AMD 1 - Isaac - "Do the Wave!"

For my first AMD of the term I chose to watch the film "Die Welle," a German filmed based on a novel by American Author Todd Strasser, based on a real life experiment carried out by high school teacher Ron Jones in Palo Alto, California. In the original experiment the teacher attempted to teach his less than inspired class of 1967 about the rise of dictatorships by creating one is his class, specifically reminiscent of the then recent Nazi Party. The experiment lasted four days, before it had to be stopped because it was out of control. Day 1: exercises, and a strict regime of order and discipline, Day 2: a name, "the third Wave," salute and empowerment. Day 3: (from wikipedia) "the class expanded from initial 30 students to 43 attendees. All of the students showed drastic improvement in their academic skills and tremendous motivation. All of the students were issued a member card and each of them received a special assignment (like designing a Third Wave Banner, stopping non-members from entering the class, etc.). Jones instructed the students on how to initiate new members, and by the end of the day the movement had over 200 participants."

The film was made in 2008 and is set in a modern day German High School. quite true to real life the film follows this course of development, with student becoming increasingly fanatical at an alarming rate. Unlike the book, the film has a far more serious and controversial ending. I do not want to give it away because I recommend you all see it, it is a fascinating picture. It is availible on Netflix on demand streaming movies - watch it, you will be...obsessed.