A Berlin Romance (German: Eine Berliner Romanze) is a 1956 East Germanneo-realist[1] romantic drama film about youth urban life in the divided city of Berlin,[2] directed by Gerhard Klein.[3] It was produced by the DEFA film company.[4] It stars Annekathrin Bürger, Ulrich Thein and Uwe-Jens Pape.[5] The script was written by Wolfgang Kohlhaase with a score composed by Günter Klück.[6] The film was the second collaboration between Klein and Kohlhaase; the first was Alarm in the Circus (Alarm im Zirkus), released in 1954 and third came in 1957 with Berlin - Ecke Schönhauser.[7] These films were noted for their strong criticism of consumer culture in Berlin after World War II and the Americanization of the capital and are amongst DEFA's best known films.[8][9]
The film is a love story about a seventeen-year-old East German saleswoman named Uschi (Bürger) and an unemployed auto mechanic named Hans (Thein) from West Berlin. She leaves her familial home and moves into West Berlin, drawn by the brightness of the high streets and the economic progress in the West German side of the city. She initially dates Lord (Uwe-Jens Pape), a wealthy, leather-jacket-wearing ladies man, highly conscious of his own self-image and style. He is strongly influenced by American movie heartthrobs of the times.
Meanwhile, she meets Hans, an auto mechanic who, also image-conscious and aspiring to be trendy, is living in relative poverty and is considered less physically attractive than Lord. Although initially mesmerized by the glamour of West Berlin and Lord, she falls in love with Hans, deciding that looks and image are not important. She eventually returns home to her parents along with Hans, who finds a job in the Eastern side of the city.
Cinematographer Wolf Göthe was conscious of making the film as convincing as possible, and in shooting the film he used techniques such as wide-angle lenses, extensive location work and high-speed film to create a sense of realism.[10]
Themesedit
The film, inspired by Italian neo-realism, is a poignant insight into the difference in socio-economic customs and general domestic life which divided the city of Berlin during this period.[11] Through the protagonist, Uschi, the audience is able to understand the feelings and emotions felt by many at the time.
The film is a strong critique of the consumerist and image obsessions of the Berlin youth, influenced by American culture in the aftermath of World War II. Pictured are Uschi and Lord, with hairstyles and clothing evoking the Golden Age of Hollywood
The film is one of the strongest critiques of consumer culture in Germany in the 1950s in the aftermath of World War II.[8]Alexander Stephan, in his book, Americanization and Anti-Americanism. The German Encounter with American Culture After 1945, argues that connection between bourgeois and individualism and the ethos of socialism became increasingly politicized after the Second World War. He claims consumerist fantasies between the west and the eastern sectors of Berlin increased as the city being masculinized as a direct result of the American influence in the capital and the legacy of Hollywood film rebels, such as James Dean.[12] He argues that the film, rather that being an advert for West Berlin, is in fact a critique of Americanization in the western side of the capital, and that American masculine influences weakened traditional senses of authority in both public and domestic life, and says, "In typical neo-realist fashion, Klein and Kohlhaase evoke the Americanization of East Berlin through their relationship to modern mass culture."[12] The film, in this context, can therefore be seen as the struggle of young, working-class West German men in the city in a changing society with new pressures and influences brought about by the Americanization of the capital.[13] Uschi's stern parents represent the traditional values which conflicted with the emerging youth culture in the city. One of the most important pieces of consumer iconography in the film is the Kofferradio, a transistor radio, which Lord wears around his neck and which Uschi professes to love. It is a metaphor for the economic discrepancy which existed at the time between East and West Berlin and how the East lagged behind the West.[8]
Receptionedit
