new gqrpian I L critique

Number49

Winter1990

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ALEXANDER KLUGE

Alexander Kluge on The Assaultof the Present the Restof Time EricRentschler Not Remembering to Forget: in A Retrospective Readingof Kluge'sBrutality Stone Timothy Corrigan a The Commerceof Auteurism: Voice without Authority Helke Sander "You Can't AlwaysGetWhatYou Want": The Filmsof AlexanderKluge HeideSchliipmann Force:Klugeand Critical as Productive Theory Femininity Koch Gertrud AlexanderKluge'sPhantom the Opera of Alexander Kluge On Opera, Filmand Feelings Richard Wolin Habermas:A Responseto Rajchman On Misunderstanding
JohnRajchman Rejoinder to Richard Wolin Marc Silberman Remembering History:The FilmmakerKonrad Wolf

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NEW GERMAN of studies an journal CRITIQUE interdisciplinary german

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NEW GERMAN CRITIQUE

Number 49 Winter1990

SPECIAL ISSUE ON ALEXANDER KLUGE

TableofContents

ARTICLES: .......................................... Introduction

MiriamHansen Alexander Kluge

................ 3

on of The Assault thePresent theRestofTime .................... 11

in A Retrospective Reading of Kluge's Brutality Stone ..............23 EricRentschler Timothy Corrigan

Not Remembering to Forget:

The CommerceofAuteurism: Voicewithout a 43 Authority........ "You Can't AlwaysGet WhatYou Want": The FilmsofAlexander Kluge............................................. 59 Force:Klugeand Critical as ......... 69 Femininity Productive Theory of Alexander Kluge'sPhantom theOpera ........................
Gertrud Koch Alexander Kluge Richard Wolin Heide Schliipmann HelkeSander

79

On Opera,Filmand Feelings................................. .............89 Habermas: On Misunderstanding A Responseto Rajchman .................................................. . 139 W to Rejoinder Richard olin..............................................
John Rajchman Marc Silberman

155

KonradWolf...........163 The Remembering History: Filmmaker

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Introduction
Miriam Hansen
the In the UnitedStates, critical debate on Alexander Kluge'swork has onlyjust begun,thanksto a comprehensive of retrospective his films Stuart Liebmanand sponsored theGoetheInstiorganized by by A Film tute and Anthology Archives. retrospective, Klugemight is a say, bitlikean inventory boxes left of behindin thebasement after has one moved to anothercity- the boxes stillcontainsome usefulthings, In one's current is elsewhere. Kluge'scase in particular, life the though betweenauthorand oeuvreis a problematic one. Comrelationship New German Cinema,hisfilms paredto themainbodyoftheso-called a as havemostpersistently refused status "works" which couldbe circulatedand canonizedor, forthatmatter, translated exported. and Forone thing, resistance an effect thefilms' this is of textual strategies - theirstylistic theirchalheterogeneity, openness,incompleteness, in head." These strategies undermine lengeto the"film thespectator's closuretypical onlyof theclassicalHollywoodfilm also of not the but of the masterpieces artcinema.But beyondformalism, Kluge'sfilms are not as easilyassimilated auteurial to as, consumption forinstance, theworkofdirectors or becauseKluge's Fassbinder, Wenders, Herzog, in often contakestheform an intervention a pragmatic of authorship in of constellation publiclife.Thus, his films text, a particular usually of and discourses; belongto a larger configuration events they respond to specific to momentsand movements politicalconflicts, historical such as the incipient studentmovement, Hiiuserkampf fight the (the in theFrankfurt real-estate or of speculation Westend), thespiral against terrorism statesurveillance. and I When I recallthe films saw at the
time of their German release, Artists undertheBig Top:Perplexed (1967),

Introduction

of filmictextthan particular situations reception, discussions,and controversies thefilms that occasionedand in which they and Kluge himself participated. films' The on a performative condependency thatthefilmmaker thiscase is in textis, of course,also due to thefact also a writer, and organizer. theorist, teacher, lawyer, It is a toposofKlugecriticism, that usingone ofhisown metaphors, a his workresembles "construction site."The objectof construction, film the as readersof Klugeknowbynow,is notjust theindividual or in the butthe"public sphere"(Offentlichkeit) emphatic senseof oeuvre, in the word: the context,horizon, or relationship (Zusammenhang) whichexperience can be articulated, compared,and reflected upon. Because of itstechnical and aesthetic withthediscourse exof affinity mixed materials, the perience (associations, floating temporalities), cinemaassumesa particular fortheorganization public of significance the of and intimacy. thatsense, In life,including conditions feeling film and dead ends,is a contoo, detours, history withitsboulevards, struction site,as open-endedas most of Kluge's films.If fewof his films could be said to "succeed" as integral complete or mostof works, themwillcontain some sequenceor moments whichrevealan alternativevisionofcinema, whichsuggest relations between film and the the in viewers' that differ from thosereproduced thedominant experience media. In itsemphasison theecology publiclife, of then,Kluge'sconofcinemais useful anyfilm to that committed thearis to practice cept of ticulation marginal, discoursesof distorted, suppressed, co-opted whether not one sharesKluge'sparticular or experience, positions. offilmpractice witha politicsofthe public sphere Kluge'slinkage is notlimited, to of however, theinstitution cinema.On thecontrary, because Klugehas no illusions the concerning "illusionthatthe cinema [. . .] willhavea triumphal intothe21stcentury," has temhe entry shifted focusof his activities anotherscene: indepenthe to porarily film denttelevision. has notmade a feature-length in morethan Kluge a 30-minfouryearsbut insteadhas been producing seriesofroughly ute clipsfora weekly broadcastby one ofthe new,privately program in in This shift focus,Kluge insists, does owned networks Germany.'
1. On a selectionof Kluge's television worksee MargaretMorse, "Ten to Eleven: TeleFilmInstitute Festival vision by Alexander Kluge," 1989 American Video (Los Angeles: The American Film Institute,1989) 50-53; Miriam Hansen, "Reinventingthe Nickelodeon:

Slave (1973), In Dangerand Dire Distress Part-Time Work a Domestic of ... and Strongman Ferdinand (1974), (1976), I am less likelyto remember a

MiriamHansen

on sault ofthePresent theRestofTime,and selected writingson opera -

not mean he has abandoned the cinemaas a public form;rather, he workas a hibernating viewshis television based on a realistic strategy, of of assessment theconditions film and distribution, exproduction, in hibition the FederalRepublictoday.Atthesame time,Kluge'sshift of to television the represents logicaldevelopment one aesthetic perin his films:the concernwithopera thatculminated The in spective of Power Emotion (1983).The parameters thevideo clipseemespecialof of The two lywellsuitedto Kluge'srevisionist crossing opera and film. that from book The his Astranslations appear in thisissue - excerpts

for among otherthings providean explanatory background the filmin investment television. maker'scurrent The articles framedby the twotranslations as originated contributionsto a symposium Klugeheldin conjunction on with retrospecthe The symposium tiveof his films. took place at the CUNY Graduate scholarsand filmCenteron 28 October 1988,and brought together makersfrom FederalRepublicand theUnitedStates. the The papers the of reflects which publishedheredocument beginnings a discussion of Klugein thiscountry a botha timelag in thecritical and reception betweenGermanand American discourses film on certain divergence the and cinema.Unfortunately, twopapersdealingwithKluge'smore work- byAndreasHuyssenand Fredric literary properly Jamesonto as could notbe includedin thisissue.Missing wellaretheresponses - precisely public dimenthe thepapersby symposium participants of sion of the event- in particular interventions YvonneRainer the Michelson.2 and Annette on as The symposium discussion centered twoissues:Kluge'sstatus an auteur subjectofTimothy (the Corrigan's paper),and the question of of of Kluge'ssexualpolitics. The critique representations femininity in Kluge'sfilms with polemicsagainst the Part-Time of DoWork a began mestic Slavein thefeminist journalFrauen Film film und (no. 3, 1974);in
46 Notes on Kluge and EarlyCinema," October (Fall 1988): 178-198;AndreasKilb, "Der lange Abschieddes Herrn K.," Die Zeit 1 July1988: 15-16; DieterJeuckand AlexanderKluge und das KulturGuntramVogt, "Fernsehenohne Ermissigung: Rundschau December1989: ZB 3. Also see Yvonne 16 magazin'10 vor 11,' " Frankfurter " An with Rainerand Ernest Artists': Interview Alexander Larsen, 'We AreDemolition Kluge,"TheIndependent 1989): 18-25. (June to an 2. Fora morecomprehensive introduction Kluge'swork, including interview, and see articles, magazine(no. 46, filmography, bibliography thespecialissueofOctober Fall 1988)editedby Stuart for whichserved a catalogue theretrospective. as Liebman,

Introduction

theAmerican of context, RubyRichtookup theissueundertherubric thatunderthecoverof modernist modernism," "patriarchal arguing devicessuch as voice-over femalesubjectwas once again'spoken' the a male narrator/author.3 CUNY symposium, feminist Atthe the criby of Kluge'sworkwas at once reiterated complicated. and Helke tique und editorof Frauen Filmand co-author the first of Sander,founding bothresumedand to some extent revised earlier her polemicalreview, fromthe difficult of a woman filmmaker critique, speaking position with avant-garde Heide Schluipmann an on elaborated competing ally. theconceptofa "femaleproductive force"in Kluge'stheoretical writthe whichshe placed, on the one ings (explicitly bracketing films), of women'smovement deand hand,in thecontext theWestGerman "counter bateson a feminist in and, on theother, the public sphere" of tradition the Frankfurt Max Horkheimer's "AuSchool, especially and the Family"(1936). Gertrud Koch opened up the discusthority sion to considerthe link betweeneroticsand aesthetics Kluge's in on use the work, focusing hisrevisionist ofopera,in particular Carmen motif. The issue of Kluge's sexual politicsclearly dominatedthe discusto foreclose,as some participants sion, threatening prematurely a of charged, more comprehensive reception a body of worklargely in unknown the UnitedStates. the issue has implications Yet beyond individual case and authorship implications film fot Kluge's theory and filmpractice within feminist a I framework.will today, especially use myprerogative editorof thisspecialsectionto close myintroas with fewremarks, largepartprovoked thesymposium. a in duction by A feminist in whatis interesting Kluge'swork readingrisks missing as and as (or in anyfilmpractice idiosyncratic prismatic Kluge's)ifit isolatesrepresentations femininity of for the from, instance, peculiar in of masculinity Kluge's films, fromhis visionof or representations theprecarious relations between sexes.As Koch arguesin herconthe the and eroticsin Kluge's tribution, discourseon gender,sexuality, from aesthetic in workis inseparable the theory implicit thisworkand be therefore cannotsimply reducedto ideological muchas questions, a partin it.A numberofKluge'sfemale seemto they play protagonists
3. RubyRich,"She Says,He Says:The Powerof the Narrator Modernist in Film " Discourse(Fall 1983): 31-47;also see Heide Schliipmann, 'Whatis Differ6 Politics," in 46 entis Good': Womenand Femininity theFilmsofAlexander Kluge,"October (Fall 1988): 129-150.

MiriamHansen

confirm clichesoffeminine and intuition, irrationality, impulsiveness, - thatis, ifone judges themby a realistic-narrative coninefficiency And the relation betweenauthorial voice-over and cept of character. female characteris no doubt problematic, but the voice-overin neither a authoritative presents consistent, Kluge'sfilms commentary nor is italways with identified thefilmmaker's voice:thepolyphony of under BigTop, the and thefemaleprotagovoicesin Artists male/female in nists'voice-over In Danger DireDistress and furnish examplesto the contrary. To theextent thatKluge'srepresentations femininity of illusmerely his notionof a specifically "femaleproductive trate theoretical force," in discoursecriticized Schliiptheyparticipate the essentializing by mann - a discoursethatidentifies femaleness withmothering, reto duces sexuality sensuality, borrows psychoanalytic and of a theory of The repression stripped sexual difference. notionof a femaleproforce to ductive functions and largeas a metaphor (related thetrope by in of "thefilm thespectator's whichKlugeuses to appropriate head"), a set of sociallyand historically suppressedbisexualhuman qualities - spontaneity, of fantasy, memory, finetuning the senses,a curiosity, - forhis ownaesthetics, hisconfor for capability seeingconnections ceptofcinema.Thus,thisnotionseemsto supplyKlugewitha sociofor for logicalrationalization his aesthetic practice, the montagetexand associational tureof his films, their episodicrhythm openness. For centuries, have idealized the femaleimagination male artists on ownaesthetic and havemountedtheir identities thoseidealizednotions of femininity a phenomenonwe findin different ways in to Flaubert, Rilke,Breton, mentiononlya few. Richardson, Schlegel, In filmhistory, femalemind has suffered the much less gloriously, commercial since mainstream cinema,predicating spectatorial pleashas aroundimages ure on voyeurism fetishism, tendedto revolve and in ofthefemalebody.This is slightly different thegenreoftheartfilm of variant thewoman'sfilm, and itsparticular exemplified directors by of or WhileKluge'sidealization the suchas Ophuls,Dreyer, Bergman. base to that thematerial femalemode ofproduction tradition, belongs in his a of thismode of production, sexual body, is rarely sight the in I the films, although fewinstances recallare quitecurious(cf.Gertie
Strongman Ferdinand). Even more curious are the representations of the male body in and authority Kluge's work,oftenlinked to his critique of institutional

