German Rubble Films of the Late 1940s German rubble films in the late 1940s do not appear to directly engage the larger picture of the atrocities that took place during WWII. Two 1940s rubble films were viewed and analyzed to determine how they dealt with Germany’s responsibilities for excessive human suffering in WWII. Murderers Among Us (MAU), 1946, directed by Wolfgang Staudte and Seven Journeys (SJ), 1947, directed by Helmut Käutner were both viewed, compared, and contrasted. Post-WWII Germany was a twice struck culture. In both World Wars, the German people suffered considerably for the actions of a few. I, in no way, want to diminish that; however, a degree of responsibility should be taken, at least to the degree of acknowledgement
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The cinematography aspects will include mise-en-scene, sound, and camera use (including cuts). Film plots will be reviewed and particular emphasis will be placed on references to the National Socialist party.
Similarities between MAU and SJ are found in plot, mise-en-scene, sound usage, and cuts. Both MAU and SJ focus on the humanity of Germans while specifically highlighting the recovery and general despair of the time. MAU emphasizes the recovery on both an individual and extensible scale by highlighting a few characters in the film. Mertens with his battle shocked past, Suzanne with her traumatic concentration camp experience, and Herr Mondschein as a survivor who stayed in the city insistently waiting the return of his son all emphasize recovery in different modes. SJ highlights the happenings of characters across seven stories or chapters (previous owners of the car). In each chapter, the buildup or direct consequence of the war are seen with the respective characters. In some chapters, it is about survival, in others, recovery. The focus on the humanity and recovery of the German people is present in both films. The use of actual post-war scenery as opposed to fabricated sets occurred in both films to expose
The cinematography aspects will include mise-en-scene, sound, and camera use (including cuts). Film plots will be reviewed and particular emphasis will be placed on references to the National Socialist party.
Similarities between MAU and SJ are found in plot, mise-en-scene, sound usage, and cuts. Both MAU and SJ focus on the humanity of Germans while specifically highlighting the recovery and general despair of the time. MAU emphasizes the recovery on both an individual and extensible scale by highlighting a few characters in the film. Mertens with his battle shocked past, Suzanne with her traumatic concentration camp experience, and Herr Mondschein as a survivor who stayed in the city insistently waiting the return of his son all emphasize recovery in different modes. SJ highlights the happenings of characters across seven stories or chapters (previous owners of the car). In each chapter, the buildup or direct consequence of the war are seen with the respective characters. In some chapters, it is about survival, in others, recovery. The focus on the humanity and recovery of the German people is present in both films. The use of actual post-war scenery as opposed to fabricated sets occurred in both films to expose