The blue angel

Is this film nihilistic or does it reinforce traditional notions of morality?

I think this film very much reinforce traditional notion of morality because it shows actual life situation, if one makes wrongful decisions they would have to face later repercussion and that what Rath faced in the movie.

For this week's reflection paper, like last week, pick a scene from the film and describe the action in the scene; interpret the meaning of this scene; and then explain why you chose it.

         The scene I choose from the movie is the scene where Rath walks into his classroom and finds the pictures of him and Lola drawn on the board. This is where Rath begin to lose all the respect he had as a professor, giving that at that time education was such a major thing to accomplish, let alone becoming a professor. Although he was very strict, he was well respected because of his education level. This scene signified how much respect he lost from being involved with lola. Normally when he walks into class his students stand up to welcome him and sit down when he tells them to. But on this day the students begin to make a mockery of him and he then lost total control of his class. I think this scene signifies how one can lose their position in life due to the choice they make. I chose this scene because I believe this is where he starts to lose control over his entire life. His students used to be so fearful of him, but here he lost control over them and wasn’t able to regain control after this scene.

Please also complete the following questions:
1. How would you compare Rath/Lola to Siddhartha/Kamala?

In comparison of Rath/Lola to Siddhartha/Kamala Lola and Kamala both symbolize a turning point in each of their lives where they realize their inner personal self struggles, but kamala helped Siddhartha to evolve in the sense where she helped him in the journey to find who he is while Lola led Rath down the road of his down fall.
2. Is Lola an emancipated woman or "totally impassive?"

I think Lola is totally impassive because she didn’t stand up for herself the entire movie. She seems to just do whatever it is to keep making money. Even when Rath proposed to her and she took it as a joke she still agreed to marry him. she really didn’t stand up for herself throughout the whole movie, in my opinion she is very impassive
3. What is the significance of the clown?

In reference to when Rath was dressed as a clown, I think it was to make a mockery of him, it really showed how far he fell from being a professor to having a job as a clown.
4. How is chaos thematically represented in the film?

Chaos is represented in the film starting from when he first meets Lola and become obsessed with her. Rath then loses his authoritative role as a professor which was the start of his down fall. He then marries her, realizing that he is unable to deal with her wayward way of living he becomes very aggressive.
5. How would you interpret the overall meaning of the film?

I feel as though the moral of the movie was to show how one is not able to control their desires it can lead them down a destructive road. Rath should have been able to control himself enough to understand that getting involved with Lola was only going to bring destruction to him. He is a professor and she is a dancer for a living. This film interprets how quick one can fall down the social ladder and how tough it is to regain their position due to making a wrong decision.
6. Why did I compare Rath to the Haussmann painting/montage? Would you suggest a better comparison?

I think the painting suits the film well because it references Rath over seriousness with his career.  He was obsessed with punctuality, so the clock on the head of the painting relates to how being on time is everything, it takes over the head of the painting which draws the viewers attention directly to it.

the cabinet of Dr caligari

1. What is the symbolism of Caligari's power over Cesare?


        The symbolism of caligari's power over cesare showed how the people of germany were being used and controlled. caligari controling and commanding cesare, having total control over what he does, almost like he usaes cesare as a robot progeamed to do what is asked of him, reflects germans during the 20th century. they were taken advantage of and controlled by capitalists.
 

2. How does the profit motive affect cultural production in the modern age?

             

       It affected it by producing only what those in charge wanted to publish, they had control over what they wanted the people to know, interfering with the way people began to perceive certain topics.

3. How would you evaluate the Frankfurt School's elitism regarding mass culture?

           I feel as though the school affected the people because it influence the people, with no one intrest at heart but their own.
 
4. Explain three aspects of the film that relate to the attributes of the culture industry?

5. Why does Kracauer interpret the film as a choice between tyranny and chaos?

               Based on how Germany was at the time, having to face tremendous responsibility after the war, Germany was a chaotic place and facing hard times.
 
6. Why was there increased pressure to develop the German film industry after the first world war?

      

         I think there was an increase pressure because people felt certain ways and wanted to get there point across, whether about the economy or about the war, or about after the war, film gave way to be able to express ones self.
 

7. How would you evaluate the claim that expressionism breeds excessive inwardness and withdrawal?

         I guess one can conclude that it is very healthy to want to express ones self and feelings but when one get too caught up in their own issues and isn't able to acknowledge other problems going on around him, then it becomes a problem.
 

8. How does the film foreshadow the Nazi regime according to Kracauer?

                 In the film caligari causes total chaos and disturb the peace of the people, with out any one having any idea bout his true motives, he come as one who is trying to help the people but instead causes more turmoil.
 

9. What is praxis and how does it relate to cultural criticism?

                Praxis has to do with the "thought "and the actual "doing" coming together. in my view praxis relates to cultural criticism in the sense that both solve problems.

reading on siddhartha

Wondrous indeed was my life, so he thought, wondrous detours it has taken. As I boy, I had only to do with gods and offerings. As a youth, I had only to do with asceticism, with thinking and meditation, was searching for Brahman, worshipped the eternal in the Atman. But as a young man, I followed the penitents, lived in the forest, suffered of heat and frost, learned to hunger, taught my body to become dead. Wonderfully, soon afterwards, insight came towards me in the form of the great Buddha's teachings, I felt the knowledge of the oneness of the world circling in me like my own blood. But I also had to leave Buddha and the great knowledge. I went and learned the art of love with Kamala, learned trading with Kamaswami, piled up money, wasted money, learned to love my stomach, learned to please my senses. I had to spend many years losing my spirit, to unlearn thinking again, to forget the oneness. Isn't it just as if I had turned slowly and on a long detour from a man into a child, from a thinker into a childlike person? And yet, this path has been very good; and yet, the bird in my chest has not died. But what a path has this been! I had to pass through so much stupidity, through so much vices, through so many errors, through so much disgust and disappointments and woe, just to become a child again and to be able to start over. But it was right so, my heart says "Yes" to it, my eyes smile to it. I've had to experience despair, I've had to sink down to the most foolish one of all thoughts, to the thought of suicide, in order to be able to experience divine grace, to hear Om again, to be able to sleep properly and awake properly again. I had to become a fool, to find Atman in me again. I had to sin, to be able to live again. Where else might my path lead me to? It is foolish, this path, it moves in loops, perhaps it is going around in a circle. Let it go as it likes, I want to to take it.

            i choose this passage from the reading because this passage sums up the  siddhartha's experience. for me this passage spells out everything he went through, and the purpose of everything he went through. i choose this passage because i felt it showed his point of realization. in this passage he realizes what he has been looking for all this while has been in him, he just had to find it.

 1. Why does Siddhartha leave his father?
Siddhartha leaves his father because he was in search of the meaning of life. he felt being with his father would reflect weakness so therefore he had to be a man and go search for the meaning of his existence on him own. ironically Siddhartha compares himself to a child after his journey he realizes after going through all his experience he is now like a child because he is starting life over, because he has found the reason for his being he can now restart his life with the new meaning of life he has learned form his experiences.
3. If Siddhartha never lived with Kamala and the people in the city would he have reached Enlightenment faster?
i don't think he would have reached his point of realization quicker if he hadn't in fact encounter all the people he did because everything he went through was part of his experience, he had to go through those experience to realize at the end the purpose of each.
4. What is the significance of the river?
the significance of the river was to set as a reflection to him, he still hadn't realize the purpose of his existence or the purpose of what he had gone through until he saw his reflection, and was able to read what he had gone through be looking at his reflection, the river was the mirror of life for him.