Introduction

of and microscopic Relentless military hierarchy. descriptions male from foundthroughout Kluge'swritings, the 1962volumeofLebenslidufe his (CaseHistories [NewYork:Holmes & Meier,1988])through mostrethe The pale porous skinof AnitaG.'s lover, fewanxious centstories. of hairs around his nipples; the imaginedpregnancy Generalfeldof thehemorrhoids Officer P. which Gert marschall jeopardize Bliicher; of erection PoliceChief hisunit'smarchon Luga;theaccidental Scarpia of in Kluge's rewriting Tosca these bodies are not only extremely but theirmalfunctioning unerotic usuallycollideswiththe respective ofpowerand authority. films, comparison, The ofby subjects' positions ferless diagnostic detailbut insteadfullviewsof agingand unshapely in under Big bodies:Dr. Buschin thebathtub Artists the Top, playedbythe Alfred Ferdinand, played popularcoby self-parodistic Edel; Strongman of whoperforms kinds unflattering all medianHeinz Schubert positions the male bodies and exercises; and, mostdisturbing, slippagebetween in masturbaand corpsesin GermanyAutumn (1978),fromFassbinder's of the kidnappedindustrialist scene to the terrorists' tion presentation in with of Schleyer pajamas,intercut footage his coffin. Kluge's male bodies displaya masculinity congealedintoa phallic thatthesebodies belongto figfaiade, ruinsof desire.To the extent ures of official "character (institutional authority peons, bureaucrats, theirimpotenceand frailty anachronistic social and masks"), expose in the FederalRepublic;theyare partof the sexual powerstructures in exorcism thatKlugehas been conducting relation Gerto large-scale in relationto the catastrophe the Third man history, of especially in Reichand itscontinuing article consequences(see EricRentschler's thisissue). To theextent thesebodiesaredeliberately that devoidoferotic imagination and attraction, throw shadowon thevery a of they possibility relabetween sexes.In an interview tions the the of following release Part-Time "offer a Work a Domestic thatKluge's films Slave,JanDawson observes of and basically treatment themale characof fairly unsympathetic tough viewof the actual,possiblerelations beters;and a rather depressing The onlyinstance tendernesscouldfind I tween menand women. of was Leni Peickert circus in thatbetween and director Artists] herfather; [the and thetenderness between themwas made possiblelargely thefact by that father already the was dead." To which "tenderness Klugeresponds,
bodies and theirphysicalfunctions- oftenmalfunctioning can be

doesn't necessarilyhave anything do withactual presence. Presence, to

MiriamHansen

of an actual situation, to mostly destroys it."4The withdrawal feeling thelevelofcaring tenderness, devotion ajob - is the to politeness, towardthe sexuallygroundedemoresultof a profoundskepticism constructions "love." of thathave governed cultural tions If the notionof a femaleproductive forcebelongsto thecontext of of theearly1970s,to thebeginnings theWestGerman women'smoveof mentand Kluge'ssomewhat inadequatereception it,his systematic in of analysis "the powerofemotion"beginning the 1980sfocuseson of and political thegeneralmechanisms erotic, reaesthetic, illusions, and to a degreerejecting former his These idealizations.5 flecting upon are mechanisms epitomizedforKluge in the paradigmof the 19thof its century opera,with celebration romantic passionand thedramaof immutable fate.The victimof the concatenation feelings of turgy "In every and fateis invariably with female; opera dealing redemption in in a woman getssacrificed Act V," reads an intertitle ThePower of Emotion. Kluge now viewsthe suppression But and co-optation feof male subjectivity partof the historical as of in de/formation feelings of bothsexes,in particular heterosexual and itscultural love mystificationas an anti-social force. Whathas changedtoo is the constellation desireand history. of In the of relations a measure was work, impossibility erotic Kluge'searliest oftheinhumanity socialand political of in conditions, culminating the of extreme situation thestory in "Ein Liebesversuch" ("An Experiment in CaseHistories: of Auschwitz the absolutenegation desire. as Love") of a The minimalism Kluge'sprosestill in harbors romantic dimension of thegesture refusal story from pointofviewofone the describes, (the of the guards,thefailedattempt gettwoprisoners mate).In his to to morerecent romantic loveitself with catasthe work, appearscomplicit ofGerman of becauseitnourishes fictions fate that history, trophes precourseof actionand usuallylead to murder, suiventany alternative and with cide,masspsychosis, war."It begins beingin loveand endsin a divorce.It beginsin 1933 and ends in ruins.The greatoperasbegin withthe promiseof intensified and in Act V we count the feeling, from analogy a plea dead." The political conclusion draws this is Kluge forthe "disarmament the fifth of of acts" and the reconstruction the
New YorkZoetrope,1977) 29f. 5. I elaborateon thispointin myarticle, "The Stubborn Discourse:History and in 2 Story-Telling theFilmsofAlexander Kluge,"Persistence ofVision (Fall 1985): 19-29.
4. Jan Dawson, Alexander of Klugeand TheOccasionalWork a FemaleSlave (New York:

10

Introduction

in translated thisissue).This is how I read thecommentary that Time, in introduces character the Roswitha thefirst ofPart-Time ofa shot Work Domestic Slave:"Roswitha feelswithin herself enormouspower,but an from she knows moviesthat powerreally this exists." ilThe somewhat "but" between two sentences the the filmmaker's logical encapsulates betweenfascination and critique, own navigation betweena "pessimismoftheintelligence" vis-A-vis growing the of devastation themedia and an "optimism thewill"toward of of landscape strategies hibernationand change.6
6. AntonioGramsci, citedby Stuart Liebmanas an epigraphin his essay,"Why 46 Kluge?"October (1988): 8.

and necessary(see The Assault the on Rest taneouslyfictitious of Present the of

and forseeingconnections forcooperation feelings partly that recall thevirtues thefemaleproductive of force. Whether notdecomposing discourse passion(as Klugedoes or the of in his "imaginary himabove thepitfalls genwilllift of opera guides") dered representation remainsquestionable. Whatalso remainsto be seen is theextent whichtheprogram "smallfeelings" sustain to of can therenewal an aesthetic of the of telform, reinvention cinemathrough evision. Despite Kluge's militant mistrust operaticdesire (and of his libidinally groundeddesirein general), workpartly appeals to the albeitironically same sourceoffascination, refracted analyzedinto and itselements. The successof suchrecycling muchhinges very upon the of the between reflection ambivalence, tension strength theunderlying without tension, risks this and fascination; it lapsingintopostmodern and nostalgia. pastiche Nietzsche If,as Koch pointsout,Klugesideswith Adornoin against oftheredemptive his profound mistrust value oferos,he is also more in in Nietzschean hispragmatism, hisattitude toward illusion simulas

so-called small feelings- discrimination(Fingerspitzengefiihl), capacities

on TheAssault thePresent theRestofTime' of

AlexanderKluge
CONCERNING THIS FILM PROJECT: itis the We speakabouttheopera the century; considered summit of 19th der Die ofdramatic In thefilm Macht Gefiihle Power art. (The ofEmotion), opera was likenedto a "power plantof emotions."The filmCarmen by art of sucholderforms dramatic tapcertain CarlosSaurahas shownthat we this in currents spectators; is something did not knowbefore. is Bound up withour own century another"power plantof emosixin tions"- thecinema.Presumably, thenextcentury, beginning This art cinema the teenyearsfrom now,we willcall itthe century. of 20th The of old form ninety is years - a loveaffair thecentury. cinemaconas on sistsof screening rooms,moviepalaces,theaters thefront-lines, filmsare shownfor wherever well as many othergathering places, inventions of technical money.It also consists a seriesof fascinating of the which, very elementary comparedwith capabilities electhough of all tronics, have to do withwiththe construction a timemachine. This cinema tellsstoriesand it has produced artistic figures [Kunstme. thismediumintrigues The present and figuren] idols. Obviously, filmprojectdeals (1) withelementsof cinema;
from 1. The following pages 7-8,10-11,12-14,27-30,37, 55-56, passagesare taken Zeit 66-68,79, 83-84,and 105-111ofDerAngriffder Gegenwart dieiibrige (Frankfurt/ auf Autorenund Verlagsgesellschaft, Main: Syndikat 1985); thistranslation appears here whichis onlyloosely of withpermission the author.Kluge's filmof the same title, Its The Director. underthetitle Blind based on thebook,was shownin theUnitedStates in was first U.S. screening at theNew YorkFilmFestival October,1985. The translatorswishto thankMiriamHansen formanyhelpful suggestions.

11

12

TheAssaultofthePresent

could also be called: The Mystery theFinal Hour (Last-Moment-Deof tails)2,or: Cinemaand theIllusionoftheCity.Please trustme to develop the definitive titleas the work progresses.

(2) withthe illusion of the city; (3) with people acting in the citywho have all kinds of things movingthroughtheirheads: personal experiences,notionsabout of cinema, the reality the city. the comic The stylistic link,and simultaneously basis fora certain to theseriousness thesituation, thecatof is dimension corresponding time,the "condenseddramatic egoryof time (see below). Cinematic - wrestling timeobviously timeofcities," lifetime a with occupiesthe title. The film course of our lives.The titleis a provisional working

illusion and experience. This, you will easily observe, has been the subject matterof cinema fromthe start.The storyof the fivewomen is witha series of otherplot lines in the cityand therefore woven together with film sequences which in each case representa cinematographic translationof theirversions of reality.[ ... ]

ThePlot The film numerous has Five are plots. women themaincharacters. ] [... All fivestories deal withtheoften unnoticeable transitions between

promise, thatof the big city,is about 8,000 years old. From the begin-

TheIllusion theCity and theEnd ofAll Illusion of There is a promisewhichis foundedupon enclosed space. This

cityin search of his fortuneand is struckdown by fate ... In recent years our big cities- theyare the citiesin which the fivewomen of the film live - have been reconstructed:subways, subterranean levels, new citycentersand pedestrianmalls are being built. For many people this constructionis accompanied by the illusion that it leads further until cities suited to human taste evolve and the bustling and further yet livable citybecomes an idol. The actual situationreveals no ambiof tion in this respect. The reconstruction the citieswill soon be finalized. We will enter the 21st centurywith cities that are just like those we see before us. The cityas an idol, Renaissance Florence, forexample, belongs to the currencyof illusion. With regard to the reserves of illusion on which we live, we have a
2. In English in the original trans.

of dealtwiththestrength thisillusion:a man comesto the ning,films

Alexander Kluge

13

reforms seriesofcurrency ahead ofus. One could say:theprinciple of the presentrages againstthe principleof hope and againstall the of timehas the illusions thepast.We livein a present whichforthefirst to become the power rulingover all othertimes.This is potential These elements- the present, city, the illuuncanniness, finality, - are not connectedin linearsesion (as a rebellionagainstfinality) on of quence, but variations themare the principle the film.[... ] In Closeup: Our Time In thisfilmI would liketo show a snapshotof the classicalcinema from perspective today.The emphasisis on: "the perspective of the of today."Whatdo we mean by today?Such eventsas mass unemploythe demandsforthethirty-five week, hour ment, closingofshipyards, in the industrial structural the consciousness areas, change industry, and so forth, have not been treatedin feature films.Each of these for themes, however, poses a challenge cinema,to be surenotonlyin the sense of how to represent in them,but rather the sense ofhow to their translation. effect cinematographic The infinite forms filmic of translation theexperiential and concerns ofour timerequiresome restrictions. faras thesocialdimension As of is thisprojectfocuseson thethemeof present experience concerned, of for translation this conflicts, a struggle time.In thefilmic temporal to a critique the categories cinematic of of time. corresponds KeyTerm: EssayFilm As muchas possible, intend narrate film thestyle a fiction I to in of this film. the its to However, meanscinemausesto express relation thepresentneed to be brought to date.Manythoughtful of touches mise-enup In scenehavebecomehackneyed. caseswhere its or, experience, rather, film. I translation blocked, need to resort theformat theessay is we to of knowof no otherpossibility supplyso muchmaterial quickly. to so TheSecret the of FinalHour The lead characters, five from forties, the the women,thetwostories the sequencesin the filmwhichdeal withthe illusionof the city, the
of and handing over of the child,the threat finality the people's rebellion
3. This is thesubtitle Kluge'svolumeofstories of NeueGeschichten: 1-18 Hefte (Frankfurt M.: Suhrkamp, a. 1977) - trans.

summed up by the phrase: the uncanniness of time.3 [ ...

