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In this first German graffiti movie from 2006, the Grimme-Award winning German director, graffiti artist and music producer Florian Gaag addresses the rivalry between two German graffiti crews: KSB (Keep Steel Burning) and ATL (Above The Law). Competing for fame in their city, both crews try to exceed one another by creating styles that require more dangerous undertakings such as entering a yard in which trains still operate.
The movie portrays the graffiti scene in a very authentic and mostly realistic manner and I enjoyed the fact that it somewhat brought me eight years back to the days in Germany when I was involved with a graffiti writer myself. ‘Wholetrain’ reminded me of the times when we were waiting at the station looking for trains to pass to get a glimpse of what happened a night or even just a few hours before. The way Gaag handled camera works and how he captured the scenes so closely made it look even more lively and real.
Gaag was very strategic in allowing the audience to view the counter perspective of the graffiti scene. He addressed the realities of the world of ‘tag artists’ and the illegal, dangerous endeavors that are a part of their everyday lives. By doing so he made the movie even more realistic and enjoyable. Nevertheless a few scenes throughout the movie seem somewhat unrealistic. For example the scene in which Tino, a KSB crew member, wants to bomb a piece on an abutment with his son is strapped on his back in a carrier. This scene was rather superfluous and over the top. Also, for those who can distinguish the differences between trains it seems implausible to watch a German movie in which polish trains roll through a German city with the crew’s pieces on them. Yet Gaag was very persistent in bringing a sense of authenticity to this movie. Before the film began shooting the German Railway Company would not allow Gaag to use their trains and he was then forced to look outside of Germany. Finally the city of Warsaw, Poland allowed him to use their machinery for shooting ‘Wholetrain’.
Although I am still a huge graffiti fan I personally feel that I have outgrown the scene in which crews compete with each other for fame and recognition. Nowadays I like to look at the works of graffiti writers more as an expression of artistic skills rather than a youth movement in which writers battle for fame and rebel against the authorities. Throughout the past years I've experienced great development from the inspiration of graffiti and I am still inspired by the creativity and courage it takes writers to convert from street writers into recognizable artists.
I believe that young graffiti artists can relate to and identify themselves much easier with this movie as opposed to seeing a movie that only shows the thrilling side of the life as a graffiti writer. I recommend this exciting and gripping movie for everyone who is interested in the graffiti scene and who likes to explore the insights of this fascinating, fast moving and brisk culture.
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