Nichol Pitts

European Cinema Minutes

09-02-04

            Dr. Reimer opened class announcing that he had our homework that we did on Zuckerbaby and Babycakes.  He commented a bit on the side of some of the homework simply saying “yes, I agree”, or “Good point” and “Have you thought about this?”  He said most showed good and varying insight into the films.  He stated he is looking for us to come to terms with film before we get to class.  He said he felt that work needed to be done before class or else you are just trying to get your thoughts together the day of the assignment rather than working ahead of time.

            He mentioned that he felt most have caught on @ looking at a film, instead of playing one off on another.  Dr. Reimer said he liked the German film Zuckerbaby whereas Babycakes was a “sell-out”, but it did everything it intended for T.V...  He said he felt that as a writer it was not necessary to take the easiest way, but try to stretch material.  The audience would probably appreciate this more if it were done more often.

            Babycakes takes a formula of girl meets boy, boy and girl get together, girl loses boy, gets him back and all is well.  Everyone is a good person except for the “shrew-ish” girlfriend, which we allow or a bastardly boyfriend.  Most people have to be nice in these sorts of films.  Dr. Reimer then made an announcement about other opportunities on campus to see other foreign films.  He mentioned that he does offer extra credit to those who do go to out of class activities.  Extra credit is summed up @ the end of the semester.  Each extra credit is worth (1) point each.  You are not allowed to exceed (3) points for the semester.

            He is asking for a (1) page summary on the film and explain what you got out of the film.  The first film is French on Friday, February 20^th @ 16:00 in our classroom.  Then on Wednesday @ 18:00 in Macy 107 a German film entitled “The Nasty Girl.

The agenda for the day was to watch 45minutes worth of French film and then to wind up German films.  He mentioned last class that 1945-1962 was considered a wasteland in German film because there weren’t films worth talking about.  This had an impact on future directors.

            In 1962 in the city of Oberhausen, a group of directors got together to form or proclaim Oberhausen Manifesto.  The German’s were always proclaiming manifestos since back at the turn of the century with art..  The French proclaimed their film movement in the late 1950’s whereas the German’s did it in the early 1960’s via French influence.  The German’s said “we aren’t going to make movies for Grandpa anymore.”  “Opa’s kino ist tot.” It didn’t mean that they were going to make young, hip movies.  It meant that they would make films about issues they cared deeply about.  The directors were very political.  They would make political movies.  These directors were seen as a “Lost Generation”, for they were the son’s and daughters of those who fought during the Nazi period.  They felt that films of the 60’s were, in essence, turning their backs on the past or actually lying about it.  These directors were going to portray society as it actually was.

            They were going to tell the truth even if the truth was uncomfortable.  It told the film establishment that they don’t need a lot of money in order to make good movies.  The ideas that we don’t need Hollywood Studio support.  What is needed is a statement that needs making. 

            To make a point that filmmakers are always reforming the cinema Dr. Reimer then jumped ahead and started discussing a movement that started about 10yrs ago and is already fading.  The Dogma 95 or Scandinavian movement that said there was too much glitz in movies.  Too much empty “Cotton Candy” movies.  Movies that you can’t even have a discussion about because they were empty or worthless.  Dogma 95 films proclaimed that movies don’t have to be worthless or expensive.  If you’re not talking about the movie you really aren’t going to the movies.  Then Dr. Reimer talked about Alexander Kluge who was considered the “Godfather” of New German Cinema.  He stated however that R. W. Fassbinder a German director became the spirit of New German Cinema, his impact was so great that when he died the movement fell apart.  The demise of the Oberhausen group could almost be traced to the death of Fassbinder.  In fact, Percy Adlon’s Zuckerbaby which we were discussing and made after Fassbinder’s death was an echo of that which was Oberhausen or New German Cinema.

            Werner Herzog, a German director who is still making films contributed to German films by filming themes that showed beauty in the unexpected, like a field of wheat, or the Andes Mountains.  Herzog would incorporate these themes into a story.  He also combined these stories with characters on the brink.  He pushed his characters to the moment of cracking.  Some made it, but most cracked up.  Herzog was a director of people in extreme situations.  An example of this was his remake of the 1920’s film Nosferatu. The point of extreme being how terrible it would be if you could never die.”, “you were only able to exist by killing others and drinking their blood.”