The film received a mixed reception upon release in May 1956. Due to the tendencies of the film to seemingly view West Germany from an ideological viewpoint, the film was criticized by the Ministry of Film in East Germany and was said to directly provide a negative instruction to young people in the east to move to the west where life is depicted as superior.[11] Despite this, Klein and Kohlhaase collaborated again the following year with another realist film Schönhauser Corner (1957), which was a greater success at the box-office than A Berlin Romance.[1] These two films are regarded as the most accurate insights into the East Berlin youth scene in the aftermath of World War II and were a considerable success amongst the public.[11][13] The films have been described as "offering a more open engagement with American youth culture" and playing a "pivotal role in the rituals of protest shared by urban youth in East and West Berlin".[7] The film was praised by newspapers such as BZ am Abend, Junge Welt and Berliner Zeitung for its accurate representation of urban culture in contemporary life in Berlin in the mid-fifties, that it showed people as they really were.[10] However, some East German papers criticized the film for not providing an effective counter response to Uschi's notions that the East is bland and boring in comparison to the glamour of the west.[14] Horst Knietzsch of Neus Deustchland believed that the "vital matters of the divided city" could have been dealt with much more effectively by Klein and Kohlhaase and by being more assertive in their depictions of the positive and negative aspects of the city at the time.[10] He did offer some praise of Bürger's portrayal of Uschi, remarking that "She has a sweet, attractive face and a sexy figure (accentuated by tight dresses), but as an amateur she is only convincing as long as she plays herself."[10]
Referencesedit
^ abBock, Hans-Michael; Bergfelder, Tim (30 December 2009). The concise Cinegraph: encyclopaedia of German cinema. Berghahn Books. p. 255. ISBN978-1-57181-655-9. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
^McCormick, Richard W.; Guenther-Pal, Alison (20 April 2004). German essays on film. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 242. ISBN978-0-8264-1507-3. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
^Film history. Taylor & Francis. 2006. p. 70. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
^Vogt, Guntram; Sanke, Philipp (2001). Die Stadt im Film: deutsche Spielfilme 1900-2000. Schüren. p. 462. ISBN978-3-89472-331-6. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
^Poss, Ingrid (2006). Spur der Filme: Zeitzeugen über die DEFA. Ch. Links Verlag. p. 110. ISBN978-3-86153-401-3. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
^Schulz, Günter; Hackbarth, Doris (1989). DEFA-Spielfilme: Filmografie. Staatliches Filmarchiv der DDR. p. 111. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
^ abHake, Sabine (2002). German national cinema. Routledge. p. 101. ISBN978-0-415-08901-2. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
^ abcUrang, John Griffith (30 November 2010). Legal tender: love and legitimacy in the East German cultural imagination. Cornell University Press. p. 49. ISBN978-0-8014-7653-2. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
^Allan, Seán; Sandford, John (1999). DEFA: East German cinema, 1946-1992. Berghahn Books. p. 9. ISBN978-1-57181-753-2. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
^ abcdAllan, Seán; Sandford, John (1999). DEFA: East German cinema, 1946-1992. Berghahn Books. pp. 103–5. ISBN978-1-57181-753-2. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
^ abc"A Berlin Romance (Eine Berliner Romanze)". DEFA Film Library at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
^ abStephan, Alexander (2005). Americanization and anti-Americanism: the German encounter with American culture after 1945. Berghahn Books. pp. 159–60. ISBN978-1-57181-673-3. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
^ abStephen Brockmann (1 November 2010). A Critical History of German Film. Camden House. pp. 223–. ISBN978-1-57113-468-4. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
^Poiger, Uta G. (2000). Jazz, rock, and rebels: cold war politics and American culture in a divided Germany. University of California Press. p. 93. ISBN978-0-520-21139-1. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