14

TheAssault thePresent of

it each of theseis a swansong.A against (bothofwhichare uncanny): withan illusion. parting do I Suchpartings nothappenvoluntarily. example, myself For would to that cinema, whichI deto notbe prepared part with illusion the the votea largepartofmyworking willhavea triumphal into life, entry the This idea enablesme to deal realistically thedanger 21stcentury. with that phenomenon the known thenewmediaposesfor as film. One thus withan older illusionby constructingnew one. The latter a beparts comesa reality whenrealmaterials included. are The roaddoes notlead from error truth, rather a moresubstantive to but to of process illusion. In thisregard, third the of thefilm tellsthefollowing part story: Overthecourseofthe 19th oil candlelight, century, lampssupersede and electricity the all gaslampssupersede oil lamps, supersedes previous Thereappearsto be a lawthat fixtures. several canlighting technologies notexistside by side.Therehavebeen reports, that however, theolder in forth once morea burgeoning technology, itsterminal phase,brings In offorms. anycase,with latevitality oldermodesoflightthis the array it at ingflare and bloomanew.Foran instant seemsthat, thelastmoup of the and to will ment, beauty thechandelier gas candelabra allowthem the in outlive ugly newtechnology.was,however, eachcaseonly swan It a thatthe secret the finalhour of song. Now the questionis: provided forth bloomsin many ofa society, we thenspeakofan can brings places once they united, are could force the allianceof the threatened which, newtechnology coexistence? can be narrated likethe"Deinto This just constructiona Crime of in Power Emotion. But of through Cooperation" The one couldalso describe interms theelements work an industrial it in of at Such real developments also involvepeople, and are development. marked fateful and blows, escapes, affection, death, so forth. ] by by [...
THE HISTORY OF THE MEGALOPOLIS

[FromSequence I:]

more elaborate. Shots thatcan only be made withthe Bavaria Studio's frontprojection device are mixed with trickshots and live footage. will be recounted:one can imagine a world Somethinglikethe following

The sequence containsa calm factualaccountsimilarto the one about theindustrial world'sfair thefilm Power in The but ofEmotion, itis

disappear as fastas its ghostlyapparition began. [ ...

Human beingshavelivedin cities onlyone per centoftheir for five hundredthousandyearold history. And thisinvention, city, the can
]

Alexander Kluge

15

of as indeed,theworlditself a village.It would be consisting villages, characterized theabsolute of cares by predominance intimacy. Everyone for eachother; an eyeon eachother. One can recreate an everyone keeps illusionof thiswithuniversal its cannotbe television; reality, however, at recreated anything all. We humanbeingshavecome to carry the by withinus. village principle It is an illusion insofar hardly modem personcould reallyput as any with senseoftimeassociated In the with village. comparison, the our up in theFederalRepublicare decentralized In urbaninstallations. villages other words:in thecourseofbarely hundred a years, perhapsonlyfifty in the that has years, villageprinciple, is, intimacy disintegrated all of an into the Western Europefrom all-powerful present twocomponents, and thehope fora future. past in As werespent One can see this a simple example. longas mostlives in villages, actofwaror theburning a city of of no as theburning (such or The out a country continent. evenly settled could wipe Magdeburg) acted as a buffer Now, for againstmassiveannihilation. countryside In thousand has the aboutthelastfive thecity entered picture. it, years, Thisexpresses humanbeings crowded are itself aboveall in the together. sense of time:time becomes dramatic.Cities,says RichardSennett, of humanaggressiveness parallel into open up thepossibility channeling of it. the ambition, sacrifice, pathsand thereby liberating The citadel, condensed time, the various arts of remembering, public sphere, of of the the specialization, separation actorsand spectators, principle and finally cableseverywhere, as a principle war drama, electrification, from thansimply something as (rather opportune) theseare derived In to theinvention thecity. thisartefact, city, of the whichcorresponds in Freuddiscusses his essayThe Future an Illusion Sigmund of everything XXI: 5-56),destructive with Edition forces havebeen struggling (Standard of from sameillusion about combinations forces the constructive issuing Realities thecity such as enclosedspace,condensed sinceitsinception. to and a senseof dramaallowpassionsand spontaneity develop. time, concenmoreintense else we knowcan produceand organize Nothing of trations mental energies.In this way, a Babylon,a Florence,a a and so forth, come intobeing.Then,too, a Nuremberg, Berlin, Paris, drive citiesin the Ruhr,or a transit likeUlm arisewhenlongings city or out intodistrict state towns, generations of smalltowns capitals costhe Whilepeople continue amass illusions to cities. allowing mopolitan to growintoa metropolis, also setsin so that cities, decaynecessarily city never come intobeingbecauseso muchis underconstruction, really

16

TheAssault thePresent of

in at leastnever theform thecity an idol.Throughout, unconof as the of strained conflict destructive constructive and in forces thecities on (or limit: a situation which in theplanet a city) an objective as has in life public and therealm intimacy of inwhich disincollapse simultaneously, villages as becomemoresprawling, tegrate cities peoplecanno longer escapefrom one sphere another. to cannot this live wouldeither imThey way.They cities never are finalized plodeor explode.In this respect (endgidltig). [... . We are lookingat ninety yearsof cinema. In termsof human life this correspondsto threegenerations.In sixteenyears the spans, question will arise: cinema in the 21st century? Our time shattersall temporal measures just as it obliterates spatial categories. Either we wait around or thingsgo too fast. Thereforewe must reinterpret concept of drama. the [FromSequence II:] the Whatis a minute?Atissueis one minute Filming theme: among the1440minutes a day.A minute itsown,extracted in on from day, this forexamplea minute before different. We death,would be something in turn, about36,000suchdays between birth death.You our and have, a if as It's treat minute carefullyyouare as forgetful RitaMerker. so easy to forget. makesno progress She withherdiary. Short film of cameras, sizes,the sequenceofclocks, projectors various Maltese Theseareall clocks. cross. Clocksdo notreproduce present; the a moreuseful measureoftimeis thepulse. In music:tempo In ordinario. his theimage:a conductor takes pulse.The orchestra waits. The conductorraiseshis baton.The musicbegins. Filmspeed is another to measuretime.Halfthetimein a movie way is theater spentin thedark.The film illuminated 1/48th a secis for of thefilm's thecameraorprojector takes another ond; passagethrough up of which 1/48th a secondduring darkness Thatis,atthemovies, prevails. oureyeslookat something outside 1/48th a second, for of and for1/48th of a secondthey look inward. Thatis something beautiful. ... J very [ NEW YEAR'S EVE 1900-1901. The 20thcentury commences. Several will things happenthatnobodycan quiteimagine: thedestructive (1) weaponsof the20thcentury; of (2) "the myth the20thcentury";
(3) the cityin the 20th century; (4) the cinema of the 20th century. and the pleasure in Apartfromthe delightderivedfromflashing lights

Alexander Kluge

17

is need ones),there theoverwhelming moving images(evenmeaningless meetsgirl,or girlmeetsboy, or cousin meets fora simplestory: boy in etc. cousine, That'smyidea, saystheproducer 1901,nowmakea film howsimplethebasicurgeto watch film a out ofit.Atanyrate, that's is, AnnaEilersas she is talking theexperienced office with box cashier says theater. she adds,thestory never was filmed at theOlympia accordYet, to our wishes.There are alwaystheseingredients: cancer,separaing from arsea derived the mistakes, tions, happyendings, hostofobstacles nal ofdrama,but nevera story this:a boy meetsa girl, like everything look arecompatible, whenthey 71 years and are old,they well, they goes it back and think quitenice thatthey met.For once, saysAnna Eilers, thiswould be a clearlydefinedposition. of of In accordance with montage theentire the the film, short history the thecinemaalludedto here(seenfrom vantage pointofthequestion: be without further whenwillthestory meets finally filmed boy girl4 ado?) is dividedamong different scenesof the second and third sequences.It scenes(dramatized), film involves self-contained clips(edpartly partly ited,optically transformed). A in NEW YEAR'S EVE 1918-1919. party convention the Prussian of in House ofLords.How one participant this convention 1918imagines WorldWar II: Ludendorff boughtUFA; now it is takenoverby Privy the who already ownsthe Scherlconglomerate; Councillor Hugenberg in an areareachin are cinema itshigh at German point 1942;films shown the Bordeaux Kharkov; head of German to cinemais Associate ingfrom whomwe see in a JU 52 as he flies overhisflickering Dr. Pfennig Judge a dethroned becausehe received package one dayhe is suddenly empire; in the thefilm studios Warsaw ofblackmarket meatfrom Prague studio; havenotbeen used sincetheGerman Amongmannequins, occupation. sheltered therain, from in and costumes, thewidespacesofillusion, props thesestudios and thecaretaker hiswifehave setup their nest, guarding offriends havelittle has with which world forgotten; a small the they group somecostumes, havefunand makeup little games, just they using parties; in as in the earlydays of the movies.At night, the capitalof Austria the the re-cut montage produced film during dayin they [Ostmark], workers in wantto remain their order destroy pieceofthe"present" they to a withLumiere's Filmhistory began positions. privileged documentaries. documentation been progressively has Sincethen, Throughsuppressed.
out the war, Fred Wittlichof PK-Company tries to capture authentic
4. In Englishin theoriginal trans.

18

TheAssault thePresent of

color filmMiinchhausen.. . . [ THE CINEMA ANIMAL

he imagesof battlescenes on celluloid.But whenever rushedto the even at top speed,the battle was over,and he foundthetroops front, at cards.Now,finally, theend ofApril, 1945,he wasable to proplaying duce documentary shotsofthebattle thenewsreel for scheduled apto after feature films to theU.S. 8, 1945.In Tunisia, April pear belonging in werecaptured a German tank offensive. Scenesin thePropaganarmy whileone ofthesefilms screened. Americans' da Ministry is The greater as skill faras entertainment the in is value,i.e., political film, concerned. of Can we do ittoo? First the attempts during production theGerman [FromSequence III:]

of addicted thecinema. to Portrait a person The atmosphere thesame is as in SequenceII, that still within The animal looking is is, Monday night. for cinema finds it a It to the congenial. is characterized a tendency view by as it realstreets a moviewhilein thetheater views This things objectively. of threatened extinction. ] with species animalis supposedly [ ... A montagesequence,in partwithimaginary "In principle, images: whenwe perform rapidor accelerated a we a action, experience contracoftime, whenwe remember action expanditsduration" but the we tion 1971:276). Clocks, chronometer work, timeclock."A diagram a at a of time. as in Succession duration theculture which and conhomogeneous timeis tantamount freeing to oneself from the ceptsbreed.""Grasping notonlyto anticipate future thebasisofregularities the on unpresent: in established thepast,but to unfold seriesof conditions a consciously which notresemble do eachother areonly and linked bymovement. ... To comprehend is to intellectual time, therefore, transcend spacethrough Thismeans, aboveall,reversibility.know on theother To it, hand, agility. it is toretrace ineither direction thereby proceedbeyond actuand to the al courseofevents" 283 "The state 'innocence' of which (Piaget ff.). precedesthephase ofcritical construction." "Realismis egocentric." a birth death,does thesame to "Let us imagine creature who,from workuninterruptedly, at thesame speed - forinstance, buildalways theGreat WallofChina.In hiscase psychological wouldcointime ing cidewith time... " The durations in couldbe measured terms physical
of (Jean Piaget, The Child's Conception Time,New York: BallantineBooks,

of the dimensions of what is constructed. There is a certainmoral Utopia in the idea that I could measure my life'scapacities,even ifit were

Alexander Kluge

19

stretch road.Without of dealonga straight onlya questionofmoving overmyabilities do good deeds. to toursI would have control on of It will turnout thatthisreflection the grammar timein the timemachinesof the cinemacan be pursuedclearly friendly, simple illusionis really a Thatfilmis used to nourish onlyin documentaries. At in of before mistakes theform silmistake. themoment death, just houettes enter picture. the so-calledsilhoushots, Sequenceof back-lit
ettes. Music. Strongly imaginary.[ ... ] APPENDIX

in Notes Details the on Script Note 1: "POCKETS OF FATE" the The bestwayto measurethegaps in a tragic, irrevocable system, thecineoffate the within is through comic.Forthis it, purpose, pocket ma has developedartistic who the figures [Kunstfiguren] also form basis of the starsystem: in each case withone flaw.Because of perfection, scale as well as their their these imperfections, people are fascinating. not also serve thespecas These qualities onlymakethemlovable, they ofentry, necessary tator's the discount.The five women,supplepoint other mented countless as by persons wellas thesixmenwhoseactions thisfilm, imitate typical a trait classicalmoviecharacters. of populate ambition to showthat is there waysout oftheirrevocability are and My thatthe highpointof the bestyearsof the sheer"distended present" of our livesseemto be. This is thesignificance theheadingofthethird - thesecret thefinal of hour.It corresponds thehistorical to sequence that that beautiful, useful, older,something is viexperience something and threatenedby new developments, tally engenderssympathy at mourning themomentof itsdemise. Note 2: THE PRESENT above all, a decisionabout theflow involves, Developingprograms of time:its acceleration, the retardation, timeof experiencing reit, The sponsetime,timeto be gained,timeto be lost,and so forth. productionoftheability remember, a horizon, perspective, precito of a of movement twosenses, motion as and emotion) all sion,certainty, (in of thisis realizedthrough everso finemanipulations time.Evidently timepossessesa grammar.
In this respect the categoryof the presentis a convention.Between "just now" and "already" thereis a boundary (in termsof the Arriflex camera thisboundaryhas a durationof 1/48th a second and a surface of

