Spider’s Web

From the end of World War I through the early years of the Weimar Republic, the period is marked by national humiliation, political upheaval, and the violent emergence of right-wing organizations. The timeline covers the 1918 Revolution and the subsequent consolidation of extremist networks into the 1923 milieu. The atmosphere is one of rapid change, censorship, and a hunt for power.

The story unfolds across Germany during the collapse of the German Empire and the early Weimar Republic. It focuses on urban political life where extremist groups rise and influence political violence. The narrative hints at events like pogroms in Jewish communities and anti-democratic plots that destabilize the young democracy.

👑 Power

Lohse's ruthless climb within the right-wing underground showcases how ambition can corrupt justice and morality. The organization’s hierarchies reward calculation over conscience, driving him to betray allies and dispose of rivals. The film uses this ascent to critique how power reshapes identity and loyalties.

🗳️ Democracy Under Threat

The plot centers on schemes to undermine the new German democracy and to restore an older order. Lohse's espionage and the organization's plots show how political vitality can be choked by conspiratorial violence. The environment highlights a fragile, fraying state where elections and institutions become battlegrounds.

⚔️ Betrayal and Violence

The narrative threads center on personal betrayals and brutal acts, including pogroms and murders, all orchestrated for territorial and ideological gain. The pursuit of loyalty is cruelly transactional, with characters' fates tied to weaponized hatred. The ending foreshadows a new era of violent politics signaling the rise of extremist methods.