berlin, romance, german, eine, berliner, romanze, 1956, east, german, realist, romantic, drama, film, about, youth, urban, life, divided, city, berlin, directed, gerhard, klein, produced, defa, film, company, stars, annekathrin, bürger, ulrich, thein, jens, pa. A Berlin Romance German Eine Berliner Romanze is a 1956 East German neo realist 1 romantic drama film about youth urban life in the divided city of Berlin 2 directed by Gerhard Klein 3 It was produced by the DEFA film company 4 It stars Annekathrin Burger Ulrich Thein and Uwe Jens Pape 5 The script was written by Wolfgang Kohlhaase with a score composed by Gunter Kluck 6 The film was the second collaboration between Klein and Kohlhaase the first was Alarm in the Circus Alarm im Zirkus released in 1954 and third came in 1957 with Berlin Ecke Schonhauser 7 These films were noted for their strong criticism of consumer culture in Berlin after World War II and the Americanization of the capital and are amongst DEFA s best known films 8 9 A Berlin RomanceDirected byGerhard KleinWritten byWolfgang KohlhaaseCinematographyWolf GotheEdited byUrsula KahlbaumMusic byGunter KluckProductioncompanyDEFARelease dateMay 1956Running time81 minutesCountryEast GermanyLanguageGerman Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3 1 Themes 4 Reception 5 References 6 External linksPlot editThe film is a love story about a seventeen year old East German saleswoman named Uschi Burger and an unemployed auto mechanic named Hans Thein from West Berlin She leaves her familial home and moves into West Berlin drawn by the brightness of the high streets and the economic progress in the West German side of the city She initially dates Lord Uwe Jens Pape a wealthy leather jacket wearing ladies man highly conscious of his own self image and style He is strongly influenced by American movie heartthrobs of the times Meanwhile she meets Hans an auto mechanic who also image conscious and aspiring to be trendy is living in relative poverty and is considered less physically attractive than Lord Although initially mesmerized by the glamour of West Berlin and Lord she falls in love with Hans deciding that looks and image are not important She eventually returns home to her parents along with Hans who finds a job in the Eastern side of the city Cast editAnnekathrin Burger as Ushi Ulrich Thein as Hans Uwe Jens Pape as Lord Erika Dunkelmann as Ushi s mother Marga Legal as Hans mother Erich Franz as Ushi s father Horst Kube as Max Hartmut Reck as Harald Hermann Wagemann as shoe shiner Eckard Friedrichson as Moses Helga Wachaletz as Karin Paul Pfingst as teacher Karl Weber as construction entrepreneur Gunter Grosssteinbeck as Heini Karl Kendzia as worker of the Commerce OrganizationProduction editCinematographer Wolf Gothe was conscious of making the film as convincing as possible and in shooting the film he used techniques such as wide angle lenses extensive location work and high speed film to create a sense of realism 10 Themes edit The film inspired by Italian neo realism is a poignant insight into the difference in socio economic customs and general domestic life which divided the city of Berlin during this period 11 Through the protagonist Uschi the audience is able to understand the feelings and emotions felt by many at the time nbsp The film is a strong critique of the consumerist and image obsessions of the Berlin youth influenced by American culture in the aftermath of World War II Pictured are Uschi and Lord with hairstyles and clothing evoking the Golden Age of HollywoodThe film is one of the strongest critiques of consumer culture in Germany in the 1950s in the aftermath of World War II 8 Alexander Stephan in his book Americanization and Anti Americanism The German Encounter with American Culture After 1945 argues that connection between bourgeois and individualism and the ethos of socialism became increasingly politicized after the Second World War He claims consumerist fantasies between the west and the eastern sectors of Berlin increased as the city being masculinized as a direct result of the American influence in the capital and the legacy of Hollywood film rebels such as James Dean 12 He argues that the film rather that being an advert for West Berlin is in fact a critique of Americanization in the western side of the capital and that American masculine influences weakened traditional senses of authority in both public and domestic life and says In typical neo realist fashion Klein and Kohlhaase evoke the Americanization of East Berlin through their relationship to modern mass culture 12 The film in this context can therefore be seen as the struggle of young working class West German men in the city in a changing society with new pressures and influences brought about by the Americanization of the capital 13 Uschi s stern parents represent