20

TheAssault thePresent of

of 35mm)which the It rather represents present. is something imagined thansomething In themodemworld, next-to-nothing inreal. this has, off indeed,as potentially creasingly, passed itself as something, everyThe consensus aboutwhat to what thing. amongpeople belongs ourtime, is important or is enoughforan announcement a play, decidedthrough or such as topicality "our present." had earlier categories Every present thetendency do awaywith pastand to putlimits thefuture. to the on In of our day,forthe first theforces thepresent have theobjective time, of and the irrevocably to cutoff powerto close thehorizons thefuture the it thinks coulddo so. "The past, is however, past.Atanyrate, present a that notdead; itis notevenpast."Andwithout future horizon, is,withouthope,peoplewouldnotevenhavethestrength agree to with eachothis. of "I er aboutwhat present In this the eachquantum time says: respect, I am,I willbe." Andifone looksclosely, willadd: "I sense, could, it I was, and so forth. leastthis thewayfilm At time I maynot,I wish," is works. Note 3: "DISTENDED PRESENT" its of if The present could noteffect seizure poweroverother times it in in werenotforsomething humanbeings complicity it.The latest with callsthis "distended the research Professional (Brose). qualificapresent" on aboutlifeare beingdevalued a largescale;people tions, expectations of becomeunemployed, parts their lose for lives which haveworked. they cannot cometoterms this in an objective with newsituation They simply find and thewishes that thesefacts unbearable way.Factsare one thing else. are something Frequently, peopleoptfor these solutions temporary after defeat the havesuffered. example, For a newjob,or (in they get they a newpartner does notinvolve final becausethis a decision. relationships) remains between and future and we call Something suspended past the this present. is somethingdifferent waiting something It from othand er thanlife: newwayfor to strike. order describe one must a fate In to it, record gentler the tonesoftime. Scenesemerge whosecharacteristics are neither nor genuinely comic,but oscillating. tragic Something emerges thatis neither dreamnor reality. This happensvoluntarily, indeed,bewill cause peoplefreely it.And whatI find mostimportant that is these of kinds behavior theopposite ambivalence irresoluteness. of new are and I would reallyprefer recountall thisexclusively the formof to in dramatized stories. Because it occursin a singleplace and on a single to in day,the second sequence givesme the opportunity narrate the
manner of the fiction film.On the otherhand, the explosive forceof the

Alexander Kluge

21

modes of representation. themedemandsfree(non-dramatized) I will and to concentrate theseat thebeginning end of thefilm. try Note 4: FINALITY As a category the future is rather of it unbearable.Imagination exin this which ultimately is death.In all cases hausts itself denying finality is in whichfinality intuited, the (or imagination desire)prefers indefiis nite.In all cases in whichsomething notyetdefinitively we definal, In for and mand certainty precision. thisrespect, happiness, example, should be something precise- a sourceof thecomic. Note 5: THE FINALITY OF OUR CITIES of is One of theclearest expressions finality enclosedspace.Anyone lookingat a tombcan see this. In December of 1983, Karl-HeinzBohrer,the new editorof the I an with calledme. He askedwhether couldwrite essay Merkur, monthly thenI had as"The Finality Cities."I wastaken of aback.Up till thetitle: of of the the sumedas a matter coursethat renewal ourcities, installation of the ofpedestrian malls,subways, establishment zones,underground would continue satellite and so forth, untilonce againwe would cities, as livein cities I used to knowthem.I did some research, askedaround. there much to is This illusion was notminealone. In reality, however, will as are the the support viewthat cities, they nowconstructed, be our An result my of as dwellings we proceedintothe21stcentury. essential a of is research that chronicle themodemcity no morethanitsprehisin of scenes. or tory cannotbe represented theform essays dramatic to me is the theme. Whatis especially itis a cinematic Rather, fascinating whichis lodged in our so-called"invisible city":the urban structure The urbanprinciple the dramatic and and nerves, feelings knowledge. of condensed are time, suspense) likecousins.Correspond(of principle and are characters destinies. ing to thisurban principle unmistakable Note 6: PERSPECTIVEON THE CENTURY: NEW YEAR'SEVE, 1918 withMargarethe I intendto producethissequencein collaboration NewYear'sDay)is a turning vonTrotta. NewYear'sEve, 1918(including fresh WarI is still come again.World that pointin ourcentury willnever of in of inpeople'sminds.Itlaid baresomething thecharacter reality the
20th century.By comparison, the perspectiveof New Year's Eve, 1900 (thatis, 1899-1900) is almost naivelyillusionistic as ifthe 19thcentury were extendinginto the 20th. Now, however,on New Year's Eve, 1918,

22

TheAssault thePresent of

illusions scattered the windsonlyto be replaced, are to however, by countless ones.Butthedecisions new 1919havenotyet been ofJanuary, made. Fora moment seemsas ifGermany it difcoulddevelopin many On ferent directions. this The leaders regoverns day,nobody anywhere. themselves. theformer In Prussian House of Lords(theLandtag), strain the founding of convention the Communist takesplace. Rosa Party delivers speech,"Proletarians Uniform." leaderher in The Luxemburg of thisnewly foundedparty voteddown that is same night. ship very This material be seen in thecontext Margarethe Trotta's can of von collaboration aboutthis makessense. historic Luxemburg-film; juncture Note 7: CHANGES OF TIME AND STYLE as The of dealtwith elements theopera, of Just thefilm Power Emotion

A an in form. seriesof acpresents abundance of things fragmented tions,setin thecontemporary or shownas historical city superimpois of short moviescenes sition, paralleled thenarration well-defined by device.In thisway,the usingdoctoredfilmclipsor a front projection narration movesacrosstime.Because there clearchanges are pictorial oftimeand style, spectator easilynoticethenarrative the can process; this These imagechanges, furthermore, processis conveyed musically. whichcreatea bridgefromone story another, not individually to are accountedforin thescript. suchcinematographic Until are renderings themselves, producedfromthe materials theycan be describedonly withgreatdifficulty. of the pictorial Part and stylistic changescan be echoed in live-action as takes. I Therefore, in thethree films, previous to have threeindependent camerateamsworking succession. in plan sessionswillbe interrupted additionalshooting sessions. Cutting by

and Artists under Big Top:Perplexed the withaspects of the circus,the film TheAssault thePresent theRestofTimeis about the cinema because it on of

Evansand Stuart Liebman by Translated Tamara

Not A Remembering toForget: Retrospective in Reading Kluge'sBrutality Stone of

Eric Rentschler
I In Nuremberg, international an conventionof circus producers and the takesplace. Later,Leni Peickert a co-worker through congo theprotocolaloud: "I would liketo see vention reading proceedings, Auschwitz wantsto try prevent from to us thepersonwho after saying vote:thenumber with we think needsto be said.A majority something Leni theratswon'tbe cancelled.Applause!A breakforrefreshments." alone: "Nothingat all can stop us, I would liketo Peickert continues wantsto stop us fromdoing and Auschwitz see thepersonwho after are whatwe think right. is Refreshments passed around."' saying II Young by AlexanderKluge and PeterSchamoniin 1960, represents German Film's earliestsign of life.2Made two years before the
in under Big Top:Perplexed Artisten der the 1. A scene from Kluge's Artists [Die ratlos, (Munich:Piper,1968) 45. Zirkuskuppel: 1967],quoted fromthe script 2. BrutalityStone in 35mm,blackand white. (12 Script(1960),320 meters minutes), ed, edited,and producedby Kluge and Schamoni;cinematography WolfWirth; by Hans Clarin, music by Hans Posegga;speakingvoices includeChristian Marschall, on The film at theOberhausenFilmFestival 8 February and Karyn premiered Kluge. The withthe title revised version 1961 and received variousprizes.In 1963 a slightly

in a in Brutality Stone[Brutalitdt Stein], shortdocumentaryfilmdirected

23

24

Not Remembering to Forget

outspoken, indeed histrionicOberhausen Manifesto,it begins with a solemn declaration: emanatesthespirit itscreator of edifice to us by history left Every in stands theservice itsorigiof and itsage,evenwhenitno longer edifices theNationalSocialist of nal function. forsaken The Party, to as testaments stone, in allowmemories come aliveofthat epoch in whichled to the mostterrible catastrophe Germanhistory. I would like to scrutinize this statementfrom a double perspective. and Young German First,I wish to ponder the pre-Oberhausen setting Film's initial efforts, concentratingon a generation's evocation of the with the culturallegacy of the Third Reich, past and its confrontation with the systematicdenigration of fantasywares to tools of dominain tion. Using Brutality Stoneas a point of reference,I want to rehearse the theoreticalimpulse and historicalimpetus behind Young German Film's desire to renew West German filmin the earlysixties,as well as some of Kluge's chief discursive predilections. to identify in I wish to see what Brutality Stonetells us today about the Second, historicalproject that constitutedYoung German Film and, in subsequent years,determined the New German Cinema. In other words, I want to discern how this criticaldocumentary on Nazi architecture, made in 1960, appears in light of several contemporarydiscussions: the recent debates about historical revisionism and the place of the the heated Third Reich within the larger course of German history;3 controversyabout the status of Nazi art and architecturewithin the
von gestern] gained the designation "valuable" Eternity of Yesterday [Die Ewigkeit ("wertvoll") fromthe Film Rating Board in Wiesbaden. A subtitledcopy of the filmis available from the Anthology Film Archives in New York. For initial responses to the der film, see Walther Schmieding's notice in Weg zum Nachbarn:Protokoll VII. WestOberhausen Film Festival, 1961); and Enno deutschen (Oberhausen: Kurzfilmtage 5 Patalas, "Der Kurzfilm sucht die Wirklichkeit," Filmkritik(March 1961): 138. Patalas stressesthe subjective emphasis of thisdocumentary film:"The creator confrontsrealHe no longer remains content with recounting 'dramas of everyityas an interpreter. day events,' he himselfconfrontsreality." For subsequent discussions of the film,see eds. Ulrich Gregor's account in Herzog/Kluge/Straub, Peter W. Jansen and Wolfram Schtitte(Munich/Vienna: Hanser, 1976) 132; and Rainer Lewandowski, Die Filmevon AlexanderKluge (Hildesheim/New York: Olrns, 1980) 288-291. In general, Kluge's shorts remain all but unexplored. Past: History, Holo3. For initial orientations,see Charles S. Maier, TheUnmasterable NationalIdentity caust,and Germarw (Cambridge/London: Harvard UP, 1988); and "Special Issue on the Historikerstreit," GermanCritique (Spring/Summer 1988). 44 New

EricRentschler 25

cultural and of filmmakinstitution;4 discussions theroleNew German AlexanderKluge,have playedin revisionist tendencies ers,including in theFederalRepublicsincetheseventies. Whatdoes BrutalityStone in tellus about thepast?More importantly, does ittellus about the what what does this presentthatexaminesthe past? And most crucially, as film, a politicalintervention fromthe recentpast thataddressesa issuesand inrevealabout present-day cultural heritage, problematic terests?
III

The of a 1963,Nuremberg: public screening Leni Riefenstahl's Blue is in theMeistersingerhallena huge success.Carl blaue Light Licht] [Das in deFilmkunst Bremen, ownerof theStudiofuir prominent Muiller, scribes event: the "DuringlateOctoberin 1963 I had an overpowering haveI in Nuremberg. Hundredscouldn'tgetin .... Rarely experience
seen such an enthused audience .... How often I heard people say,

likethisanymore?"5 'Whata film!'- Whydon't theymake films IV

On three separate occasions in the postwar period, German As intention createa new Germanfilm. to declaredtheir filmmakers earlyas 1946, Hans Abich and RolfThiele issued a "Memorandum a a Regarding New GermanFilm" and established studioin theEngthe of lishsector Germany, Filmaufbau Theyspokeoftheir G6ttingen. of thefilm NationalSocialism,"to make make"films desireto against but thatwerenot entertainment, problemfilms anti-Ufa productions resolve.Abich and Thiele soon foundthemselves witha constructive
ed. ins 4. See Nazi-Kunst Museum?, Klaus Staeck(Gbttingen: Steidl,1988); and the ins devotedto "Nazikunst Museum?,"No. 157 (Jan(Munich) specialissueoftendenzen im Asthetische Faszination der 1987). Cf. the catalogue,Inszenierung Macht: uary-March and Frank eds. Faschismus, Klaus Behnken fiir Wagner(WestBerlin:Neue Gesellschaft of an of collection essays bildendeKunst, accompanied exhibition 1987).Thisextensive in Ackerstrasse Berlin-Wedding art fascist in the Kunstquartier duringthe springof 1987. Die wiederoffiziell," Zeit24 "Leni Riefenstahl 5. Quoted in Dietrich Kuhlbrodt, 1964. July

