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. 

Sturm und Drang

                Sturm und Drang was a movement in German literature and music in the late 1760s-1780s. It was focused on the individual by means of perspective, belief, and desire. Emotional extremes meditating on human desire were mainly examined during this through terms of free expression. This served as a reaction to the prior imposed rationalism imposed by the Enlightment with more pragmatic and moralistic agenda.

                A typical Sturm und Drang work is often powerful and builds into violent action by means of human motive (versus the idealistic moral).  Also associated with this time were works focused on anti-aristocratic perceptions and all real and painful subjects that earlier were less touched in the artistic fields. This stemmed from a rise in the 18^th century middle class and an increase in the power garnered to the aristocracy. This tension became a fuel for most of literacy and other artistic mediums and essentially the proved to be a catalyst to the movement.  In turn with this violence and dissent, music in this time was darker than previous. Most songs were written in a minor key with difficult or depressing themes of melody and dynamics. Some prominent musicians during this time were Haydn, Mozart, and Bach with their music focused on the professed darker themes.

                It was also during this time that theater became a significant place of artistic representation. Here we see opera really take on a new light with focus on increasing emotional expression. A notable ballet (that some might recognize) is that of Christoph Gluck’s Don Juan. The stage essentially became a place for writers to critique societal issues and take shots on current and unfair situations through colorful representation of emotion and the human condition. Popular writers of this time were Johann Anton Leisewitz, Heinrich Leopold Wagner, Goethe, Fredrich Schiller, Jakob Lenz, and Frierich Klinger. For all those who want to get a glimpse into specific works look into Prometheus or Die Leiden des jungen Werthers  both written by Goethe and which deal with dramatic themes of God and deadly love (ending in suicide). 

                                                                  References:
                                             ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturm_und_Drang

19^th Century Medical Advances Expansion:

Original Presenters: John De-Souza, Matt Kinzer, Patrick Biernat

     I chose this presentation on a couple grounds. First, it was presented very well and organized in a way that was easy to follow. The speakers did a good job of finding information that was interesting and covered it more deeply than the other groups. As well, the group was well prepared and did not sit and stare at the screen or drone on about matters that are ultimately boring and useless for our purposes (i.e. dates, minor details, etc.). Secondly, I picked this because it seemed like an interesting topic with many directions for research, there were many interesting people and devices invented. All in all, it appears that many significant and pertinent advances were made by the German people…

Thus, my expansion on the topic of 19^th century medical advances:

·         Gottlieb Burckhardt

o   A Swiss born psychiatrist whose is regarded as performing the first modern psychosurgical operation. Most of his studies/research were conducted in Germany.

o   Conducted his studies at the Universities of Basel, Gottingen and Berlin.

§  Doctorate was conferred at Basel

o   Continued studies at Basel and was granted position of Privatdozent (lecturer)

§  Lectured on nervous and mental disease

§  Studies revolved around the nervous system and treatment with electrotherapies.

o   Proposed many articles on the anatomy and functionality of the brain.

o   He became appointed the title of Medical Director in 1882

§  Performed various surgical procedures on psychiatric patients and published findings.

·         One of the first into the field of psychosurgery with an cortical operation on 6 patients.

o   He felt that disorders stemmed from ‘disordered brains’ thus he sought surgery to correct this.

o   All but 2 of the patients suffered adverse consequences but were notably more ‘quiet’

o   This stemmed from his view that it is better to do something than nothing. Essentially, he denounced ‘bad’ procedures.

·         This was a primitive precursor to lobotomy procedures and was Gottlieb’s last bit of research before his death.

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottlieb_Burckhardt

19^th Century Business & Industry Reprise:

Previous presenters: Jessica Hall, Scott Reid, Will Wacholz

            The presentation that caught my attention specifically was the 19^th century Industry. Aspects that pull me toward this assertion revolve around the fact that the group was thoroughly prepared. For instance, the presentation was well laid out, in a quantified and easy to follow manner. Secondly, the presenters knew what they were talking about, and what they were saying held meaning (instead of incoherent ramblings that purvey no information). As well, the presentation was more engaging and personable because the speakers were not staring at the computer/projection screen and reading the text word for word.

Nonetheless, for my expansion on a 19^th century theme…

·         The Krupp family:

o    A prominent German family notably famous for production in steel and armaments

o    Friedrich Krupp started steel foundry, Essen 1810.        

§  Invested in new technologies and became significant manufacturer of steel rollers and railway parts.

§  Invested in technologies necessary for the Bessemer process.

§  Acquired land/mines in Germany and France.

o    Company evolved and began to make steel cannons in 1840’s for various armies. This led to the company delving further into military technologies.

§  By 1880, weapons were 50% of the company’s output.

§  Around this time the company had expanded from 5 workers to 20,000.

o    The company kept leadership within the family name after death of founder and was replaced by Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach.

o    A few decades later, Adolf Hitler came to power and the Krupp works became the center for Germany military armament.

§  Responsible for Panzer tanks & many German U-boats.

o    After war, Krupp was put on trial for slave labor/ war criminal charges. However, he came to hold the company after release from prison.

o    The Krupp Corporation merged with Thyssen AG in 1999 and became Germany’s 5^th largest firm & leading steel producer for the world.

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krupp