The films created in reunified Germany often had a gritty feeling to them and their storyline, this being shown through the movie Lola Rennt, or Run Lola Run in English, by Tom Tykwer. Tykwer’s film included repeating movement shots, short bursts of animation, and quick cuts between scenes, leading the film to have the same panicked and rushed feeling the two main characters of the film were going through. What Run Lola Run, and to the greater extent Tom Tykwer, was trying to share about Reunified Germany was the panicked, rushed, and unpredictable changes the German people were facing. When watching Run Lola Run there is a captivating flow to the story as you watch Lola and Manni try to find solutions to the problem of losing 100,000 Deutschmarks …show more content…
The early reunification process held many fears in German people of both East and West. Although it was wanted, change in any case is often something people have a feeling of fear or unease over, so when reunification began many German people felt much like the movie with the example of Eastern German people trying to figure out their way through a more commercialized world. It is also noted by Sabine Hake in the book, German National Cinema, also brings into focus the massive changes to economics, laws, and the living conditions that many Germans were used to by saying; “In 1998, after 16 years of CDU rule, the new SPD/Greens coalition government led by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder initiated ambitious social and economic reforms intended to make the country more competitive on global markets and less inflexible on labour and employment issues.” Looking into how the changes that came with the reform also affected the working lives of Germans is showcased in Run Lola Run along the way, where Manni and Lola both are trying to quickly find the money that was
The film illustrates the common social and sexual anxieties that the Germans were undergoing at that period of time. It also employs cinematic aesthetics alongside with new technology to create what would be considered as one of Germany’s first sound-supported films. Furthermore, it was the film that popularized its star Marlene Dietrich. The film is also known for combining elements of earlier expressionist works into its setting without becoming an expressionist film itself. It is important also to point out that the visual element has helped to balance the film easily against the backdrop the nightclub lifestyle that Lola leads the professor to fall into.
In 19th century Italian states united to make Italy while the Germanic states united and made Germany. For Italy there were three people who had a major role in unifying Italy. They were Mazzini, Garibaldi and Cavour. For Germany it was more like one person who united the German states to make Germany and that was Bismarck. On the other hand there was a strong Austrian empire that would not tolerate any nationalist feelings to rise anywhere in Europe.
In the Early years of film one can easily say that Germany lead the way in experimentation, with such striking examples as Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu and Dr. Mabuse the Gambler. How when looking at two of these film, Nosferatu and Dr Mabuse the Gambler one can find a similar theme that run throughout. This theme is that of Weimar’s insecurity about outsiders and otherness different cultures. While both films have different stories at their very simplest both films see someone come into the idyllic lives of the protagonist not only wrecking their lives but the lives of ordinary people as well. It’s worth noting that borth Nosferatu and Dr. Mabuse the Gambler were filmed in the turbulent early 20’s of the Weimar period where Germany was still dealing with the aftermath of the war and outside powers such as France encroaching on German territory and at the same time political unrest had reached its high. With all these changes going on it easy to see why Germany might have felt that outsider were at work trying to remold modern Germany. This is why in these turbulent early years befor the Weimar Golden age we see such strong use of the other/outsider as a stand in for events taken place in Germany
For the unit two we watched two movies that were made during the GDR period. One of them, Berlin- Corner Schonhauser, was filmed before the wall and the second movie, The Rabbit is Me, was filmed after the wall. Both films were accepted while they were made, but at the end, they were both banned. The general idea is, that as much as these two movies tried to follow the GDR’s rule during the freeze time, but still they were trying to show a realistic socialist society, and so that cause the movies to be banned. Life before the Berlin wall was a little different than the life after the wall and so that’s the reason that these two movies are different than each other, while Berlin- Corner Schonhauser is mostly showing young generation and their
Where Schlondorff, Wenders, Herzog, Fassbinder and Kluge once investigated the extremities of the German character and the Americana that infested West German culture through the New German Cinema of the late 60s, 70s and early 80s, the Germany of today has through its cinema acknowledged past hardships but with a more positive emphasis placed on the possibilities of forgiveness, redemption and hope for what can be made of tomorrow. Bibliography A Reversal of Fortunes? Women, work and change in East Germany. Rachel Alsop.
The Roles of Adenauer and Walter Ulbricht in the Development of Post War Germany Both Adenauer and Walter Ulbricht had very important roles in the development of post war Germany. Adenauer brought West Germany to an acceptable economic level quickly, as well integrating Germany into Europeby joining NATO. Adenauer also helped to make West Germany political stable. Erhard was important in the development of East Germany, however, not as important as Adenauer in the development of the whole of Germany.