26

Not Remembering to Forget

head at Ufa,Wolfgang Therewould be no decisive break Liebeneiner.6 and no novelimpetus theAdenauerera; even as late as 1957 during films of feature either dia about70 percent allWestGerman employed A or who underGoebbels.7 second, rector a scriptwriter had been active initiative less compromising came more thana decade laterwiththe a gathering documentary of filmmakers, cameramen, group"DOC 59," and critic Enno Patalas, who sought closerconneccomposers, thefilm art scene.Theywishedto mergedocuthe tionswith international film and narraand fiction, commingle to mentation authenticity scripted film of of culforall itsawareness thedead-endstate German tive.8 Still, an DOC 59 did notsucceedin reviving aridand all-but-monolithic ture, productionlandscape dominatedby wornoutgenre fare,mindless a and cinema schemes, national escapism, paint-by-number production without distinct a and critical devoidofexperimentation, alwill, stylistic and younger voices.9 The diresituation, strategies, ternative recognized almostuniversally, reacheditsacme whenthegovernment awardedno state the of financial prizefor bestfilm 1961,and Ufasuffered collapse.10 In thissetting, third a at Germanfilmtook shape, attempt renewing
on screened WestGermantelevision thefirst on channel(ARD), 4 Filmaujbau Gittingen, interview Abichreflecting longcareerin German with his August1988. For a lengthy filmand television, RainerGanser,"Hans Abich - Begegnungen, see Erinnerungen und Ausblick," Film5 (September epd 1988): 20-29. 7. For statistics the of from ThirdReichin the regarding participation filmmakers see Hans-PeterKochenrath, im postwarWest German productions, "Kontinuitat
8. Leonhard H. Gminr, "Zur Chronik," Derjungedeutsche Film:Dokumentation einer zu der Ausstellung Constantin-Film (Munich: Constantin-Film,1967) 22. Film kanngar nicht besser sein (Bremen: Schiinemann, 1961); and Hembus, Der deutsche WaltherSchmieding,Kunst oder Kasse:DerArger demdeutschen (Hamburg: Riitten& mit Film 6. See Christian Bauer's documentary filmPhonix aus derAsche:Hans Abichund der

4 Love4 7 [Liebe 7] (an adaptation of WolfgangBorchert'sdrama TheMan vor the touted as itsdirector former Outside production [Draussen derTdir]),

first surrounded membersof the old group.Indeed,their by project,

von and RolfZurek und Hoffman Campe, 1975)289-290. Wilfried Bredow (Hamburg: 9. For critical assessments the postwar of filmmalaisein WestGermany, Joe see

deutschen Film, 1966," Filmund GesellschaftDeutschland: in Dokumente Materialien, und eds.

of the The PastThat mary film during Adenauerera, see Eric Rentschler, "Germany: Would Not Go Away,"World Cinema since 1945,ed. WilliamLuhr (New York:Ungar/ Continuum, 1987) 213-219. 10. Cf. Georg Ramseger,"1961: Ist der deutsche Film am Ende? Rede zur

war es wirklich: deutsche Der (West Nachkriegsfilm Berlin: Herbig, 1986); Gerhard Bliersbach, So griin wardieHeide:Derdeutsche in neuer Sicht (Weinheim/Basel:Beltz, 1985); Nachkriegsfdlm and Claudius Seidl, Derdeutsche derfiinfzigerJahre Film (Munich: Heyne, 1987). For a sum-

accounts less critical. are Manfred So See, forinstance, Barthel, Loening,1961).Recent

Eric Rentschler 27

resultingin the oft-quoted"Oberhausen Manifesto" of February 1962 - a document lamentingthe bankruptstate of German filmas an art and an industry, and promising, brashlyand arrogantly, collective's a desire to "create the new German featurefilm.""1 The 26 angry young men who signed the Oberhausen Manifesto claimed to have "concrete intellectual,formal,and economic conceptions about the production of the new German film." By and large, however, this was not the case, for the manifestoprovided a promise, but did not articulatea program.12None of the signatories(many of whom had won festivalprizes fortheirshorts)had yetmade a feature film;the vast majorityhad backgrounds in documentaries and experimental industrialfilms.The group gained its identity above all froma common sense of displeasure and critique, from a shared desire to combat the powers that controlled image production in Germany, from a wish to militateagainst an abuse of the medium that had continued unabated since the Third Reich. Alexander Kluge, in an essay of 1962 entitled"What Do the 'Oberhauseners' Want?," reflectedon the group's central motivations,which were to: film 1. free from intellectual its in isolation theFederalRepublic, 2. militate of commercial orientation againstthedictates a strictly in operative the filmindustry today, 3. allow forconditions whichmake filmaware of its public rein thisresponsibility, with and, sponsibility consequently, keeping to seekappropriate film themes: shouldembracesocialdocumenand filmic educationalconcerns, innotation, political questions, thathave matters but impossible all undertheconditions vations, filmproduction.'3 governed
des am Deutscher Verleihung DeutschenFilmpreises 25. Juni1961 in Berlin," Filmpreis eds. Manfred and Alfons Hohnstock des 1951-80, Bettermann (Bonn: Bundesminister of Innern,1980) 52-58. Klaus Kreimeier analyzesthedynamics theWestGermanfilm in und economy at length in Kino und Filmindustrie der BRD: Ideologieproduktion nach in see 1945(Kronberg: Klassenwirklichkeit 1973).Fora paraphrase English, Scriptor, Thomas Elsaesser,"The Postwar ed. GermanCinema," Fassbinder, Tony Rayns,2nd rev.ed. (London: British Film Institute, 1979) 1-16. Cf. Michael Dost, FlorianHopf, and AlexanderKluge,Filmwirtschaft BRD undin Europa: inRaten inder Giitterdiimmerung (Munich:Hanser, 1973). 11. Cited from WestGerman Filmmakers Film: Visions on and Voices, ed. Eric Rentschler Holmes & Meier,1988) 2. (New York/London: 12. Kluge acknowledges in an interview. RainerLewandowski, Oberthis Die See einer 1961-1982 hausener: Rekonstruktion Gruppe (Diekholzen:Regie,1982) 86. 13. The essayoriginally appeared as "Was wollendie 'Oberhausener?'" in the

28

Not Remembering to Forget

the the after Oberhausenfestival, group convenedto discuss Shortly the thewaysin whichitcould effect desired intellectual transformation institutional of Germanfilmand establishappropriate supportsysA a mechanism that tems.'4 first involved goal founding publicsubsidy would allowyoungfilmmakers fundtheir to first without productions This in commercial constraints. came to fruition 1964 withtheestabfor lishmentof the Curatorium Young German Film. Second, the the films a "natuOberhauseners stressed roleofindependent short as field"and soughtto keep themalivedespiteexhibiral experimental and statelegislation endangered genre.Finally, that tionpractices the thegroupcalledforan "intellectual center film," for wheretheory and workhand-in-hand. laboratory the new German A for might practice for cinema,the Institute FilmDesign in Ulm,was established already in October 1962,conceivedof as "a place of higher directed learning againstfascism."15 V October 1965,Oberhausen: and journalists, publicofficials, educatorsgather watch20 previously to the bannedfilms from ThirdReich and to discusstheirpossiblepublic screening.16 reLater,Atlas-Film in leases Veit Harlan's Kolberg a newlyedited versiondesigned to defuseany sympathetic and voice-overs readingby means of critical The Frankfurter contrastive montagesfromwartimeGermany. Allgecalls the refurbished "a meine Zeitung Kolberg convincing example of howfilm be used to unmaskand critically The can analyzefilm."17 distributor Hans Eckelkamp comes under firenonetheless forwhat some

to revival the"brownscreen."He reof perceive be his opportunistic

fromDer Spiegel:"I want to bring anti-Nazi sponds to an interviewer
November 1962 issue of epd Kircheund Film. Cited from Rentschler, WestGerman Filmmakers 10. 14. Lewandowski, Die Oberhausener 86-87. well in film). See Klaus Eder and Alexander Kluge, Ulmer Dramaturgien: Reibungsverluste

15. Thiswas theimpulsebehindthefounding theHochschulefilr of in Gestaltung of extension theBauhaus (which offered projectto be continued a as Ulm, a postwar

Hanser, 1980) 35. (Munich/Vienna: 16. The discussionwas documentedin Der Spielfilm Dritten im ed. Reich, Manfred 1966). Kurzfilmtage, Dammeyer(Oberhausen:Westdeutsche 17. Peter Jansen, W. "Die Wunderwaffe JosephGoebbels:Kolberg, Filmund des ein seineGeschichte 1965. danach," Allgemeine 27 September Zeitung zwanzigJahre Frankfurter

EricRentschler 29

to ... not films intothecinemas, Nazi films. Itwouldbe undemocratic whenwe putthemin a newconthesefilms. is democratic It suppress textand show themthere."'8 VI texts from past as fragments, Structures the testimonies; memories, and disclosetheinnerwhichspeakto thepresent another from epoch in of the of mostworkings an age: in thisregard, project BrutalityStone toHitler. thiswork, In From Kracauer's recallsthatof Siegfried Caligari as Kracauerprovidessymptomatic readingsof Weimarfilms a secret above all, innerdispositions, of collective closelyanalyzing, history acforms motifs "visiblehieroglyphs," as allowing pictorial prominent of characteristic the of cess to the"unseendynamics humanrelations" and started as an architect out we dare notforget, period.'9(Kracauer, to sensitive structures his endeavors remained remarkably throughout of Similarto Kracauer, as and streets crucial signifiers modernity.) and formsso motifs historical Kluge and Schamonirefunctionalize in we that,manyyearslater, might grasptheirtruefunction a larger zeal we Likewise, finda ragpicker's in sifting through Zusammenhang.20 discarded the garbage pile of history, sortingout and recovering and lest chunksof reality theybe forgotten disavowedby thepresent. from public a of to awaymemories NationalSocialism tempting wrest It and materiality.uses archithat conformism woulddenytheir reality of as and plannedstructures, artifacts a bothactualbuildings tecture, the forces dream of nightmarish collective combatting proportions21,
"NS-Filmein bundesdeutschen 18. Quoted in the unsignedarticle, Kinos?,"epd

in Brutality Stonedoes not reconstructthe past, it deconstructs it, at-

Kirche und Film 18 (November 1965): 17. Film to A 19. SiegfriedKracauer, FromCaligari Hitler: Psychological History theGerman of

vol. and Freedom, 2 Princeton UP, 1947) 7; quotingHorace M. Kallen,Art (Princeton: (New York,1942) 809. it and of 20. Cf.David L. Vierling's discussion theterm Zusammenhang thechallenges Alexander in of Kluge:'A poses to thesubtitler Kluge'sfilms "Quinzaine:Die Patriotin,
...,"' Question of Zusammenhang Film 2 (West Berlin, Spring 1980): "For Kino: German

of Patriot. and concerns The wordlie themajorthematic formal this within single German does itmean? is a mystery worth In short, term the What, then, Zusammenhang exploring. of the to to to Zusammen: Zusammenhang:state fitting together. Hdingen: adhere, cling; stick. continuity" context, association; (22). together; from Walter Benjamin's Das Passagenwerk, 21. Cf. the formulation quoted in

30

Not Remembering to Forget

that seek to suppress or, even more problematically,to mythologize recollection of the Third Reich. In this way, the film's resolve recalls Walter Benjamin's "Theses on the Philosophy of History," especially in its disdain forthose who would treatfascismas an inevitabledestiny vanquished by time ratherthan as a state of emergencystillaffecting the present.22 In a lecture of 1959 titled "What Does Coming to Terms with the Past Mean?," Theodor W. Adorno confrontspredispositions in the Adenauer era which seek to forgetratherthan to rethinkthe past, to for deny collective responsibility World War II and the Holocaust, to relativize the significance (indeed even the existence) of the death (five,not six millionJewishdead camps, to bicker over exact statistics in the concentrationcamps), and to effacememory in a manner more conscious than unconscious. The result of these predispositions, Adorno claims, is a mode of mass repression,which at best pays lip serviceto a national project of coming to gripswiththe past (Vergangenheitsbewdiltigung) through public demonstrations of philo-Semitism, of The Diary of Anne Frank,and half-heartedreeducation screenings programs - none of which ask difficult questions and pursue equally probing answers. For Adorno, the past needs to be worked through to (aufgearbeitet), be reshaped into something new. The term "Aufarand enlightenedresolve; blends psychoanalytic relentlessness beitung" in thisway could the German subject ever regain its lost maturity only and reconstitutenational identity.23 West German filmsof the 1950s presentfewexamples of criticalsentiment,of a desire to comprehend the experience of the Third Reich. Paradigmaticinstances on celluloid of such coming to grips with the General, past are Helmut Kautner's TheDevil'sGeneral [Des Teufels 1954], Kurt Hoffman's Aren'tWe Wonderful? [Wir Wunderkinder, 1958], and Bernhard Wicki's TheBridge[Die Briicke, 1959]. With their humanistic the filmsconsole ratherthan interrogate, rhetoric, focusingon victims of circumstance(ajovial Luftwaffe a well-meaning general, Bildungsbiirger,
am Main: ZweitausendFilm,ed. Alexander Kluge (Frankfurt Bestandsaufnahme: Utopie 1983): "Even technology,and not only architecture,is in certain manifestations eins, the embodiment of a collective dream" (426). 22. Cf. WalterBenjamin, Illuminations, trans.Harry Zohn, ed. Hannah Arendt(New York: Schocken, 1969) 257. 23. Theodor W. Adorno, "What Does Coming to Temns with the Past Mean?," in trans.Timothy Bahti and Geoffrey ed. Hartman, Bitburg Moraland Political Perspective, Hartman (Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1986) 115. Geoffrey

