The Blue Angel, 2012, german restoration

The Blue Angel, 2012 German restoration.

It’s the second in the Picturehouse Weimar season. And another what I would have considered a staple of film teaching. But I had a conversation with Joe. Joe is in his 20’s, working in the Picturehouse and studying film. Not unusual. Waterstones have a lot of lit grads. Studied cinema, but it made me think about how and what I was taught. I’m proud of my master’s, and it was a struggle. It was also over 20 years ago, and things changed, including the schools of thought.

Bought up my teacher for German expressionism. A man not too dissimilar to Professor Immanuel Rath. he was dynamic and confident, and once, I asked him for an extension on a set of essays for myself and the other students. He replied with a long story about how we ask for an extension, he ignores our plea, then we get an extension and hand it in late, and everyone is happy with a certain Avuncular quality. Remember the relief of the class, ironically, except for myself. I didn’t want the long grass and enjoyed my work to be criticised. And improved.

On the other side was his statement that he had never seen Star Wars. We, a bunch of 70s-born 20-somethings, were gobsmacked. How can a film lecturer, not Wars Star Wars? I shared this with Jo, and he wanted to know the answer.

“It’s spectacle; there is no theatre, no person, it’s the spectacle. Saw the trailer, and nothing is in it.”

I then went into the screen. Saw Star Wars. 

From the outset, It’s a much longer film than I shall. We watch a small moment that sets up the dynamic for this film and its duality throughout. A small bird dies, but it has not sung for ages. It was ageing. We are having. And dismissed in the furnace, a woman cleans a window with a poster of Lola in Lola and starts to imagine having that charisma and allure.

It is entirely different for me now. The film itself rather than the sad corruption of a dignified man who is repressed and seduced as I recalled it. It’s a far more farcical tale of a nervous John Cleese archetype chasing and chastising the almost Benny Hill antics of Heisman-child students. He is referred to as rubbish as a pun, which is indeed what he is. Once he enters the world of vaudeville, where Lola resides, she, on one level, disarms him, but that is her passion. The fact this is written in the songs not to trust a blonde woman and how she can’t help falling in love is, primarily, she is a woman entirely in tune with her nature and passion, and as a woman in this world, an instant challenge and intimidation for it. 

The set pieces and Marlene’s charisma are institutions, but the shows and sets hit differently on a big screen with a crowd. The audience was primarily women, and they laughed and loved the puns of these burlesque performers admonishing the men. The typical George and Mildred style for the manager and his wife beekeeping keeps us safe in the face and sitcom. The pinnacle bisa sailor with a pine pineapple Calcutta (Irishindiantimes is not the title for the font)

But the film makes our leads arrogant it breaks it down, also down to o a level of shock and bawdy dejection one cannot help but feel ascend. As t ascend matches his age, she maintains agelessness and sensuality. 

T clinging d see ended with the professor attaching photos of his wife. But to see him turned into a clown and have a breakdown is genuinely a frightening moment of hysteria. And the pride in the town to watch him fall from grace.

It’s Pretty Quiet chilling, and I will leave the last note with Joe as a paraphrased

“How can these films that challenge the status quo and be so liberal be made just by listening to the second world war? It fascinates me.”

My response. I response. That the publicise ignored and the other, it but they others are they could get before the money runs that and the force is with us, always