Prora (2012) is a multifaceted film that works on both a personal and historical level, weaving together themes of identity, repression, intimacy, and generational trauma. At its core, the film is a quiet, tense exploration of two teenage boys confronting their emerging desires and their shifting understanding of friendship. Yet, Prora goes deeper, utilizing its setting — the dilapidated Prora complex — as both a physical and symbolic space that amplifies the emotional turmoil the characters experience.
Setting and Historical Context
Prora, a massive complex on the Baltic Sea built during the Nazi era, serves as one of the film's most powerful and evocative elements. Originally designed to be a holiday resort for the "workers" of the Third Reich, it was never completed or used for its intended purpose. After World War II, it fell into disrepair and became a place of abandonment, desolation, and decay. By setting the film in this location, director Stéphane Riethauser taps into the historical significance of Prora as a symbol of a past regime that sought to impose its vision of order and perfection on a population.
The complex, a sprawling 4.5 km-long building, with its austere, brutalist architecture, becomes more than just a backdrop for the boys’ story. It reflects their internal struggles — their fear of the unknown, their desire to break free from societal constraints, and their emotional isolation. The grandiose, empty spaces in the building, filled with echoes and shadows, mirror the psychological and emotional voids the characters are facing. Just as Prora was once meant to be a space for the “workers” to escape from their harsh lives and enjoy a perfect, propaganda-driven version of leisure, the boys are in search of their own escape: from the expectations placed upon them by society, family, and even each other.
The ruinous condition of the building reflects the boys’ inability to connect with each other in a meaningful way. While they wander through the abandoned hallways and empty rooms, searching for something — a sense of adventure, freedom, or identity — they remain caught in the echo of their own solitude, unable to bridge the gap between their desires and their understanding of what they are supposed to be.
The Characters
The two protagonists, Jan and Mathieu, are deeply complex and represent contrasting emotional landscapes. Jan is outwardly confident, rebellious, and seemingly indifferent to the opinions of others, but his actions betray a deeper sense of vulnerability. He is struggling with his emerging sexual identity and the pressure to conform to traditional ideas of masculinity. His bravado is a defense mechanism, a way of hiding his fear and uncertainty about his own feelings. He does not have the emotional language to express what he is experiencing, which makes his interactions with Mathieu both complicated and fraught with tension.
Mathieu, in contrast, is more introspective and sensitive. He is comfortable in his own skin and seems to have a clearer sense of his identity, though he still grapples with the discomfort and confusion that often accompany adolescence. Mathieu’s approach to intimacy is softer, and while he may be more self-assured about his feelings for Jan, he is also vulnerable and open to rejection. His reticence and emotional intelligence set him apart from Jan, but it also makes him the more exposed of the two, emotionally speaking.
Their friendship is laden with unspoken emotions. The boys' bond is palpable, built on shared experiences, private jokes, and mutual respect. However, as the film progresses, this closeness begins to shift into something more complicated. There is a tension between them, a friction that is never fully addressed until the pivotal moment of intimacy. This is where Prora turns into a nuanced exploration of desire. The film eschews overt dramatization and instead focuses on the subtle nuances of body language and emotional hesitation.
The Moment of Intimacy
The turning point in the film occurs when the two boys share an intimate moment — a kiss that is tentative, vulnerable, and charged with emotions neither of them can fully process. The kiss is a significant moment of emotional and physical revelation, but it also acts as a point of rupture in their relationship. It exposes Jan's deepest fears: fear of his own desires, fear of being exposed as something other than the tough, rebellious persona he has cultivated, and fear of deviating from the societal expectations of heterosexual masculinity.
Jan’s reaction is violent and harsh. He recoils from the kiss, physically pushing Mathieu away and lashing out at him. This moment is loaded with psychological and emotional weight. Jan’s response is not simply about rejecting Mathieu but about rejecting the vulnerability that intimacy brings. His outburst reveals his internalized homophobia and his inability to reconcile his feelings with the version of himself that he has projected to the outside world.
Mathieu, in contrast, is hurt and confused by Jan’s rejection, but he is also silently accepting of the situation. His response to Jan’s violence is one of retreat and silence. This moment exemplifies the unspoken rift that grows between the boys: Jan cannot yet confront his own desires, and Mathieu is left in a state of emotional limbo, uncertain of where their relationship stands and unsure of how to navigate the feelings that have surfaced.
Themes of Repression and Identity
The film’s exploration of repression is not limited to the characters’ emotional experiences. It is deeply intertwined with the historical and cultural context of Prora as a site tied to a totalitarian regime that sought to impose strict ideologies on every aspect of life. Just as the boys struggle with the repression of their own desires and identities, the Prora complex itself is an emblem of a repressive regime that tried to control the lives of ordinary people. The Nazi-era ideology of creating a "perfect" Aryan society mirrors the rigid, idealized masculinity that both boys are trying to navigate in their own lives.
This dual repression — both personal and historical — shapes the boys' relationship and their emotional development. Jan’s struggle is particularly poignant, as he is caught between a desire for freedom and a fear of the consequences of deviating from the norm. Mathieu’s silence after the rejection suggests the emotional cost of trying to understand and accept another person in a world where such connections are often viewed with suspicion and fear.
Conclusion
Prora is a deeply introspective and meditative film that transcends its coming-of-age narrative to examine the complexities of human relationships, identity, and the trauma of historical legacies. It is not just a story about two boys exploring their feelings for one another; it is a reflection on the oppressive forces — both internal and external — that shape who we are, how we relate to others, and how we come to terms with our own vulnerabilities. The Prora complex, in its decay, acts as a metaphor for the emotional and psychological decay that results from societal repression, fear, and silence.
By the end of the film, the tension between Jan and Mathieu remains unresolved, but their experiences at Prora leave a lasting impact on both of them. The emotional journey they undergo is one of self-discovery, painful growth, and the recognition that the path to understanding oneself — and others — is often fraught with discomfort, rejection, and uncertainty. Yet, it is through these experiences that they begin to understand the complexities of intimacy, identity, and self-acceptance.