EricRentschler 31

a groupofyoungboysdrafted thearmy thewar'send),innocent into at held captiveby situations neither controlnor fathom. sufferers they These narratives finished worldsand inexorable Nadestinies; display fearand misery tionalSocialismis equated withunceasing (especially either a primalscene as fortheaverageGerman the citizen), warrecast or thatwreaks violenceon theunwitting, as a negative romance family Filmthusserves repress thatrenders an orphanofhistory. to everyone to in thepastand displaceguilt, obfuscate undeniable; theprocess, the A therealvictims cheatedout of their are remembrance.24numberof difficult facedtheYoungGerman how filmmakers: to combat questions a of in repression thepastwith mediumso vehemently implicated fosHow to changethestatus with appaan tering publicpacification? quo ratus controlled forces that likedthings they as were,a world largely by of reconstruction, and no experiments?25 to economicmiracle, How ofa pastwhoseown imagesand imaginary counter dominated images to attempts imagineand imagethatpast?
VII

A keypointofconsensus its amongtheOberhausen groupremained in fora mode of production whichtheauthormaintains a preference of control outoverthe creative endeavor, highdegree circumventing side pressures. Througheffective Kluge and his colleagues lobbying, that managedto setin motionpublicsubsidy systems would funddebutfilms limand pose onlyminimal as resistance, longas filmmakers to ited themselves modest formats.26 therewas a Clearly,though, markeddifference betweenthe GermanAutorenfilm the French and des As thatcertain politique auteurs. Klugewould laterpointout,thefact filmmakers worksis one thing;thatcertaincirclesof craft personal
24. What is at issue is the destruction memory:"The murderedare to be of thatour powerlessness grant cheatedout of theone thing can them:remembrance" (Adorno 117). Weltverbessern dem Geld von Leuten,die die Weltin Ordnungfinden," mit Wolfgang ed. Staudte, Eva Orbanz, 3rd rev.ed. (WestBerlin:Spiess, 1977) 30-57. 26. See Die ersten ed. Kiuckelmann (Munich:Kuratorium Junger dreiJahre, Norbert Deutscher Film,1968). Cf. SheilaJohnston's account,"The Authoras PublicInstitution:The 'New' Cinema in theFederalRepublicof Germany," Screen Education 32/33 67-78. (Autumn-Winter 1979/80):
25. Cf. Wolfgang Staudte's observations, cited in Katrin Seybold's essay "... Die

32

Not Remembering to Forget

butions of directors omnibus filmslike Germany Autumn to in [Deutschland im Herbst,1978], The Candidate [Der Kandidat,1980], and Warand Peace

filmmakers together embracecommongoals regarding and film join is quite another.Filminnovators fordifferent reasons politics protest at different times, and even among peers the reasons will vary. Godard's initial to culprotest, according Kluge,was directed against turein generaland against powerof languagein culture. the Truffaut at bestprotested misuseoflanguageand education, the and eschewed of theperverting The members thenouvelle of potential culture. vague, nonetheless, joined in a protest againsta "cinema of quality"and in the desireto combat a moribundcultural The atmosphere.27 Oberhausengroupconsciously itself to thisimpulse;for shaped according all itsdiversepersonalities factions, commonly and it protested at leastinitially againstfilmin the service the stateand the status of an quo, againsta cinema that meant a cult of distraction, institutionalization amnesia,valiumforthe masses,an official of stranglehold overfantasy life. inStone a on form its subverts a Brutality stages rebellion celluloid; very that flourished theThirdReich:theKulturfilm short in "withgenre (the outa plot"that in feature One cannot, fact, unfilm). accompanied every derstand Nazi cinemain terms singlefilms. of and Newsreels, shorts, features sharedthelabor.As Hartmut notes:"The mainfeaBitomsky turesmighthave shownrevuesand romances, culture the films took for of overresponsibility matters Weltanschauung."28 thebeginning From of Young GermanFilm,the short filmfunctioned an experimental as site.EdgarReitz'sfirst forinstance, the effort, explored warruinsofan einer opera house in Munich (Fateof an OperaHouse [Schicksal Oper, film in format wouldcontinue theindividual contri1957]).29 The short und a in extension Kluge'stelevi[Krieg Frieden, 1983],finding latter-day

first wouldbe a short, anti-Kulturlfm sort anti-culture, film an an as a of act of subversion, and revenge. analysis,

sion spots forThe Hourofthe Filmmakers Stunde Filmemacher]. der [Die Kiuge's

27. "Autorenfilm/Politik in der Autoren," Kluge, 576-581. Bestandsaufnahme 28. HartmutBitomsky, "Der Kotfliigel eines Mercedes-Benz: Nazikulturfilme," 27 Filmkritik(October1983):445. 29. Cf.EdgarReitz'scomment: "We wereparticularly in of interested a sort anti-arwhichhad arisen.We were inspired the operatic chitecture by beautyof the ruins"
(Lewandowski, Die Oberhausener 136).

EricRentschler 33

VIII

"All documentary filmsthatare authentic," Kluge said in 1983, "document reality; radical filmexperiments all workat heartin a fashion."30 inStone combinestheimportant and Brutality documentary bound impetusesin Kluge's theory and praxis of film: inextricably As it and documentation, authenticity, experimentation. documentation, confronts voicesand artifacts from pastwitha retrospective the revolt, as historical thatit indeed is, seekingto represent reality the fiction intoservice claimthat the pressing every great period"finds fiHitler's nal expression itsvaluesin itsbuildings."3"In a mannerredolent of of and Fog [Nuit Brouillard, et revisits Alain Resnais'sNight 1955]32, thefilm an infamoussite of past barbarism: the Nuremberg PartyCongress des grounds. This set for Riefenstahl's Triumph theWill [Triumph of is in itspresent countenance longerthesceneoffrenno Willens, 1935] zied spectacle, withmassed ornamental groupsof euphoricbystanda lost ers,butrather forsaken, vacant, seemingly space. The camera,in shortfragments 12-minute filmcontainsover 200 singleshots), (the of sestructures, providesstills modernizedneoclassicistic registering vereangles,sharpplanes,and an abidingpenchant themonumenfor tal and gigantic edificescast,in BarbaraMillerLane's words,as of the dictator and his modernstateoverhis subjectsin the mass."33 Walter "has neverbeen idle."34 Architecture, Benjaminonce observed, Nor is thecameraidle herein itsattention aesthetic to designswitha of of We geometry inhumanproportions. see the space and structure the massiveZeppelinfeld; of Hider at workon the empire'sfuture stills of as of sketches Germania, wellas simulations that capital, metropolis; models of utopianexpanses; and the skeleton otherfuture edifices; of site remnants an unfinished building,the construction of Albert
30. 31. 536. Kluge, Bestandsaufnahme and in 1918-1945 Quoted in Barbara Miller Lane, Architecture Politics Germany

the power "symbols of the 'heroic scale of life' . . . intended to reflect

HarvardUP, 1968) 188. For a recent of (Cambridge/London: study Nazi architecture, see DieterBartetzko, Illusionen Stein in (Reinbekbei Hamburg:Rowohlt,1985).
the 32. For an extended analysis of Night and Fog,see Ilan Avisar, Screening Holocaust: Cinema'sImagesoftheUnimaginable (Bloomington/Indianapolis: Indiana UP, 1988) 6-18. Illuminations 240.

33. Lane 215. 34. Walter "The WorkofArtin theAge ofMechanicalReproduction," Benjamin,

34

Not Remembering to Forget

in an Brutality Stoneconstitutes eccentricwork of archaeology - an ex-

in Hall. Documentation, Kluge's understanding, Speer's Convention or takes sidesand never allowsitself be objective balanced.35 to It always a heterogeneity materials, of and shifttemporalities, displays multiple As in of hisscrutinizes BrutalityStone ingfields discourse. a document, that toricalartifacts createdimaginary facts based on fictions. effects, The film thusreflects theimaginary how becamerealand seeksat the sametimeto fathom construction meaning a state the of by apparatus. The quest forauthenticity, Kluge,aims to activate claims thoseforces that enliven spectator, engage, the that irriand,on occasion, challenge text tateaudiences.The authentic is a communicative at once soone, and precise,but also nomadic,willful, and extreme.36 ber, concrete,

in Pahumation theveinofGabi Teichert, radical the pedagoguein The The guidingenergy triot Patriotin, here ferrets Zusamout 1979]. [Die of menhang, analyzingthe relationship partsto wholes,of building of blocksto entire to overall structures, shapes/forms/surfaces Gestalten, of spectators historical to spectacles. in No doubt,thevoicewe hearinBrutalityStone lacksthesubtlety and in nuanceofthecapricious enunciators otherKlugefilms, they be the Patriot. soberdeclarations kneein The The possessno ludicelan; rather, An they are terse,stark,straightforward. unreconciledintelligence a We guidesthistourthrough visualand auralmuseumof memories. voices: Hitler on various occasions,exultantHitler hear authentic Youthchoirs, radio announcers, and cheering crowdsfrom Triumph of the We of a Will. also partake quotations: gruesome a versefrom Bund for Mddel and Rudeutscher songbook, instance; a horrific passagefrom in of dolfHiss's memoirs, whichthecommander Auschwitz describes of in theprocessing humanmaterial thecamps,thefactory-line exterof in is mination deported of concern BrutalityStone The authentic Jews. of withthe past,withthe imagesand self-images thatpast and their A discourse. similar concern informs unacknowledged place in present Straub and Huillet's contemporaneous short,Machorka-Muff (1962).
35. Kluge,"ThesenII," Bestandsaufnahme Cf.thediscussion 535-36. "Probleme des in 51-56. Dokumentarfilms," Eder and Kluge,Ulmer Dramaturgien 36. Kluge,Bestandsaufnahme 214. Authenticity means attentive213-16,especially of nessin themidst distraction,relaxed, critical a between and yet relationship spectator whichis mirrored theauthentic in thatseeks film, text's open mode ofaddress.A film to destroy autonomy thespectator, the of "also destroys itself." Kluge's In arguesKluge, the text ("sachlich")and biased ("unsachlich"). language, authentic is bothobjective

the under Big Top:Perplexed the talking or inexorable elephants in Artists

EricRentschler 35

At thecenter thisfilm finda generaldedicating Academy of we an for in Memories Bonn oftheAdenauerera,a place where vetwar Military erans findgovernment We supportfortheirrevisionist enterprises. witness cornerstone the laid fortheedifice and theaccompanybeing which strikingly in dramatizesstate investment the ing ceremony, and reconstruction memory."7 of in Stone Brutality stylization provides museum of similar,but it is more like a deconstructed something and and memories, gathering fragments shards,collecting, evoking, so that might we better theworkings thehisof refunctionalizing grasp in continue thepresent are,in that and real, torically whoseoperations authentic. waytoo,

in an and driven an inexointervention, reinterpretation undertaking by It at rablewillnotto forget. contrasts, timesrather auraland brazenly, thecities thefuture of with resounding the visualsignifiers, juxtaposing barren with juthe bombsofalliedairraids, confronting paradegrounds in inofNuremberg 1934.The film's dominant bilant sounds strategies and and patterned volvecontrast, counterpoint, parody.Its schematic underlineand overstate object of investigation, the editingrhythms of the forming again the alreadyhyperformed, exaggerating regularity and surfaces. structures thepastare recycled The of and spaces,shapes,
worked over (umfunktioniert aufgearbeitet), and ceasing to serve theirorigi-

In an age of "no experiments," in Brutality Stone mergesexperimentation,

in in nal function twoways:they at once no longer use,but indeed are film another in of areputtouse in this context in thehistorical project GermanFilmand itsattempts renewGermanfilm to Young history. Ifrealism a motive, has of asserts it a Kluge, "is never confirmation rea blends but The this ality, rather protest."38 protest fueling experiment radical imitation a frontal with an attack, employing aggressive montage between seemingly The that establishes the unrelated. camrelationships in as downexpansive corridors eramovessolemnly forward processions the of a comdescribes calmness prisoners entering chambers, gas H6ss thorthatassociates neoclassicistic withPrussian bination promenades of and thuslinks shapesofedifices thesubstance pothe and oughness of liticalactionsas emanations the same ideologicalinstrumentation. and The opening shot literalizes dialecticof enlightenment the the
37. See EricRentschler, "The Use and Abuse of Memory: New GermanFilmand NewGerman 36 the Discourseof Bitburg," Critique (Fall 1985): 73-76. am Main: Suhrkamp, 1975) 216.
38.

einer Zur realistischen Methode Alexander Kluge, Gelegenheitsarbeit Sklavin: (Frankfurt

36

Not Remembering to Forget

of construction NationalSocialism:we see a lake and a antagonistic behindit,overwhichthenthevastfacadeofa buildnatural landscape and fields. to the Naturesuccumbs covering trees ingis superimposed, will monumental madness,to the same instrumental thatshroudsitin blood and soilfustian whiletransself premodern garb,propagating first theworldwiththe tools of modernity.39 Kluge's experiforming in art and archaeolomentoffers exercise critical history outspoken an still The subthat structures bear on thepresent. gy,insisting certain in of von of "The Eternity Yesterday" title BrutalityStone, ["Die Ewigkeit laterreplacesthe original titleand findsan ironicecho in gestern"],
von Kluge's debut featureof 1966, Abschied gestern.

