"The Blue Angel"

1.      Using the two films identify three major themes that you can find through both films:

In comparing both films one can observe the similarity of the themes that during the nihilism time is common in films. Both films present self destruction of an individual, infatuation with the forbidden world, and well as living a double life.

2.      Explain how the films develop these themes and what do they mean.

One of the themes that the films display is self destruction of an individual without any regards to the consequences of their own action. The films developed these themes by demonstrating how two professional individuals with very distinct careers; choose a path of complete opposite to their profession, by following their inner and dark instinct to fulfill their desires. These behaviors are developed while acting upon irrational impulses, driving the characters to a delusional state of mind and behaviors that are self destructive. This means that during this era professional individuals were not allowed to openly engage in these activities or gathering that involved the darker world.

Another theme is the infatuation with the forbidden world as well as the women in the stories. Even though these characters knew the consequences of self destruction, their obsession and drive for the darker world became more intense, causing them to lose their mental sanity. These particular themes are depicted when both male characters become infatuated with the women in the films, whether it was for love or diabolical thoughts. In the film “Dr. Caligari” the main character becomes obsesses with hurting the lady for inner satisfaction without any regards to authorities. While in “The Blue Angel” he has also become infatuated with the women but decides to make her his wife ignoring the consequences due to her choice of lifestyle.

The last theme presented in the films is the double life these characters were living. These two professional individuals were self determine to fulfill their curiosities while continuing to inquire about these underground worlds. So much were these inquiries that lead to the obsession, and self destruction that eventually took over their identities. In the “Dr.Caligari” film, this is revealed that, while the doctor was administrating the mental hospital he was also working in the town carnival in search for his new victims. In the film “The Blue Angel” the Professor while in search for his students, had become more intrigue with the cabaret lady leading to frequent visits that eventually lead to losing his job. What this means humans inner obsession has the power to overtake the rational thinking of anyone regardless of their social status.

3.      How do these themes relate to the theme of nihilism we have been discussing? Examples of themes could be ‘love’ or ‘madness’.

These themes are related to nihilism in a sense of madness. This is presented in their behaviors, their actions, while not caring about themselves, what society thinks, as well as losing their moral values. This is presented as they continue elaborate and feeding their inner desires of the dark world with inmoral behaviors and thoughts leading to self destruction.

quiz #1

1.      What is nihilism? Is it correct to say it is the belief in nothing?

Nihilism is the terminology used to describe an era of deception, of no moral value, where one loses the meaning of life, carelessness from society and its government. It is correct to say that Nihilism is the belief in nothing positive but from a political point of view. This term was born during a difficult time in the Russia and most European nations and was used as a terminology to describe the atrocities taking place during that time.

2. What are the differences between Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian values according to Nietzsche? Which values does he believe are better for living a full and healthy life and why?

3. Why is Dada art so pessimistic and bizarre? What groups in Germany society where Dada artists trying to discredit and undermine?

Dada art was a tool of expression of many who survived the wars in the European nations. This was the crude reality of what was taking place during this time and they wanted to show it to the rest of the world. They used this tool to create a movement by showing the rest of the world what they had encounter during the World War I. Thru their art they were able to capture the attention of many who were refusing to acknowledge the cruel reality of what men at war were capable of doing to mankind. Dada artist were targeting the elite of their society, the rich, the middle class, the government who decided turn their faces and failed to see the reality of the atrocities that was taking place during that time.

4. How many jobs does Dr. Caligari have in the film?

Dr. Caligari has a few jobs, he own and operated a concession at the local fair with the main attraction of a somnambulist. He is also a doctor the head of the mental institution (or Asylum) and specialized in somnambulism.

5. Why does Siddhartha leave his father?

Siddhartha felt that he had learned everything he needed from his father and he felt it was time to move on and begin a new journey.  That in order to reach a certain level of spiritual enlightmen he must move on in order to find himself, his soul, his calling to become a samana.

6. How does Cesare "die" in the film?

According to the film Cesare fell off an edge while he was trying to escape the authorities after trying to kidnap Jane, and later was found dead in the ravine. But at the end of the film he was at the mental institution with Francis and Jane.

