Немецкое киНо. от десятилетия к десятилетию 10 DecaDes of ...

ПрограммаProgramThe end of the East-German cinema was marked by HeinerCarow’s «Die Legende von Paul und Paula». At the pointof the transition to capitalism, when the former socialistBerlin was still striving to preserve its crude but hand-madeindividuality this carnival film about the artificial and pitiablesocialist welfare and the real deadly love became a cult movie.Nowadays these districts of the former East – the famousPrenzlauerberg, the poor Berlin version of Montmartre, whereKoni rented an editing room, the remnants of proletariandistricts with their houses-yards-beehives, the favoritesubject of German cinema – became the most prestigiousand expensive part of Berlin. I had a chance to say good-byeto «DEFA» at its last ghostly anniversary in Potsdam, whenneither the studio, nor even the country existed any longer, butperhaps that was the reason why all those still living came.And Hildegard Knef, who had almost lost her voice, remindedeveryone of what German chanson used to be.Soviet audience was attracted only by Western produce, andwhat the audience liked was not the harmless escapades likeKurt Hoffmann’s «Wir Wunderkinder» or various adventures inSpessart or «Die Antwort kennt nur der Wind» – adaptationsof popular – and serious – novels like Simmel’s which arenow accessible to the Russian reader. But the breakthroughcame in Oberhausen, when young people, the future Germangeneration of the 60s, rebelled against «daddy’s cinema» andthe threats of commercialization of the «German miracle».I observed it in 1967 was I was allowed to go to Munich with«Ordinary Fascism».We had already seen «Der Junge Törless» by VolkerSchlöndorff and «Abschied von gestern» by Alexander Kluge.In Munich I saw what was yet in production - «Chronik derAnna Magdalena Bach» by Jean-Marie Straub, the mostradical of the Oberhausen group, «Mahlzeiten» by EdgarReitz, «Mord und Totschlag» by Schlöndorff, «Tätowierung»by Johannes Schaaf. It was an impressive introduction to thefamous 1968, which was already happening in the streets,youth clubs and even colleges of Munich. At the CentralCommittee, where we were «instructed», the present – notfuture – revolution was not even rumored. After that I was notallowed to go abroad for a rather long time and I welcomedSchlöndorff and Margarethe von Trotta in my Moscowapartment, I met the self-absorbed autodidactist WernerHerzog and Verhoeven. And I did not meet Fassbinder, whoSchlöndorff decided not to invite, when I finally paid a visit tohim and Margarethe in Munich.«Deutschland im Herbst» is something like a book of protestby all the directors at once, but it is a pity that our viewerwill not seen the classics of the «Oberhausen group» – «DieBlechtrommel» by Schlöndorff, «Jeder für sich und Gott gegenalle« by Herzog, «Alice in den Städten» by Wenders and abig Fassbinder, at least «Die Ehe der Maria Braun» or «LiliMarleen». On the other hand, you do not see them on TV inGerman every day either, even on designated days. In contrastto Hollywood, which screens its movies of all times non-stopon special channels.There is not much I can say about the present day of Germancinema, as I had to abandon cinema because of deafness.Though, I never was a film scholar par excellence.Now with growing globalization everyone is looking not somuch for a «national idea» as for ethnic self-identification.An ethnic explosion has enveloped a considerable part of thecultural field. And this is happening when we observe thespontaneous Americanization of the way of life. Or perhaps, tocounter it. The desire to preserve the peculiar and the differentdespite the global McDonald’s is understandable. Incidentally,anti-Americanism is very popular in Europe, especially inleft-wing Europe.But our globe becomes more and more open to view and byconsequence smaller and smaller.And finally I would suggest something extra, something fromthe «low genres» which has no place in German history: acouple of adaptations of Edgar Wallace, conceived and producedin the same fruitful 1960s by Preben for the above-mentionedmasses and the box-office and which are still aired on TV.These are detective stories played out by an excellent cast,marked by witty stunt directing and accompanied by music in aGothic or some other style. In a word, they are almost parodies,almost the fore-runners of Bond. The evidence of the vitality ofsomething which is not considered art…Maya TurovskayaDoctor of Art History14 15