IX
of public defender West Klugewillendureas the mostprominent on an individual whosestress thepowerofcinemato reGerman film, continues deem historical and energies reality to givevoiceto alternative to guide his worktoday- a cinemaof Eigensinn indeed." And Peter for Season Schamoni? gainedsome attention hisfeature He debut,Closed towards elders.41 decades Two smugand unrepentant aggression passive in various he after commercial ventures veins, nowmakes later, generic DavidFriedrich artists are that about romantic (1986),bio-pictures Caspar of from confections OpasKino.42 all but indistinguishable theformer

on FoxHunting Fiichse, 1966], a studyof a young generation's [Schonzeitfiir like feature-length Kulturfilme Spring 1982] Symphony [Friihlingssinfonie, and

39. Cf.Jeffrey and in Modernism: and Politics Weimar Herf,Reactionary Technology, Culture, theThird Reich(Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1984). 40. For useful and dynamic appreciations of Kluge's project in its multiple directions,see Miriam Hansen's various essays,including:"Collaborative Auteur Cinema and in New German 24-25 (Fall/Winter Critique Oppositional Public Sphere: Germany Autumn," 1981-82): 35-56; "Alexander Kluge, Cinema and the Public Sphere: The Construction Discourse (Fall 1985): 53-74; "Alexander Kluge: Crossings be6 Site of Counter-History," Texte tween Film, Literature,Critical Theory," Film und Literatur: Literarische und der neue deutsche Film,eds. Sigrid Bauschinger et al. (Berne/Munich:Francke, 1984) 169-196; and in "The Stubborn Discourse: Historyand Story-Telling the Films of Alexander Kluge," 2 Persistence Vision (1985): 19-29. See also the special issue of October devoted to Kluge, of ed. StuartLiebman, No. 46 (Fall 1988). 41. The scriptwas published in the journal Film 4 (Velber,June 1966): 45-56. The film is available in a subtitledversion throughWest Glen Films in New York. 42. Cf. the summaryaccount of Spring fromthe program of "New German Symphony Films" presented at the 1984 Berlin Film Festival:"The love storyof Clara Wieck and

EricRentschler 37

X
industrialist influential and of 1986,Cologne:thewealthy patron the in a seriesof public pronouncements arts,PeterLudwig,complains that to Gerabout the narrow (Blickverengung)refuses grant perspective from 1933to 1945a placein publicinstitutions.43 man artand sculpture he (He does notuse thephrase"Nazi art.")Peoplehavea right, claims, In tojudge forthemselves whether theseworks barbaric. anycase, are a theoperative tabusshouldbe lifted audiencesgranted chanceto and of allownew approaches the to see whether distance 40 yearsmight a The same person whopurchased Arttwodeccensured. Pop previously done byAndyWarholnow commissions ades ago and had hisportrait Nazi artist to the once-prominent Arno Breker make bustsof himself It submits and hiswife. is a signofthetimes, "Postmodern Ludwig: whatdoes thatmean otherthanbeingtraditional?"44 XI The initial behindYoungGermanFilmwas a negative impetus projof and a The anti-Kulturfilmthe ect,a critical enterprise,taking revenge. film to feature meantexplicitly recycle newGerman images subsequent of thefacts, and discourse National from past;to confront the structures, Ifwe and to militate collective Socialism; against forgetting. jump ahead to thelate 1970sand early1980s,whenNew GermanFilmhad gained and we stature, self-assurance, wide recognition, glimpsea cinemain- a mission in vestedin recreating national essentialized Gabi identity Germanhistory. theartist As Teichert's Christo put questfora positive the it:"In theseventies, Germans National suddenly beganto reinvent The Hitler creative resource Socialism. periodbecamean extraordinary
RobertSchumann,but also the love-hate of story Schumannand Friedrich Wieck, his love:in managwhosebond with daughter beyondmerepaternal lies Clara'sfather, self-fulfillment." film The starred he Kinski, Nastassja inghercareer seekshisownartistic of RolfHoppe, and Herbert Koch'sdevastating review Caspar Cf.Gertrud Gr6nemeyer. DavidFriedrichepdFilm3 (December1986): "Schamonimakesa political connection in between artist's the and troops: against Napoleonicoccupation biography theresistance of of to in theconfused this context thefilm amounts form ultimately a morepernicious Germanchauvinism" (37). with in 43. Froman interview DerSpiegel, reprinted Staeck14. 44. -Staeck 15.

38

Not Remembering to Forget

fora whole generationof filmmakers and writers."45 When we look tofromthe perspectiveof the currenthistorians'debate, at the most day, of celebrated New German Cinema revisitations the Third Reich, we findmore than passing traces of revisionist discourse in representative films like Hans Jiirgen Syberberg's Our Hitler[Hitler- ein Film aus Pale Mother Deutschland,1977], Helma Sanders-Brahms's Germany, Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Lili bleicheMutter,1979], [Deutschland, Marleen(1980), and Edgar Reitz's Heimat (1984). These films rewrite fromthe perspectiveof the present;one mightspeak of them as history into myth,or as restagedversions retro-scenarios, history transforming of the past that exorcize the shock of that experience and thus soothe the present." Three characteristics stand out: (1) the fixationon Gerand an attendantidentificamany as a nation of victimsand martyrs, tion with innocent and impotent bystandersthat undercuts the Holocaust and Jewish suffering; the figurationof German historyas (2) woman: as an allegoryof mourning (OurHitler), the centralpresence as as a voice pressed into public service and source of continuity (Heimat), Pale or (LiliMarleen), as a victimof rape (Germany, Mother) a strategy that representsthe nation as a violated or vulnerable female body, a stand-inand medium fora hapless Germany;and (3) the reflection on reflection thatpast, a functionof what of the Nazi past as an unwitting Saul Friedlander has called a "New Discourse" about National Socialism, which replaces guiltwith fascination,shame with shamelessness, awareness of wrongdoing with a (however unintentional) complicity with criminals.47 Unlike Edgar Reitz, Kluge clearlydoes not wish to rewriteGerman historyin a master narrativethat integratesthe Third Reich into a wider course in time,relativizing singularity, its denyingits special status, and resentingthose who insist on its exceptional significance.48 short uncompromisinglyconfrontsincontrovertible facts Kluge's first H and places them withinlarger structures. *ss speaks candidly of the death camps and theiroperations,leaving no doubt about questions of
11 Christo, "Wrapping Up Germany," semiotexte (1982): 20. Cf. Bruno Fischli, "Rekonstruktion, Retro-Scenario, Trauerarbeit, Film 79/ Aufarbeitung- oder was? Neue Filme uiber den alten Faschismus," Jahrbuch 80, ed. Hans Giinther Pflaum (Munich/Vienna: Hanser, 1979) 63-75. 47. Saul Friedlinder, ReflectionsNazism: An Essayon Kitsch Death,trans.Thomand of as Weyr (New York: Harper, 1984) 11-12. 48. Cf. Reitz's essay "The Camera Is Not a Clock," in Rentschler, WestGerman Filmmakers 139f. 45. 46.

Eric Rentschler 39

in crucial intervenes, agencyin the Holocaust.BrutalityStone activating To in at memories. be sure,thesedesiresinhere The howPatriot; times, how even Kluge,the of ever,a curiousshift emphasisdemonstrates most vigorousagentof historical cannotfully freehimself memory, The from revisionist a climate. Patriot mournsand recollects ofthe "all that are Reich'sdead,"49giving thema voice,stressing they not simply mostpersuasive and The dead, butindeedfullofprotest energy. film's knee of CorporalWieland,a soldier"who spokesmanis the talking in in wantedto live,but foundhimself thewronghistory," perishing is thebattle Stalingrad. one pointtheviewer explicitly of At reminded thatthe RoyalAir Force burned 60,000 people in the bombingsof WorldWar 11.50We also glimpseAmerican aviators Hamburgduring for a cigarette breakafter taking "dismantling Germany systematically the hours." Ifwe remember dead and recallthemonstrous, eighteen unburdenedof cerwe standbeforea Germanhistory conspicuously of This is clearfrom start the tainvictims and certain remembrances. in The ThePatriot, its openingquotationfromCurtisBernhardt's Last overdead Germansoldiers, accompaniedby the music Hanns Eisler for andFog. The script the describes scene:"This takes composed Night in but place either theSevenYears'Waror theWarsofLiberation, now is we see an anti-aircraft from1943.'"51 The strategy a troubling gun it one; like Reagan's visitto Bitburg, collapsesJewishconcentration common victims German and wardead intoone, implying their camp in a filmthatmakesno further This is all the more disturbing status. of withholds evena single mention theHolocaust,that imageofJewish in a prolonged that work mourning, of suffering suggesting we can talk Auschwitz. an odd way,The of WorldWar II without In mentioning an wherein to conforms an approachdescribed Friedlander, Patriot by ofwordsand imagesbecomes an evermore effective "endlessstream screenhidingthe past...."52
introduces heroinewith his thesewords:"Gabi Teichert, 49. Kluge,in voice-over, in teacherin Hesse, a patriot, she is interested all of the Reich'sdead." i.e., history Facto 50. Klugeuses theabbreviation "RAF," morelikely connotetheRed Army with he minds.In this tion(i.e.,theBaader-Meinhof way, plays group)in contemporary on WorldWar II wereactsof terrorism. thenotionthattheattacks Hamburgduring takesplace duringthe Wars of Liberation 51. TheLast Company, fact, in against Napoleon. 1-6 am 52. Alexander Texte/Bilder(Frankfurt Main: ZweitausenKluge,Die Patriotin: deins, 1979) 51.

1930]. We see a drawn-out travelingshot [Die letzte Kompanie, Company

40

Not Remembering to Forget XII

and ing a sourcethefollowing phrase:"The real becomesimaginary, forthat reasontheimaginary real."53 is Thischaracterizes in theage life ofelectronic as of reproduction wellas recent appropriations thepastin Germandiscourse, retro-scenarios transform that intothespechistory of tacleof myth, intofictions takeon thecharacter pseudo-fact.54 that To thisday,Klugeremains in sensitive thoseelements to inordinately whichundermine historical and contemporary society memory seekto a of a state diversion, voracious that perpetuate constant present engulfs and nullifies past.These forces the control deterfantasy production, in general, minetheshapeofcities, dominate and creatpostmodernity in horizons forecloses future and cuts inga situation whichthepresent off past- or atleasttries Forall ofthis, to. the maintains Kluge (playing in on a phraseby Christa Wolfthathe reworks The that Patriot) "[t]he 55We certain pastisn'tdead, itisn'tevenpast.""" darenotmisunderstand of Kluge'sinsights Baudrillardian as does not share revelations. Kluge the latter's in vehement pessimismnor his loss of faith the resilient of the subject.56 and Baudrillard's repowers (Kluge's quite different in to Mogadishuand Stammheim I would suggest sponses provide, a telling contrast: inAutumn "Our Theater to passing, compareGermany of Cruelty.""57) stillbelievesin theproject modernity, in of even Kluge the face of postmodern realities. both mournsand protests He the of vitiation certain forms experience: shattering memory, of the of the of of denigration the past, the destruction livingspaces and public of the declineof the cinema,the stifling humanimagination spheres,
53. Kluge, Bestandsaufnahme 473. Die der als 54. Cf. Anton Kaes, Deutschlandbilder: Wiederkehr Geschichte Film (Munich: edition text + kritik,1987). 55. Alexander Kluge, Der Angriffder Zeit am Gegenwart die iibrige (Frankfurt Main: auf Syndikat,1985) 107. 56. Cf. Baudrillard's characterizationof a naive mode of "technological optimism" regarding the media and their progressivepotential in "The Mass: The Implosion of the Social in the Media," Selected ed. Writings, Mark Poster (Stanford:StanfordUP, 1988) 207. For dialectical optimists,claims Baudrillard, "the media constitutea new, gigantic productiveforceand obey the dialectic of productive forces.Momentarilyalienated and submittedto the law of capitalism, theirintensivedevelopment can only eventuallyexplode this monopoly." 57. See Baudrillard, In theShadowoftheSilent ... Majorities ortheEnd oftheSocial,trans. Paul Foss et al. (New York: semiotexte, 1983) 111-23.

