The Junius Pamplet:

Thus proletarian policy is locked in a dilemma when trying to decide on which side it ought to intervene, which side represents progress and democracy in this war. In these circumstances, and from the perspective of international politics as a whole, victory or defeat, in political as well as economic terms, comes down to a hopeless choice between two kinds of beatings for the European working classes. Therefore, it is nothing but fatal madness when the French socialists imagine that the military defeat of Germany will strike a blow at the head of militarism and imperialism and thereby pave the way for peaceful democracy in the world. Imperialism and its servant, militarism, will calculate their profits from every victory and every defeat in this war – except in one case: if the international proletariat intervenes in a revolutionary way and puts an end to such calculations.

The passage explains the dilemma of the working class in it decision to choose between democracy and progress in the war. The writer is saying that in all situations, the working class will end up on the losing side and the rich will end up making the money. However, the solution to the impasse lies in the belief that if all the working class in the world got together and rose against the ruling class, then the tide will turn in its favor. I choose this passage because I feel it is relevant in today's capitalist society, where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The middle class as some scholars predict will disappear some day. The need of the hour is the unification of the working class, which today is the middle class to rise up to the challenge of the politics of rich . However, I feel that it is not a realistic scenario, but if that were to happen then the world would be a better place to live in.

Why does Luxemburg believe the wars of 1871 affect the wars in 1914?
Luxemburg believes that the war of 1870 paved the way for Europe to be split into two major factions which led to a arms race resulting in the present war.

How does Luxemburg judge the claims made about "Russian despotism" supported by the SPD

When the Reichstag issued a statement making their position clear on Russian Deportism during the war, Luxemburg was against it. She goes on to describe the spoils of war and the ramifications of it.  Luxemburg also tries to explain the propaganda that the Reichstag is trying to propagate in the mind of people to make their case. Her next words serve to elucidate her stand, “But in normal human beings this systematic murder is possible only when a state of intoxication has been previously created."

What is the relationship between nationalism and capitalism?Nationalims is the love for you country and the desire to fight for its freedom.  Capitalism is a society ruled by the profit motive. The wealthy hold disproportionate power within capitalism and use it to preserve their interests, especially the ability to make more money.

Why does Luxemburg believe that the war supports the business interests of steel and the banks?

Luxemburg believed that the war would support a capitalist society where the banking and steel industry would manipulate the market.

The Film "W"

The scene that I choose from the film is the one in which the police department heads are discussing how to catch the killer and simultaneously the band of criminals are also discussing how to catch the same killer. Although the meetings are taking place at different places, the film maker's decision to picturize them together makes the scene beautiful, as the topic of discussion is the same however, the approaches are different. The police department, being a law agency, wants to adopt the legal way. However, the criminals are ready to try any method to fulfill their motive. The viewer can also sense the desperation in the voices of the criminals who want this impasses over as soon as possible, because the police have done so much to make their lives miserable, by intefering in their daily lives and activities.

1. Discuss the evolution of police power as it is depicted in Dr. Caligari and M?

The evolution of police power between the two films Dr. Caligari and M is phenomenal. The police force depicted in Dr. Caligari is shown as having old methods of conducting their operations, where as the police force in M has begun to resort to new means of technology. I also noticed that in the film M, certain sections of society had begun to distrust the police, and therefore decided to take the law into their own hands.

2. Does the killer deserve to die?

Firstly, the killer deserved a fair trail. During the climax of the film the killer claims that he killed people out of a desire to suppress his fears and voices that were haunting him. I believe, a fair trail would have adjudicated him as a mentally unstable person and sentenced him to a mental asylum. Even if he was found guilty, he should not be killed, but rather sentenced to life imprisonment.

3. How does the criminals ability to organize themselves affect their ability to capture Beckert?

The criminals ability to spread people all over the city and especially from the beggars union was a smart move. They also showed great determination in breaking the law to capture Beckert.

4. How would you judge the depiction of Nazis as criminals?

The Nazis came to power around that same time period on a broad agenda that they could turn the fortunes of the nation around. In the film, the criminals achieved their means by breaking the law, so did the Nazis achieve it means by doing a lot of injustices.

5. What is the significance of the media in this film?

The media certainly keep the public informed. It also helped to make the authority more accountable for its actions.

The Blue Angel

The scene that I choose from the film is the one where the professor goes to the cabaret for the first time, with the intention of catching his students there and subsequently disciplining them. I think the viewer begins to see the real person inside the professor, who exudes an impression of being a hard task master. This event begins a series of transformations that the professor is due to undergo. In the end we see, the professor in complete contrast to the person that he initially was. So, his first visit to the cabaret is pivotal in the character’s transformation.

