Rainer Werner Fassbinder

the relations between film and nationhood.” As such, echoing the sentiments of both Germüden and Rentschler are the cinematic works of Rainer Werner Fassbinder whose philosophy arguably deviates what might define the period’s preoccupation with the representation and critique of American cinema culture, specifically that being the Hollywood American aesthetic or anti-American otherwise. This unconventionality can be recognized in Fassbinder’s repertoire of works, where he rather presents a “re-working of American popular culture that transcends these interpretations.” (Germüden, 55) Thomas Elsaesser (1996:9) in his book, Fassbinder’s Germany, writes of Fassbinder’s auteurist approach which directed him to often be “cited as an exponent of an anti-illusionist, modernist or Brechtian counter-cinema.” However, Elsaesser asserts that these contentions of Fassbinder “risked an abstraction: from the context of production, and from contexts of reception other than the 'productive misreadings '”. Elsaesser’s concerns are of particular relevance to Germüden’s writings. Germüden (56) quotes Fassbinder as stating that “it was his dream to create a ‘German Hollywood’ by making films that would be commercially viable while at the same time not uncritical of the society which they reflect.” Germüden goes on to claim that subsequently since Fassbinder embraced this ‘German Hollywood’ aspiration, he had been criticized on the impressions that classical Hollywood cinema, and the ensuing…

Depictions of sexuality is a key element that intersect in the format of both Ali, Fear Eats the Soul (1974) and Maedchen in Uniform (1931). While the films are released over 40 years apart, both these films depict sexuality and explore sexual taboos in Germany. Ali, Fear Eats the Soul, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, is a tale of interracial love and explores the impact of racism on human relationships. Leontine Sagan’s Maedchen in Uniform contains themes of lesbian relationships and…

Where Fassbinder calls attention to the insincerity via stasis and deliberate movement, giving the illusion of all behavior being scripted, François Bégaudeau takes a different approach in Entre les Murs. The theme is the lifeblood of Fassbinder’s film and every scene calls attention to it, Bégaudeau holds his punch until the very end. In the last scene in the classroom a student approaches M. Marin — after the rest of the class has stated what they allegedly learned that year — and informs him…

Trapped. Lost. Confined. Absent. What do these words mean? Who do they apply to? Are you adrift with no sense of direction, or maybe imprisoned with never ending boundaries? In the poem “The Panther” written by Rainer Maria Rilke, the helpless creature whose eyes were once full of purpose, finds itself quarantined by “a thousand bars; and behind the bars, no world” (Meyer 635). However, in the case of a young affluent teenage girl depicted in Susan Minot’s “Lust,” it is possible to be bounded…

In Frank Romero 's mural, "Going to the Olympics, 1984," it consists of five cars driving in a single file line towards the 1984 Olympics that was held in Los Angeles with hearts appearing above each vehicle, two gentlemen are wrestling in the sky next to a blimp that says "a good year" on it and a horse. The corner of the mural has a stamp on it and on the other side what looks to be an iron. The backdrop is saturated with Los Angeles trademark palm trees under the orange sky. The hearts…

“Anthem”, written by Ayn Rand, is a story about Equality 7-2521, and all of his trials in loveless world in which even the words mine and I are forbidden. This world’s technology level has dropped to the point where they use candles instead of light bulbs. Equality 7-2521 discovers a dark tunnel and uses things he has found in it to create a basic light bulb. He wants to show it to the World Council of Scholars, but they don’t accept it. Equality runs away into the forbidden forest with…

In the novel, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, Montag, the book-saver, tried to escape the world of the overwhelming technology. Social activities were replaced by inane TV shows where clowns tear their limbs apart, families are replaced by the “family” on the television, and where thoughts are stopped by deafening TV commercials. Bradbury’s vision of today seems to be precise seeing that people started to care less about each other, people stop thinking due to the overload of technological…

Although many underlying messages are prominent throughout this novel the main overlying theme is that blind acceptance of societal norms is a catalyst for the loss of oneself .This is expressed continuously by the action taken by characters throughout the novel. At the start of Fahrenheit 451 Montag seems perfectly happy accepting his occupation of destroying literature as a fireman. This false sense of happiness begins to come unraveled as Montag meets Clarisse. Clarisse helps to establish…

In the Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury tells us a story how the whole society has been disconnected from the reality and how books are being burned so no one can escape the prison. In this story, we see how Ray Bready a fireman is who doesn’t put out the but puts fire in houses to burn them. The reason they burn the houses is that it a crime to read books in this society. In this society, there is not allowed to read books because they think that if they read books it creates emotions and that can…

Wayne Dyer once said, “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about” In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, ignorance is a common theme. From the thoughtless decisions Guy Montag realizes he has been making when he meet Clarisse, to the harsh rules the town has to destroy any literature, and the effect of burning the books has on the town people. The ignorance shown in the novel is greatly shown on page 95, due to the encounter of Guy Montag with…