German
1111 Page
German
Cinema
at McDaniel College German
Courses
A Study of 20th Century German Culture and History Through Film
Films, Topics and Readings
Readings are required, and should be completed by the day for which they are assigned.
German
1111 PageGerman
Cinema
at McDaniel College German
Courses
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| Tuesday, 8/27 | Introduction,
Historical Background, Setting the Stage
Is/Was there a "Germanwood"?: A Brief Overview of German Cinema |
| THE WEIMAR CINEMA: GERMAN EXPRESSIONIST FILM | |
| Wednesday,
8/28
Thursday, 8/29 |
German
Expressionist Film 1: The Beginnings of
Expressionist Film
Screening: "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" by Robert Wiene, Germany, 1919, 52 minutes. Sequence Analysis & Discussion of “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” READ:Kracauer, 3-11 & 61-76 & Eisner, 7-27 |
| Tuesday,
9/3
Wednesday, 9/4 Thursday, 9/5 |
German
Expressionist Film 1: Symphonies of Horror
Screening: "Nosferatu" by F. W. Murnau, Germany, 1922, 81 min. READ: Kracauer, 77-87 & Eisner, 95-106 Sequence Analysis & Discussion of “Nosferatu” |
| Tuesday,
9/10
Wednesday, 9/11
|
German
Expressionist Film 3: Utopia or Premonition:
manipulation
and totalitarian authority
Group presentation 1: Culture, Society and Politics in the Weimar Republic Screening: "Metropolis" by Fritz Lang, Germany, 1926, 90 min. READ: Kracauer, 149-150 & 162-164, Eisner, 223-236 Sequence Analysis & Discussion of “Metropolis” |
| Essay 1 is due on September 17: Choose one of the films The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, or Metropolis, and write an essay analyzing one aspect of this film. | |
| CINEMA AND THE THIRD REICH | |
| Tuesday,
9/17
Wednesday, 9/18 Thursday, 9/19 |
Film
as a Tool for Propaganda 1: Mass
Manipulation
Screening: "Triumph of the Will" by Leni Riefenstahl, Germany, 1935, 110 min. Sequence Analysis & Discussion of “Triumph of the Will” READ: Kracauer, 275-280 & 298-303, Eisner 335-337 |
| Tuesday,
9/24
Wednesday, 9/25
|
Film
as a Tool for Propaganda 2: Anti-Semitism
Group presentation 2: Anti-Semitism Screening: "Jud Suess" by Veit Harlan, Germany, 1940, 100 min. Sequence Analysis & Discussion of “Jud Suess” READ: Welch, 278-292 (Course Packet) |
| Essay 2 is due on October 1: Compare Triumph of the Will with Jud Suess, and discuss how the Nazis used film as a propaganda tool. | |
| TRÜMMERFILME (rubble films) | |
| Tuesday,
10/1
Wednesday, 10/2 Thursday, 10/3 |
Inheritance,
Zero Hour and New Beginning (1945-49)
Screening: "Murderers Are Among Us" by Wolfgang Staudte, Germany, 1946, 84 min. Sequence Analysis & Discussion of “Murderers Are Among Us” READ: Ott, 240-242 (Course Packet) |
| THE NEW GERMAN CINEMA: AN ETERNAL COPING WITH THE PAST | |
| Tuesday,
10/8
Wednesday, 10/9
|
Reconstruction,
Decline of Human Values and Economic Miracle
Group presentation 3: Occupation and Division: Germany 1945-1949 Screening: "The Marriage of Maria Braun" by Rainer W. Fassbinder, Germany, 1979, 120 min. Sequence Analysis & Discussion of “The Marriage of Maria Braun” READ: Kaes, 73-103 |
| Tuesday, 10/15 | Fall Break - No Class |
| Wednesday,
10/16
Thursday, 10/17 |
The
Fatherland, the Land of the Pale Mothers
Screening: "Germany, Pale Mother" by Helma Sanders-Brahms, Germany, 1979, 123 min. Sequence Analysis & Discussion of “Germany, Pale Mother” READ: Kaes, 137-160 |
| Tuesday,
10/22
Wednesday, 10/23
|
German
Towns During the Nazi Time: The Sonya Wegmuss Story
Group presentation 4: Resistance to Hitler Screening:"The Nasty Girl" by Michael Verhoeven, Germany 1989, 94 min. Sequence Analysis & Discussion of “The Nasty Girl” READ: Atkinson & Hobbs (Course Packet # 2) |
| Essay 3 is due on October 29: Show how two of the films Murderers Are Among Us, The Marriage of Maria Braun, Germany, Pale Mother, or The Nasty Girl try to deal with the recent German past. | |
| GERMAN FILM COMEDIES - "AN OXYMORON NO MORE" | |
| Tuesday,
10/29
Wednesday, 10/30
|
"Searching
for Stories in a Gray Germany": A Yuppie Marital Comedy, Gender
Roles and Sexuality
In-class screening: "Makin’ Up" by Katia von Garnier, Germany 1993, 55 min. Screening: "Men" by Doris Dörrie, Germany, 1985, 96 min. Sequence Analysis & Discussion of “Makin’ Up” and “Men” READ: Phillips, 173-182 Caprio, 374-387 (Course Packet) |
| Tuesday,
11/4
Wednesday, 11/5
|
Cheating
& Everyday Relationships: The Zeitgeist of the New
German Comedies?
In-class screening: "Talk of the Town" by rainer kaufmann, Germany 1995, 90 min. Screening: "Maybe … Maybe Not" by Sonke Wortmann, Germany, 1996, 93 minutes. Sequence Analysis & Discussion of “Maybe … Maybe Not” READ: Beck, Busack (Course Packet) |
| Essay 4 is due on November 11: Discuss the different gender relations depicted in the films Men, Makin' Up and Maybe ... Maybe Not. | |
| THE BERLIN WALL AS A MOVIE | |
| Tuesday,
11/11
Wednesday, 11/12
|
History
of the Berlin Wall as a Film
Group presentation 5: German History 1961-1989: The Making and Breaking of the Wall Screening: "The Promise" by Margarethe von Trotta, Germany, 1995, 115 min. Sequence Analysis & Discussion of “The Promise” READ: Adamek, Kinzer, Shulgasser & Walsh (Course Packet) |
| RECENT FILMS BY YOUNG GERMAN DIRECTORS | |
| Tuesday,
11/18
Wednesday, 11/19 Thursday, 11/20 |
Deaf
Culture in Germany
Screening: "Beyond Silence" by Caroline Link, Germany, 1997, 107 min. Sequence Analysis & Discussion of “Beyond Silence” READ: Chase, Movieweb & Stein (Course Packet) |
| Tuesday, 11/25 | Group presentations 6 & 7 |
| 11/26-12/1 | Thanksgiving Recess |
| Tuesday,
12/3
Wednesday, 12/4
|
A
German "Groundhog Day" or "What if ..."
In-class screening: "Run Lola Run" by Tom Tykwer, Germany, 1998, 81 min. READ: Adams, Goldberg, Howe, Wunder (Course Packet) Group presentations 8 & 9 Group presentations 10 Review, Evaluations and Reflection |