quickly tarnished by the realities of the Chilean military coup. “Colonia” initially shows promise because of the couple’s moving relationship, but begins to disappoint once the characters enter Colonia Dignidad.
The history of Colonia Dignidad, both fascinating and disturbing, provides a potentially enthralling foundation for a film. “Colonia” presents the commune — also used by Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet as a torture and detention center — as a sinister and strictly controlled compound rifed with dark secrets.
However, the film’s depiction of the historically unethical and dangerous cult illustrates only the surface, and fails to provoke thought or entertain audiences.“Colonia’s” weak plotline bypasses a deeper analysis of Colonia Dignidad’s dark background and its historical implications.
While the film successfully portrays the cult as a psychologically traumatic and violent compound, it disregards significant details about Colonia Dignidad and its historical context. For instance, the German Embassy’s involvement with Colonia Dignidad is only briefly mentioned near the close of the film, despite being an important historical development.
Gallenberger ineffectively weaves the story of Colonia Dignidad with the romance of Daniel and Lena. He fails to utilize the disturbing nature of the cult to inspire social commentary as well as create a dynamic plot. Excluding the historical aspect, “Colonia’s” plot is unimaginative and dreary. While it sets the viewers up with context, the first half of the film moves slowly with little action.
The only real excitement following Daniel and Lena’s entrance into Colonia Dignidad comes when they attempt to leave the compound. Despite the heartwarming romance of Daniel and Lena, “Colonia” delivers a weak, surface level glimpse of Colonia Dignidad, which inadequately entertains viewers.
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