Dinamika Hubungan Antartokoh Utama dan Konflik Naratif dalam Film Das Lehrerzimmer (2023)

Abstract

Film represents conflict and power dynamics through character interaction. Das Lehrerzimmer (2023) presents a complex relationship among a teacher, a student, and the student's parent. Previous studies have approached the film mainly through racial, ethical, and institutional micro-power lenses, leaving the development of these three characters' relationships insufficiently examined. This study analyzes the relationships among Carla Nowak, Oskar Kuhn, and Friederike Kuhn, the factors influencing their dynamics, and their role in the development of conflict and plot. Using an interpretive close reading of eight key scenes in the original German version, the study combines Eder's concept of character constellation, used to identify forms of relationship, with Bowen's concept of triangulation, used to explain shifts between them. Data analysis follows Miles and Huberman's model. The findings show four forms of relationship: positive bond, conflict of values and power struggle, broken bond and physical violence, and tentative reconciliation. These shifts are influenced by Oskar's changing perception of Carla, his loyalty to his mother, Friederike's actions, and Carla's sustained commitment, alongside institutional pressure as a contextual factor. The relationships appear to translate institutional pressure into personal conflict, and the unresolved ending can be read as consistent with a triadic relationship that is never fully present in one space, alongside the director's possible aesthetic choice.