Minutes for GERM3106 – November 1, 2004

Overview:  Discussion focused on Post-Oberhausen films and filmmakers.  Clips from three films were seen: Sugarbaby, Brother of Sleep, and Bagdad Café.

Post Oberhasuen films:

·                    Generally recognized to be films made after 1982, after Fassbinder’s death when German funding system changes.

·                    Post Oberhausen film were generally more commercially oriented; artistic films that had to pay attention to ticket sales.

·                    The films made certain concessions for this reason

o       Higher production values – a “good look”

o       Clearer narratives, better stories

o       More likable characters, as opposed to NGCs often unlikable ones.

o       Comedy – films that end well and make you feel good (not necessarily closure, though)

Four Post Oberhausen directors:  Percy Adlon, Joseph Vilsmaier, Tom Tykwer, and Doris Dorrie

Clips:

1. Sugarbaby

·                    Directed by Percy Adlon, 1985

·                    About an overweight woman in her late 30s., a works in the funeral industry.

·                    Lives a mundane existence that is interrupted by her falling in love with the sound of a train conductor’s voice.

·                    She finagles her way into his life, gives him Sugarbaby candy bars, and seduces while his wife is out of town.

·                    Strong color palette, white-outs, odd angles; very influenced by NGC.

·                    Dark apartment contrasts with blinding light when she falls with train conductor

·                    Structure of the film underscores loneliness

·                    And the end:  Couple goes dancing, wife follows and attacks the overweight woman; main character returns back to the swimming pool, back to her routine.

·                    Movie plays off societal ideas of who belongs with who.

2. Brother of Sleep

·                    Directed by Joseph Vilsmaier, 1997

·                    Takes place around 1800, focuses on a bastard child musical genius, an organ who loves a betrothed woman.

·                    Woman’s brother falls in love with organ player

·                    Everyone is miserable.  In jealousy, brother burns down his village to kill his sister.

·                    Mourning lost love, the organ player kills himself by willing himself to stay awake.

·                    In the clip, the brother’s dad beat him

·                    Brother see organ player sunbathing nude and falls in love with him.  The organ player, meanwhile, is being tortured by his acute sense of hearing.  In a very artistic scene, the young musician metaphysically hears the birth of his love, Elizabeth.

·                    Film has a New Age sensibility.

3. Bagdad Café

·                    Percy Adlon, 1987.

·                    Filmed in English, takes place in Bagdad, USA.

·                    Movie is about the bonding of two culturally different women.

·                    In the clip, a German couple is arguing.  They crash their car and she leaves him, walking down a barren desert road.

·                    The Husband looks for wife in a rundown café, has a humorous conversation while ordering coffee.

·                    Clip is filmed in severe angles; everything looks like it’s about to slide off the screen.