Analysis of German Film "Run Lola Run" Run Lola Run, is a German film about a twenty-something woman (Lola) who has 20 minutes to find $100,000 or her love (Manni) will be killed. The search for the money is played through once with a fatal ending and one would think the movie was over, but then it is shown again as if it had happened ten seconds later and changed everything. It is then played out one last time. After the first and second sequences, there is a red hued, narrative bridge.
Frank Schulz, a 35-year-old Berlin postman, is a prime example of the effects. Six days a week, Schulz sets off to deliver 100 kilos of mail heaped into leather bags on his bright yellow Post Office bicycle in a Berlin neighborhood called Kopenik.... ... middle of paper ... ... Canning, Kathleen. “Responses to German Reunification.”
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 precipitated the Reunification of Germany in 1990. Negotiations and talks between East German’s Lothar de Maiziere and West German’s Helmut Kohl and the four occupying powers of United States, United Kingdom, France, and Soviet Union resulted in the Unification Treaty or the “Two plus Four Treaty” recognizing the sovereignty of the newly unified German state. The five states of German Democratic Republic or East Germany united with Federal Republic of Germany or West Germany and Berlin became a unified city on October 3, 1990 marking the die wende or Turning Point. “By early 1991, however, not much more than a year after the barricade surrounding the Brandenburg Gate was actually removed, most Germans, East and West, were asking themselves whether the Wall’s absence was, by itself sufficient to bring the nation together again” (McAdams 199).” Zealous attempts to restructure East Germany’s economy after reunification in 1990 led to massive debt and high taxation, sparking disillusionment and frustration among German citizens, which resulted in a divided and unequal economy.
New German Cinema Introduction The Second World War brought forth not only physical destruction to Germany, but also cultural destruction, particularly in its film industry. The film industry of West Germany, in particular, went under the inevitable control of the United States (US). American films became popular among the West German public, while prominent West German directors and actors chose to leave West Germany to pursue their careers in Hollywood, with many of them becoming highly successful. Yet, it did not take long for West Germany to become self-reliant in terms of reinvigorating its domestic film talents amidst the continued dominance of American films.
The division of Germany into West Germany and East Germany emerged as a stopgap solution for the woeful state of the nation following its defeat in the Second World War. With the United States (US) ultimately gaining full control over West Germany, East Germany increasingly became alienated towards it, as it went under the influence of the Soviet Union (USSR). West Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), rapidly grew into one of the most politically and economically influential nations in Europe representing the democratic interests of the US in the region, while East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR), went seemingly the other way. East Germans became increasingly disillusioned by the way their politicians have promoted communism in the GDR, characterized by oppressive measures and sheer inequality in living standards. The Stasi, the secret police unit of the GDR, closely monitored East Germans and purged those who are suspected or proven dissidents, while politicians of the nation enjoyed living standards that are way superior compared to the average East German. West Germans, on the other hand, enjoyed the benefits of political and economic reforms brought forth by the democratic influence of the US. Therefore, discontentment among East Germans increased the prospect of unification of the FRG and GDR – an issue that was never written off in consideration, only further complicated by political differences. Nevertheless, eventual unification of the FRG and GDR following the symbolic collapse of the Berlin Wall did not completely result to favorable circumstances, as problems that continued to alienate matters between the Western and Eastern sections of Germany remain unresolved (Brockman ...
The era of the Weimar Republic was a time of great uncertainty for the people of Germany despite the post-war peace, progressive attitudes, and economic successes with which it is associated. This insecurity is commonly represented in much of the era’s popular film, from the eerie darkness of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to the destructive chaos of Metropolis. Robert Siodmak’s People on Sunday, however, is different. Produced in the summer of 1929, People on Sunday was loved by German critics and audiences alike for its refreshing perspective on life in Berlin. Its light-hearted realism initially struck a note in hundreds of thousands of viewers, and it continues to captivate viewers nearly a century later – but why?
Under the democratic government, censorships were lifted and German people were free to express themselves. Cultural improvements were occurring throughout the country. There was greater production and use of literature, music, and theatre. Germany was beginning to get back on its feet after a harsh war; its relationships between the government and the people, and also with the allies were improving. Although Germany appeared to be recovering and getting prosperous again, there were many underlining problems which threatened its stability.
The expressionist movement in German art and cinema was very sensitive to the current state of the country after a huge worldwide conflict. Prior to the rise of the next Nazi Regime, German filmmakers incorporated many aspects to their films that had never been used together before this period of time. M is no exception to
The Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic was created in Germany in 1918 as a result of widespread socialist unrest. A liberal constitution was drawn up in 1919. There was extensive instability in Germany around this time. The Weimar government had trouble pleasing right and left wing parties because, at this time, Germany was very polarised politically. Hitler dissolved the republic in 1933.