Berlin Calling

Berlin Calling Questions

What do drugs mean to Ickarus?

                Drugs allow him to enjoy the nightlife scene and become more in-tune with his music. They are a way to see the world in a different way which I guess can be a boon to his artistic development. I would also argue that he’s addicted to the high life and uses it as a means to couple with real situations.

Why, when, and how are his fans taking drugs, and which drugs do they take?

                His friends are taking drugs at the parties and at times during the day, so essentially, a lot of the time. The drugs they take are things such as MDMA, PMA, cocaine, and I think at one point meth was mentioned. So pretty much they are taking the party or feel good/stimulant drugs versus downers and hallucinogens.

While we can see that his drug habits gets him ill and into a psychosis, and while we witness his relapse and inability to work successfully, why does the subculture Ickarus is in focus on drugs?

                The subculture focuses on drugs because it allows them to experience life in a different way & to act as an aid to enjoying the nightlife to a whole new extent.

Compare the standards you know from your home society with the people you see depicted in this movie. Which are the stark differences and contrasts?

                Well, some significant differences are that most people I know don’t take drugs daily or at wild night parties, although most people use drinking as a similar medium to achieve an altered state. So really it’s a difference in choice of drug.  As well, most people I know don’t have ‘open’ sexual relations.

Germany is considered a strong industrial nation the world over. Do you think that the youth culture as depicted here could change that? How about work ethics of Ickarus and of Alice, the label director who fires and then re-signs him?

                No, I don’t think a half blitzed youth could ever have a chance of changing any national type events. Reason being I don’t think they care too much about any political schemes and are too focused on the party life.

                The work ethic of both Ickarus and Alice are fairly good I would say. It may sound odd, but for the work they do they seemed to be pretty determined. For example, Ickarus was heavily concerned with his music to the point of obsession and Alice appeared apt to developing a strong and successful music label.

Which similar "cult movies" of US origin have you seen, if any?

                I can’t really think of many American focused drug movies. I guess a couple that is based on drugs could be Scarface, Half-Baked, and Momma’s Boy. Scarface is focused on the drug selling empire and, of course, the organized crime world. Whereas Half-Baked and Momma’s Boy are just about stoners who encounter some random events and deal with them in a comedic manner.

General Reactions

                I thought the movie was very interesting. I actually can’t recall seeing another movie so focused on these harder drugs, but then again I really don’t watch many movies unless they’re a comedy. Certain things caught my eye such as the nudity. Really, not too many American production films see much nudity as I think our perspective might be more maligned with such a showing (unless its porno I guess). Also, just the plot of the movie itself is not something that I would expect to see in America. A movie focused on drugs, music and parties I feel is not a theme highly coveted or cared about by most Americans, as we typically like to see action with good vs. evil explicitly highlighted, instead of a more analytical view on a certain facet of culture (i.e. the German nightlife). A final aspect that I feel is not typically seen in American movies is that with homosexual relationships as seen between Mathilde and her girlfriend. All in all, these typically unseen things made the film feel real and more visceral instead of tailored to meet moralistic standards.

Nonetheless, I thought the film was really good. It was a neat perspective in to the drug induced madness that is the nightlife and the things that come along with that life style. It was interesting to see the decline of someone who takes hard drugs into a pit of chaos as well as the problems that are associated with the drug habits. I like how the film was less produced and more real in the sense that fewer things were deleted in terms of appropriateness (the sex, drugs, language, etc.). It allowed the audience to get an authentic view into the nightlife and see what it was about. The film I felt contained less context as it was harder to predict how certain events would turn out between relationships and human reactions. As a final word, good film I would recommend checking it out.