7. Why is the river so important to Siddharta at the end of the novel?

The river is very important to Siddharta because it is the place where he ended his journey, his long time spiritual search and many years of questions, doubts, and deception came to an end there at the river. After he settled at the river and time took its course everything had become clear, and after his settlement at the river in where he found himself spiritually, the man who always had thirst for knowledge had found his answers to his questions right there in the river. The river was the destination where he became the holy one and reached the highest spiritual level any Samana can ever reach.

siddhartha

       1. Siddhartha began to speak and said: " What now, oh Govinda, might we be on the right path? Might we get closer to enlightenment? Might we get closer to salvation? Or do we perhaps live in a circle- we, who have thought we were escaping the cycle?"
        Quoth Govinda: " We have learned a lot, Siddhartha, there is still much to learn. We are not going around in circles, we are moving up, the circle is a spiral, we have already ascended many level."
         Siddhartha answered: "How old, would you think, is our oldest Samana, our venerable teacher?"
          Quoth Govinda: "Our oldest one might be about sixty years of age."
And Siddhartha: "He has lived for sixty years and has not reached the nirvana. He'll turn seventy and eighty, and you and me, we will grow just as old and will do our exercises, and will fast, and will meditate. But we will not reach the nirvana, he won't and we won't. Oh Govinda, I believe out of all the Samana out there, perhaps not a single one, not a single one, will reach the nirvana. we find comfort, we find numbness, we learn feats, to deceive others. But most important thing, the path of paths, we will not find."
          2. The way I interpret this passage is that once one reaches a certain level of personal or spiritual  fulfillment what is the next step? why do we keep being part of the cycle that does not allow one to move forward and allow it to drain one ideas, hopes and possibilities life may offer. Siddhartha felt he already surpassed all the levels a Samana had to endured in order to reach a spiritual level and realized that it was time to move on. As time went by he started to analyze and questioned what was going on, how much longer to reach nirvana? He concluded that one may never reach nirvana, the level of holiness, and that no one probably never will and it was time to move forward and venture out to other venues.
           3. I personally chose this passage because I too feel the same way about certain aspects of my life. after one reaches a certain level of knowledge and personal goals, one quickly start venturing out and question: what else life has to offer? and begin searching for new challenges leading to a new beginning and journey.

George Grosz was born on July 26, 1893 to a lower middle class family in Poland. After losing his father at a young age, it forced his mother to find work and with a little influence from a relative, young George found his interest in art. He shortly began weekly classes with a local painter named Grot who inspired him to continue his creativity and to transcribe them in his art. George escaped his brutal reality thru his paintings aiming towards modern adventures while focusing on assassinations man hunts, and executions taking place around him.

At a young age he volunteered to fight WW I and joined the German army but was later discharged and was labeled as an unfit person to serve in the war. Soon after the dismissed, his artistic ideas completely changed and now were more brutal and graphics, expressing his own experience not just in the battlefield but also in the society he was living.  These artistic expressions caused mayhem in his society and before WW II began he immigrated to the United States in search of new ideas. He landed in New York and became the art professor at the Art Student League and later lost his interest in political caricature expression and began aiming at the New York landscape of nature.  In 1959 George returned to Berlin in where he later died.

The first piece I will talk about is a water color base painting called the “Daum marries her pedantic automaton” made in 1920 with the figure of a man and a woman exposing her herself in a degrading way. The caricature of the man describes the man as a robot or mechanical creature implying how the military or Nazi men of that era were manipulated and brain wash to think and behave a certain way. The art also depicts a drawing of a woman half exposed with a fear expression on her face not knowing what was going to happen next. The woman is presented as an entertainment tool for these particular men. There is also a hand foundling the woman breast in a disgusting way without her knowledge insinuating that he was next in turn. On the background of the painting there is a picture of a real woman looking away as if she was ignoring the abuse that was taking place.

The second painting is oil on canvas painting called “A Winter’s Tale” made in 1917/1919 and is a collage of all the evil and negative incidents that were taking place in Germany while depicting how corrupted the country was. This drawing shows a man in the center of chaos with a worry free look on his face and waiting for his meal to be served. While in the background there is illustrations of abuse the German society were enduring during this particular time. This drawing screams out that only those who were in power were the only ones benefiting from the tragedies. While the country was sinking with debt, poverty, hunger, slavery, prostitution, and execution, only those with governmental power were safe. The three men in the center of the drawing represented how religion, the government and the rich were all part of the destruction of German society.

This last one is an oil on canvas 1921 painting called “Grey Day” and it shows a few men walking with their heads down appearing to be ill and very tired from the abuse that is set up on them. They are walking on the industrial side of the painting dealing with abuse, torture, and death waiting in the background, while another man very well dressed appearing in better health, shows to be aware of the situation but decided to continue his journey. These drawings show a very sad era in the German history and the beginning of world destruction.