            The visuals at the beginning of the film reference the Holocaust.  He was a director who made a movie in 1979 using imagery that reflected the Holocaust through a 1920’s Dracula.  Herzog’s Vampyre was an ugly, loner rejected by society.  He was begging for love, but couldn’t find it.  This film and others showed the world that the German’s were doing something different.

            Wim Wender is perhaps the best known director today from this period.  He is still active in filmmaking, but most of films are now done in English, which widens distribution possibilities.  His film”Wings of Desire” had much impact.  It was given that unfortunate title rather than the German one, “Sky over Berlin” (Himmel über Berlin).  The film takes place before the fall of “the wall”.  He’s acknowledging Berlin as a whole in his film.  It is about angels who look after humanity, they are unable to intervene, but only chronicle what takes place.  They are the note-takers of the events in our lives.  They record our happiness and our suffering.  This film is shot in both black and white and in color.  The black and white refers to the angels and the color to the human perspective.  The American remake was entitled “City of Angels”.  Dr. Reimer stated that the two can’t be compared because Los Angeles never had a wall or a dark history, so the American film focuses on the love story and not history.  You have to then focus on the love story and try to see what the director’s interest was and ask why he made the changes that were made.

            Another director of New German Cinema is Volker Schlondorff who heads up a studio in Berlin.  His last big movie was about 25 yrs ago entitled “The Tin Drum”.  It won and Academy Award for best foreign film that year.  Then Dr. Reimer read some names he had written on the chalk board.  First, Joseph Vilsmaier a Bavarian director who has widened his audience beyond Bavaria because of the language barrier.  Even though, Germany is one country it is made up of many regions or states all of which speak with a different dialect.  His big movies were The Harmonists and Stalingrad.  Both of these films made it to the USA.

            Secondly, Tom Tykwer, who made “Run Lola Run” Tykwer’s believed that it was not necessary to reference the past in film.  Why not make a film for united Germany.  “Run Lola Run” is a hip film with a techno music soundtrack.  This film targets those in their early 20’s, who are anti-authoritarian.  Thirdly, Caroline Link who made “Nowhere in Africa” with this film we are taken back to referencing the Holocaust.  She is the first director who can tell stories clearly in the fashion of Hollywood..  She is good at her craft.  Then Doris Dörrie a prolific director who made “Enlightenment Guaranteed”.  She loves to focus on 30 somethings and their relationships.  When watching her films you feel as if you are watching people she knows or has observed, her friends perhaps.

            The first film we a saw was “Ali: Fear eats the Soul” This is the most accessible of all of Fassbinder’s films.  He gives us characters we actually like.  He gives the idea of distance, keep people out.  If we get involved emotionally we won’t get the point.  He feels there is no such thing as love, only using each other in a relationship.  Fassbinder pushes us out with his anti-Cinema.  In his film the characters don’t move much and give the impression of being choreographed.

We have Ali and older German woman who falls in love with a younger Moroccan man.  This movie was based on 1973 biases of society.  Trying to come to terms with foreigners especially foreign workers.  It has an unsatisfactory ending much like that of Zuckerbaby.

            The second film was Stalingrad with this film the German’s said they were going to beat Hollywood at their own game, but still remain German.  We too can make films with high production values.  This clip had two different movies trailers 1) with action and violence 2) with the same action and violence but this time set to soft music.  This was a good marketing device by the studio.

            The last film was Run Lola Run this film is a punk film for 20yr olds.  She and her boyfriend are in desperate need of money.  It is a set of 20 minute runs.  It is as if Lola has the power to start life over again.  The movie depicts life like a football (soccer game USA).  You start, you play, and then you play again.  If you don’t like the outcome, try again for a different one.  Dr. Reimer said this was Tykwer playing with the subject, much different than Polish director Kieslowskin an influence on Tykwer. 

            Dr. Reimer ended class with on Monday “we will be viewing French film from the 20’s and 30’s and French New Wave.”