the traditional values which conflicted with the emerging youth culture in the city One of the most important pieces of consumer iconography in the film is the Kofferradio a transistor radio which Lord wears around his neck and which Uschi professes to love It is a metaphor for the economic discrepancy which existed at the time between East and West Berlin and how the East lagged behind the West 8 Reception editThe film received a mixed reception upon release in May 1956 Due to the tendencies of the film to seemingly view West Germany from an ideological viewpoint the film was criticized by the Ministry of Film in East Germany and was said to directly provide a negative instruction to young people in the east to move to the west where life is depicted as superior 11 Despite this Klein and Kohlhaase collaborated again the following year with another realist film Schonhauser Corner 1957 which was a greater success at the box office than A Berlin Romance 1 These two films are regarded as the most accurate insights into the East Berlin youth scene in the aftermath of World War II and were a considerable success amongst the public 11 13 The films have been described as offering a more open engagement with American youth culture and playing a pivotal role in the rituals of protest shared by urban youth in East and West Berlin 7 The film was praised by newspapers such as BZ am Abend Junge Welt and Berliner Zeitung for its accurate representation of urban culture in contemporary life in Berlin in the mid fifties that it showed people as they really were 10 However some East German papers criticized the film for not providing an effective counter response to Uschi s notions that the East is bland and boring in comparison to the glamour of the west 14 Horst Knietzsch of Neus Deustchland believed that the vital matters of the divided city could have been dealt with much more effectively by Klein and Kohlhaase and by being more assertive in their depictions of the positive and negative aspects of the city at the time 10 He did offer some praise of Burger s portrayal of Uschi remarking that She has a sweet attractive face and a sexy figure accentuated by tight dresses but as an amateur she is only convincing as long as she plays herself 10 References edit a b Bock Hans Michael Bergfelder Tim 30 December 2009 The concise Cinegraph encyclopaedia of German cinema Berghahn Books p 255 ISBN 978 1 57181 655 9 Retrieved 28 March 2011 McCormick Richard W Guenther Pal Alison 20 April 2004 German essays on film Continuum International Publishing Group p 242 ISBN 978 0 8264 1507 3 Retrieved 28 March 2011 Film history Taylor amp Francis 2006 p 70 Retrieved 28 March 2011 Vogt Guntram Sanke Philipp 2001 Die Stadt im Film deutsche Spielfilme 1900 2000 Schuren p 462 ISBN 978 3 89472 331 6 Retrieved 28 March 2011 Poss Ingrid 2006 Spur der Filme Zeitzeugen uber die DEFA Ch Links Verlag p 110 ISBN 978 3 86153 401 3 Retrieved 28 March 2011 Schulz Gunter Hackbarth Doris 1989 DEFA Spielfilme Filmografie Staatliches Filmarchiv der DDR p 111 Retrieved 28 March 2011 a b Hake Sabine 2002 German national cinema Routledge p 101 ISBN 978 0 415 08901 2 Retrieved 28 March 2011 a b c Urang John Griffith 30 November 2010 Legal tender love and legitimacy in the East German cultural imagination Cornell University Press p 49 ISBN 978 0 8014 7653 2 Retrieved 28 March 2011 Allan Sean Sandford John 1999 DEFA East German cinema 1946 1992 Berghahn Books p 9 ISBN 978 1 57181 753 2 Retrieved 28 March 2011 a b c d Allan Sean Sandford John 1999 DEFA East German cinema 1946 1992 Berghahn Books pp 103 5 ISBN 978 1 57181 753 2 Retrieved 28 March 2011 a b c A Berlin Romance Eine Berliner Romanze DEFA Film Library at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Retrieved 28 March 2011 a b Stephan Alexander 2005 Americanization and anti Americanism the German encounter with American culture after 1945 Berghahn Books pp 159 60 ISBN 978 1 57181 673 3 Retrieved 28 March 2011 a b Stephen Brockmann 1 November 2010 A Critical History of German Film Camden House pp 223 ISBN 978 1 57113 468 4 Retrieved 28 March 2011 Poiger Uta G 2000 Jazz rock and rebels cold war politics and American culture in a divided Germany University of California Press p 93 ISBN 978 0 520 21139 1 Retrieved 28 March 2011 External links edit nbsp East Germany portalEine Berliner Romanze at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title A Berlin Romance amp oldid 1185289064, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
