February 5, 2001

Minutes

¨ Class started with Dr. Reimer stating that we would have a class discussion on the film, Life Is Beautiful, which we had viewed in the previous class.  After that we would watch the   following clips from films, which are as follows:

1.      Triumph of the Will-Leni Riefenstahl, (Nazi Propaganda film), 1934-5.

2.      Opfer-director unknown, (Nazi Propaganda short), 1940.

3.      Heil No More-Three Stooges comedy, 1943.

4.      Love and Anarchy-Lena Wertmueller, (Italian film), 1973.

5.      Night of the Shooting Stars-Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, (Italian film), 1982.

6.      Europa, Europa-Agnieszka Holland, 1990.

¨  Dr. Reimer then pointed out that the minutes taken in previous classes by students are in the library on reserve or on his website:  www.uncc.edu/RCReimer under syllabus and class notes.  He pointed out that they are corrected, but not changed. 

¨  Other topics he discussed are as follows:

1.      The attendance sheet is going around.  Make sure you sign it.

2.      The German club is taking their annual trip to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC.  Everyone is welcome to come.  They leave on Friday and return on Sunday.  The cost is seventy-five dollars.  You must sign a release of liability form for the university.  This should be done as soon as possible so the paperwork can be processed.

3.      There are extra credit possibilities this week.  There are two films showing at the Manor on Providence.  The two movies are:  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Chinese fantasy), and Malena (Italian film based on WWII).  He pointed out that most of the Italian films that make it to America have to do with World War II and Benito Mussolini.   

¨  Dr. Reimer then told us to break up into groups of five so we could discuss the questions we did on Life Is Beautiful with our other classmates.  Then we are to report back to class.  He instructed us to:

1.      Face each other in the groups.

2.      Everyone must participate.

3.      Stay on the task-no discussions off the subject.

4.      Appoint someone to take notes and be the spokesperson.

5.      Small group time is a time to get in class participation, so take advantage of it.

¨  Then the groups had their discussions.  He instructed us to finish up so we can discuss it as a whole class.

¨  The first question we discussed had been how Benigni derives some of his humor by alluding to historical figures, situations, and events.  The first group spoke stating that the Ethiopian cake was saluted like the Nazis were, the two sons of the hat store owner were, Benito and Adolph (as in Mussolini and Hitler), and the math equation was referring to the extermination of the Jews rather then just school children.  The second group spoke up adding that Benigni’s humor lightened up the mood, particularly when they arrived at the death camp and he pretended it was a game for his son.  The third group added that the horse-Robin Hood was given the Nazi salute despite the fact that it had just been painted green with slurs against Jews painted on it.

¨  The second question we discussed pertained to Benigni’s use of slapstick, situations, irony, and language to make us laugh.  Irony was discussed first.  The first group spoke up by saying that Guido told Joshua that a tank was the prize in the game and Joshua got a ride on the tank when the war was over, also the math equation which symbolized the Jews’ deaths came up.  The second group added that Guido was a survivor through his use of humor, but he died and his wife and son survived.  The scene where he pretends to be the inspector at the school and talk about why he is perfect is ironic because he is a Jew.  The third group added when Guido was interpreting the German’s soldier incorrectly to benefit his son and in the beginning when the crowd is saluting Oreste and him when their car has no brakes.

¨  Dr. Reimer pointed out that because we are distanced from the film we tend to see these things as ironic.  The narration adds to this because it is told to us as if it is a fairytale.

¨  Other humor discussed was as follows:  Group one states that the physical movements are exaggerated as in slapstick, group two adds that the dog is put on the serving tray, the princess’s behind is blowing in the wind, and the eggs which fall on Rodolpho two times, and the third group adds that the red carpet is rolled out by Guido for the princess, the timing of the requests to the Virgin Mary, and Guido stating that women fall from the sky.

¨  The Linguistic humor discussed pertaining to the film was the brakes out in the car and in the poem, the riddles between the doctor and Guido, and the misinterpretation of the German soldier’s words.  Another thing discussed was the sign, “No Jews allowed” and when Guido said he would not allow spiders or Visigoths, which were Germanic tribes that attacked Italy.  These Visigoths could now be seen as the Nazis.  Dr. Reimer pointed out that the language of the film is revealing things to us.

¨  The third question discussed pertained to the film having two distinct halves.  Dr. Reimer stated that we are prepared for the second half of the film by the first.  He also pointed out that the color of red disappears from the film in the second half except for the princess’s dress and the emblem on Joshua’s pullover.  Red is even washed out from the Nazi Swastika.  Once red disappears then green does too, which symbolizes the absence of Italy and the presence of Germany.  Germany dominates in the concentration camp.  The class agreed that the film grew dark and somber in the second part and that the music changed.

¨  The next topic discussed in class was the film reviews we all looked up, which are as follows:

1.      “Grouch”- Hated another film by Benigni, but loved Life Is Beautiful, because it is

as hard-hitting as Schindler’s List.

2.      Orlando Weekly- A basic review of the plot synopsis on the first half of the film. 

3.      UK Film Review- He does not think the film was disrespectful due to its subject matter.

4.      The scene should have been removed where Guido and Joshua accidentally walked into the area where all the bones were.

5.      The film is compared to Saving Private Ryan.  We should have seen the look on Guido’s face in the end of the movie.

6.      The film treats the audience like Guido is treating his son.  They are both safeguarded.

7.      Michael Fox- Benigni overlooked the harsh reality of the war and did not flinch from the subject matter.

¨  Dr. Reimer then pointed out that the objections are coming from the fact that the Italians aren’t accepting any responsibility for what happened to their Jews.  Yes they were Jewish but they are also Italian as the Jews in Germany were also Germans.  The extermination of the Jews in Italy was due to Italian policies and not to the German occupation.  Also in the film Guido was not bothered by the horse’s graffiti but in time it hit him that he was a Jew and not only an Italian.  Guido is caught unaware due to this fact.   In a review in Time it states, “that this is an example of a movie that should not have been made”. 

¨  Dr. Reimer then shows us some clips from Life Is Beautiful and discusses the scenes, which are:

1.      Beginning with car where Guido’s hand is extended and misinterpreted as saluting.  It

is like a scene in Triumph of the Will.  World War II films keep recycling thru contemporary ones.

2.      This is the scene where Oreste and Guido are in bed and they discuss Schopenhauer.

The Nazis perverted the writings of Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Wagner. 

3.      The scene at the hat shop where Guido exchanges hats.  This is gag humor and was also used in the German film, Wings of Desire.  It was used a lot in silent films.  Guido asks the hat store owner what his political views are and he never answers him, but we hear him yell at his two sons, Benito and Adolph (as in Mussolini and Hitler).

4.      He pretends to be the inspector at the school and is asked to demonstrate why Italians are the superior race.  This is also in the film, Europa, Europa.  When Guido is talking about racial policies he lifts his arm up in defiance, which is the ultimate insult to Italy.  Then he jumps out the window saying he will see us in Venice and we are at the opera set in Venice, which is taken from The Student of Prague.  Offenbach is the composer of the opera, but the story was written by a German.

5.      They are by the stairs, which go into a sequence of gags such as:  the key, seven seconds to ice cream, and the dry hat.

6.      The clip with the principal discussing the math equation that is too hard for the kids.

¨  Dr. Reimer states that we will do the other clips mentioned at the beginning of class on Wednesday.  Then the bell rings.