European Cinema Minutes                                                                                Jenn Jenkins

1-21-04          

            The class began with Dr Reimer passing out index cards with dates for everyone to choose their day to do the minutes.  Dr Reimer showed us the minutes from January 14, 2004 as an example.  He stated that the midterm will be taken from the minutes and the book.  He said, “if it’s in the minutes, it’s fair game.” 

The topic of the term paper was brought up.  He discussed how we should approach the paper.  Dr Reimer told the class that we should watch the two movies several times and then think about a possible thesis.  He stated that we should pay attention to how each director tells their story and to what audience they are telling the story.  Dr Reimer said that we are not to criticize one of the two films by making bald statements such as “I liked that film more” with no support to back the statement up.  He stated that we are to make the statement in the paper without blatantly saying it.  Dr Reimer said not to criticize the pitfalls of the films but rather focus on the purpose or meanings of the differences between the films.  He then went through the list of films and told which was the foreign film and which was the Hollywood version of the film and gave the directors.  Dr Reimer also suggested places to get the films from (library, rent, from himself, and from Vizart on 7^th and Pecan).  The question was asked about how to format quotes.  Dr Reimer stated to use whatever format our discipline uses whether APA or MLA format just be consistent.  He said just be sure to give credit to your sources.  “Too much attribution is better than not enough,” Reimer stated. 

For the next few classes we will be focusing on German Film from the Nazi period until the post war period which is divided into the New German Cinema and the Post German Cinema.  Early German cinema is from 1918-1933 this is known as the Golden Age of German Film.  At that time Germany was under the Weimar Republic.  The UFA was a film studio that decided to put their money behind producing artistically made films, today’s equivalent of art house films.  The UFA’s philosophy was to make engaging movies.  They made horror, historical epics, and science fiction films, among others.  These categories are usually considered outside the realm of art house films. 

A clip from Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1919) was shown.  The clip was of a monster (Caesare) wandering around at night and he ends up in a girl’s bedroom and kidnaps her.  This monster is sent by Dr Caligari to kill her, however, the monster must possess the beauty of the girl so he kidnaps her instead.  The viewer sees diagonal lines and very jagged edges.  This is the formalistic, expressionist view.  There are several scenes in the clip that have since become clichés in horror moviee.  1-The music-spooky, eerie typical monster-type of music.  2-the characters are dark figures with expressive faces.  3-Actions-the girl kicking and screaming as she is kidnapped from her bed is always portrayed in this type of scene.  4-The monster must possess beauty so he takes her instead of killing her.  5-The other people come to the rescue too late even though they are in the next room.  Expressionism, reflecting both the content of the film and the outside reality of Weimar Germany was widely seen in the set design. 

The next clip was from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis.  The first clip was from the 1980’s version of the film.  Originally this film was made in the 1927.  Moroeder restored the film in the early 1980’s and added a techno soundtrack.  The film appears to be old; however, the soundtrack is of 80’s type disco music, which adds a certain element of humor ( unintentional) to the movie.  The clip shown was a struggle between the mad scientist (monster) and Frederson’s (the richman’s ) son Freder.  The mad scientist gets Maria (whom Freder is in love with) and carries her up the top of the church roof he drops her and she hangs on to the roof.  Freder quickly climbs the ladder to save her.  He and the monster struggle and the monster falls to his death.  Freder gets the girl in the end.  Maria tells Freder that he must be the negotiator between his father (the rich) and the workers.  Freder’s father and the leader of the workers shake hands as romantic music plays. 

The next clip was from Metropolis also but from a BFI restored version made in 2002.  This movie had the original score.  The movie was basically the same as the 1980’s version however the music was more of a waltzy, romantic, classical style. 

Dr Reimer closed by telling the class that it is amazing how much music can effect what we see.  Watching the same clip from two versions of the film demonstrated this.