1. How would you compare Rath/Lola to Siddhartha/Kamala?

To begin with, there are similarities between Rath/Lola and Siddhartha/Kamala characters. Though set in different time periods, this is a case where the west meets the east. Seduction is a common language employed like by woman like Lola or Kamala, although I reckon the motivation of the women are different. In Lola’s case she is shown as a seductress who can play with the emotions of men to use to her advantage. Kamala on the other hand is not shown to be conniving; in fact she encourages Siddhartha to get a job and gets him to learn new things. Lola’s manipulation and subsequent humiliation of Rath leads him to absolute shame and we see in the end that he dies. Siddhartha manages to come out of the situation, and it can be said that he learnt from his mistake and decides to go back to his former life. Two different stories, similar plot, but different endings.

2. Is Lola an emancipated woman or “totally impassive?”

Lola is portrayed to be an impassive woman, who has no emotions to begin with. Even if she had, she never showed them in a genuine way.

3. What is the significance of the clown.

A clown in real life is a stupid person. The clown in the movie signifies the change in the professor as he goes from being an intellectual person to a puppet.

4.  How is chaos thematically represented in the film?

Chaos has many representations in the film. It must be noted that chaos

is mainly shown to present the changes in the professor’s life, as he goes from being a respected professor to a lowly puppet and finally ending his life.

5. How would interpret the overall meaning of the film.

The film brings a message that lust can be a very powerful emotion. The professor fell in love with Lola on the basic premise that she was a beautiful woman. He did not see her true nature, all he saw was her facial beauty. So the interpretation of the film is that lust or blind love in most times brings misery.

6. Why did I compare Rath to the Haussmann painting/montage. Would you suggest a better comparison.

Rath was the personification of perfection in his life as a professor. The Haussmann paintings portrayed a  revolt against the status quo. Rath transformation was a revolt in a subtle manner against the way of his present life. So in essence Rath’ s life and the painting are similar as it signifies change.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

From the movie “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”, I decided to pick the opening scene between the two gentlemen and the woman in a white gown. Like many films, the opening scene sets the pace and mood for the rest of the film. Being a silent film, the characters rely on facial expression and background music to gives us the effect of the scenes. The interaction between the two men, one being Francis the narrator and the other an older gentleman is particularly noteworthy. I believe that the voice of Francis is the voice of common man, which at that time in Germany was not given its due. The lady walking away from Francis, also shows how the common voice was largely ignored by the people in power. Now to cut to the ending scene, where Frances is shown as the lunatic, and Caligari as the hero, is very surprising, because all along Caligari was portrayed as the villain. I think the ending opening scene and ending scene are depicted in a very contrasting manner. The opening scene has Francis as a smart man, and in end he is shown in a very bad light. I felt the ending should have been straightforward, without the twist.

1. What is the symbolism of Caligari’s power over Cesare?

The symbolism of Caligari’s power over Cesare is comparative of a master over a servant or a slave. So, when the master commands the slave to do something, the slave just follows the orders, without questioning the intentions of the master.

2. How does the profit motive affect cultural production in the modern age?

I believe that the profit motive of the modern age, has adversely affected originality. We have people churning out films, products, and things just with the profit motive. However, I would like to also commend the Academy Awards, for recognizing films like the “The Artist”, which was also a silent film and did well to come across as a film about love and had a deeper message.

3. How would you evaluate the Frankfurt School’s elitism regarding mass culture?

My evaluation of the Frankfurt School’s elitism as the name suggests is one that caters to the needs of the elite in society, with no regard to the mass public.

4. Explain three aspects of the film that relate to the attributes of the culture industry.

a) First aspect is the film is how like a regular industry, it tends toward monopolies.

b) Mr. Pommel, the producer of the film liked the script, but like many people made the

film with the profit motivation.

c) The ending of the film is twisted with Francis as the villain and Caligari as the hero. This shows traditional authority as being restored and the killing of artistic brilliance in favor of division of labor, with a profit motivation.

5. Why does Kracauer interpret the film as a choice between tyranny and chaos?

The film was a depiction of the dilemma faced by the German people of the 1920’s and 1930’s. A time after the first world war, when mass changes were taking place in the German economy.

6. Why was there increased pressure to develop the German film industry after the first world war?

The German film industry was seen a profit making enterprise for the German economy and so it was heavily promoted.

7. How would you evaluate that expressionism breeds excessive inwardness and withdrawal.

Expressionism helps to do self evaluation and one begins to look inside oneself to see the strengths and weakness of oneself. So much like the detachment philosophy of Siddhartha, where the person has given up attachment to the exterior world and looks inward to see the faults and tries to improve oneself. 

8. How does the film foreshadow the Nazi regime according to Kracauer?

It depicts Caligari as the tyranny that Hitler was about to bring.

9. What is praxis and how does it relate to cultural criticism?

Praxis is the fusion of theory and practice. It helps to keep a check on reality at the same

Time keeps theory from being obsolete. It relates to cultural criticism by helping to keep practical events alive and theory to back up those explain those events.