In his Bestandsaufnahme Stock, [Taking 1983], Kluge quotes withoutcit-

EricRentschler 41

by the new media.58 Kluge, for all his keen awareness of "fatal strateand instead continuesto articulate gies," refusesto succumb to fatalism of and practice strategies resistance. XIII Cinema as a time machine: images out of time vs. moments lost in A time, films from the past against the power of the ever-present.59 fromthe scriptTheAssaultofthePresent theRestofTime: on quote on A PEOPLE ON MONDAY.Reference the filmPeople Sunday. to the Now itis fall1984,5 a.m. scenefrom film Kuhle Wampe. Sunday to The timenearswhenthefirst wavesofpeople willrushoff work. our It is thedayon which go off we timeand reset daylight-savings in thenight from watches Saturday (that actually happenedalready to Sunday,but mostpeople didn'tnoticeit untilMondaymornis whathappenedyesterday.60 ing).The main thing to forget For Kluge, it is clear: the main thingis to combat blithetakingsof leave from yesterday, remember not to forget. to
manFilmmakers 30-32. 59. See GaryIndiana'sinterview Kluge,"The Demolition with Voice Artist," Village 33 (25 October1988),in whichKlugespeaksof treating cinema"as a time-producing this of cinemaabsorbstimeanimal.I think is themeaning film Commercial history. underthistable,it's likein Hitchcock. Suspensetakestimeaway:ifa bomb is ticking to notinteresting we say,or howwe feel.It's killing time.I think producetimeis a what very highideal of all thearts"(67). 41-42. 60. Kluge,Angriffder Gegenwart

in about NewMedia," Rentschler, GerWest 58. SeeAlexander "Theses the Kluge,

TheCommerce Auteurism: of a Voice without Authority

Corrigan Timothy
is greater someone's than intentions. Subjectivity Kluge --Alexander who AlexanderKluge is a grudging auteur,a reluctant personality issuesmorethanthehistory of seemsto engageanyand all historical mostfamousinhimself: he sinceOberhausen, has been one offilm's ternational has acceptedthatlabel onlywithgreathesisignatures yet tationand careful qualification. To locateKlugewithin troubled this of has recategory auteur always inthecontemporary but quiredrevision, as Klugehas evolved through film has ternational industry, Klugetheauteur meantincreasingplacing to the of thatposition fit shifting lycomplicating grounds postmodern within modem Germancinemahavenotedhis culture. Commentators of As Hansen and redefinitions auteurism. Miriam trouble with original have argued,one of themostimportant collective and Eric Rentschler the of cinemamayhas been to resituate German gestures contemporary notion theauteur. of has that has beenpart Rentschler shown Kluge very in ofan effort enacta variety cultural of to subjectivities whichdifferent of relations withhistory have decentered conventions the enunciatory for auteurism. Hansennotesthat theNew German Cinema"theemphasiswasnecessarily moreon a 'politique auteurs,' political the des struggle forindependent in a country whichdid not have a film film-making for culture calling a comparableto thatof France,"thisnew direction ofproduction."' of a collective "revision Autorenkino through politics
1. Eric Rentschler, WestGerman Filmin theCourse Time(BedfordHills, NY: of

43

44

TheCommerce Auteurism of

Accurateas theseassessments are, theyshould be supplemented by in whichKlugehas mobilizedauteurism a another as way suggesting withKlugeone finds a critical less subversion critical namely, category: than a critical of of auteurism a productionstrategy as exploitation as for shift within auteurism a category reception. Indeed,themarked and receiving thanas a as auteurism a wayofviewing movies,rather in the meaningof has mode of production, been the central change It fromthe sixties the eighties. is along theselines that to auteurism of use Klugehas begunto makespecific ofthecommerce hisown sinand subjectivity. gularity in terms thisrevised stance- fragmentation, Manyof the relevant - are notnewto studies Kluge.But I of diversification, multiplication whichI themhereas partof a specific commercial willenlist strategy findin Kluge,one in whicha politics agency of takesitsplace as much in an extra-textual in a textualbusiness,more exactly a"semias as himself an imas textual" whereKlugeadmitsto performing practice as for of the writer/producer/filmmaker but primarily a strategy age withhis audience.In a crucialsense,Kluge's certain relations eliciting in film itofa self today's situates national/international industry writing worksurrounding films the selfbetween more social and political the and with networks) (hisinvolvements government policiesor television hisfilm to be of refuses thereception (whosematerial practice textuality of As to for the authority itsreading). an extension his earlyattempts morerecent endismantle aura ofauteurism expression, the as Kluge's of havebeento use itas a textual with gagements thepractice auteurism in a whichhe can act material material itsown right, textual through of out and disperse specific the agency. problematic an authoritative TheMultiple Children Truffaut of of havenevAs a heuristic theories practices auteurism and category, Francein thefifties Its er really been untroubled. spreadfrom through in bound to and was America and elsewhere thesixties seventies tightly in and such strategies, as theriseofan changes production distribution of art camera. international cinema and the introduction an Arriflex While these changes in productiontechniquefrequently presented
Redgrave, 1984) 89-101 and 158-61; Miriam Hansen, "Cooperative Auteur Cinema in and Oppositional Public Sphere: Alexander Kluge's Contribution to Germany Au24-25 (Fall/Winter1981-2). See also Thomas Elsaesser, New tumn,"New German Critique GermanCinema:A History (New Brunswick: Rutgers U. Press, 1989).

Timothy Corrigan

45

auteurism a moreaccurate as the of wayto cutthrough complications mass entertainment to locate the expressive and core of the filmart, a less method theyalso offered, visibly, more historically appropriate for negotiating reception films.The historical of of the adaptability the like filmmakers Von Stroback through worksof early auteurism, to of heimand Eisenstein through thepresent and generation Spielberg thedesireand demandofan industry and Cimino,identifies to mainly aura duringa period an (and specifically Romantic) generate artistic itself from whentheindustry such needed to distinguish less as other, of Auteurism forms massmedia(mostnotably, ofelevated, television). from the modernistart fered not just new audiences, retrieved sanctions old audiences,alienated to but communities, new cultural and awashin an indistinguishable ofmediaimages.Despiteitsofspate ten overstated counter-cultural auteurism became a deft pretentions, movein establishingmodel that woulddominate and stabilize a critical at The subsequent auteurist for leastthirty of reception marketing years. suchas Bernardo Bertolucci's movies, 1900,David Lean'sRyan's Daughor Gateguaranteed, the ter, Michael Cimino'sHeaven's through reverof namesacrosstitles, relationship a audiberations directorial between ence and moviewhereby intentional authorial and an agency governs, visionwhosecontextual as a kindofbrand-name are meanings already the determined, waya movieis seen and received.2 withinearlytheoriesand Indeed, one of the chiefmystifications of auteurism been a valorization one or another of idea has practices of expression, fromitsmarketing commerdisconnected and mostly theories practices and cial implications. Despitetheir largedifferences, of auteurism Astruc and PeterWollento Foucaultand Stephen from Ford toJean Luc Godard,sharebasic assumptions Heath,from John of about theauteuras thestructuring an principle enunciation, organof one sort or another.3 one locates that Whether izing expression or auteurial textual consistencies presenceas a sourceforstylistic other and variations as a figurative or a authority supplanting lostor "dead"
and of can 2. A collection themajordocuments debatesaboutauteurism be found & A Reader, JohnCaughie(London: Routledge KeganPaul, ed. in Theories ofAuthorshiP: Movies Movie-Made America: Cultural A History American 1981). See also RobertSklar, of (New York:Vintage,1975) 292-4. in and Indiana U. Press, 3. PeterWollen,Signs Meaning theCinema (Bloomington: Practice Counter-Memory, 1972); Michel Foucault,"What Is an Author?",in Language, on (Ithaca:CornellU. Press,1977) 113-138;StephenHeath,"Comment 'The Idea of Screen 14.3 (Autumn1973): 86-91. Authorship',"

46

TheCommerce ofAuteurism

source (as Bartheswould say) in the formof a textualenunciation, the place of the auteur withina textualcausalitydescribes a way of organfashizing spectatorialpositions in a transcendentor trans-subjective ion.4 To view a filmas the product of an auteur means to read or to respond to it as an expressiveorganization thatprecedes and supersedes the historicalfragmentations and subjective distortionsthat can take over the reception of even the most classicallycoded movie. The often strained attemptsto make consistentor evolutionarythe Britishand American movies of Hitchcock or the German and Hollywood filmsof FritzLang are governed by some sense of a historically trans-subjective which authorizes certainreadings or underand transcendentcategory standings of those movies. In David Bordwell's analysis of auteurism as an interpretative cue, of is theovert self-consciousness thenarration often by paralleled on thefilmmaker source.Within an extratextual as the emphasis and reception, conceptof the art cinema's mode of production has function did not possess in the Hollyit theauthor a formal Filmjournalismand criticism wood studiosystem. promoteauas and thors, do film festivals, retrospectives, academicfilm study. of Directors' statements intent of guide comprehension the film, whilea bodyofworklinkedby an authorial signature encourages of viewers read each filmas a chapter an oeuvre.[ .. .] More to the broadly, authorbecomes the real-world parallelto thenarrationalpresence'who' communicates (whatis the filmmaker saying?)and 'who' expresses (whatis theauthor'spersonal vision?).5 Formalist and cognitivecritiques of auteurism, such as Bordwell's, can vanquish most of the mythsof expressivity the cinema in favor in of more formaland heuristicuses forthe auteur. Yet these too do not fullyattend to the survival- and, in fact,increasingimportance - of the auteur as a commercial strategy organizing audience reception, for as a criticalconcept bound to distribution and marketing aims. Today, even these modernist corrections,discussions, or deconstructionsof the romanticroots of auteurism need to be taken another step towards recontextualizingthem withinindustrialand commercial trajectories.
4. Roland Barthes, "The Death oftheAuthor," Image-Music-Text, Stephen in trans. Heath (New York:Hill and Wang, 1977) 142-48. in 5. David Bordwell, Narration theFiction Film(Madison: U. of WisconsinPress, 1985) 211.

Timothy Corrigan 47 this how by Illustrating need to investigate "the authoris constructed and forcommerce," John Caughie has noted thatthisquestionhas been overlookedsince Brecht's1931 accountof TheThreepenny Opera in trialin whichBrecht exposes the contradiction cinema "brilliantly of between commercial the need to maintain ideology thecreative the in need to redefine artist and the simultaneous ownership termsof thancreative investment."6 capital,rather in to is critical This attention a commerceof auteurism especially withthe auteuras a practice and interpretative category keepingpace has the the during lastfifteen years, periodwhentheplayofcommerce assimilated actionofenunciation expression. and Certhe increasingly exsuch a revaluation auteurism more than enunciatory of as tainly or a heuristic could and shouldtakeplace acrossany pression category has been imofitshistorical and extent already variations to a certain in thesocialand historical ofa "politiquedes auteurs." emphasis plicit Yet theinternational of have made it culture imperatives postmodern disclear thatcommerceis now much more thanjust a contending course:if,in conjunction with so-called the art international cinemaof and seventies, auteurhad been absorbedas a phantom the thesixties in as within text, or she has rematerialized theeighties a a he presence this an To of business being auteur. follow commercial of performance the movein a postmodern the of nowmustbe culture, practices auteurism in of of re-theorized terms thewidermaterial strategies social agency. of to theconditions a culHere theauteurcan be described according distinct tural and commercialintersubjectivity, a social interaction froman intentional or transcendence. causality textual Models of agency usefulhereprecisely are are because they models and of intersubjectivity aim to undermine metaphysics the which the ofexpression intention. delineate modelofaction a and authority They and moniin whichboth expression are and reception conditioned conditions. Charles toredby reflective their towards material postures whichforeforinstance, argueda model ofhumanagency has Taylor, self-evaluation" grounds"second orderdesires"wherethe "reflective of of"theself-interpreting has as itsobject"thehaving certain subject"
6. Theories Authorship:Reader BertoltBrecht,Gesammelte A Werke 2; (Frankfurt: of de Le sociologique, 1967) 18: 139-209;in French, Procds quat'sous: experience Suhrkamp, trans. (Paris:Editonsde l'Arche,1970) 148-221.See J.-L. Lebraveand J.-P.Leftbvre Screen 16.4 (Winter also Ben Brewster, "Brechtand theFilmIndustry," 1975-76):16-Cinema 33. See also RobertSelf,"Robert Altmanand the Theoryof Authorship," 25.1 (Fall 1985): 3-11. Journal

48

TheCommerce Auteurism of

a first-order Giddenssuggests materialist Anthony desires."'Similarly, as of model ofexpression self-reflective action:themotivation expresof siveaction,therationalization thataction,and the reflective moniofactionconcomitantly to of interact map thestructure exprestoring sion as a reflective social discourse whichnecessarily calls attention to In the material termsof its communication.8 both cases, agencybecomes a mode of enunciation whichdescribesan activeand monitoredengagement withitsown conditions the subjective as expresses itself thesocially In thecinema,theauteur-as-agenthrough symbolic. not cythusbecomesa place forencountering so mucha transcending conditions desires)but the different meaning(of first-order through whichexpressive meaningis made by an auteurand reconstructed by an audience,conditions whichinvolvehistorical cultural and motivationsand rationalizations. auteurs Klugemay like Here,evenreluctant oftheauteuras embracethemorepromising strategically possibilities a commercial statusof thatpresence presence,since the commercial nownecessarily and becomepartofan agency whichculturally socially monitors identification critical and spectatorial reception. of Wherethepractice theauteuras a particular brandofsocialagenof a withfilmaudiences- and where initiates revision itsrelation cy his thoseaudiences- is,paradoxKlugefinds openingforaddressing in the contemporary of status theauteuras a star.This idea of ically, theauteur-star appearmerely harkbackto theearlier of to avatars may auteurism who wereplaced in certain and intellectual aesthetic pantheons:from the of OrsonWellesto RobertBresson, celebrity auteurtextual ism was a productof a certain distinction. Despitethegeneral ofthetradition thetextual of morerecent versions auteur, consistency In ofauteurist from textual havedeviated its center. linewith positions art themarketing transformationtheauteur theinternational cinof of ema into the cult of personality of thatdefinedthe filmartist the auteurshave increasingly become situatedalong an extraseventies, textual as chief commercial status auteursis their path,in whichtheir functionas auteurs: the auteur-star meaningful is as primarily a
CambridgeU. Press,1985) 43, 28, and 15.
8. 7. and Language: Philosophical Charles Taylor, Human Agency Papers I (Cambridge:

TheAuteuras Star

Social U. Press,1983). Analysis (Berkeley: of California

in in Problems Social Theory: and Action, Structure, Contrast Anthony Giddens, Central

Timothy Corrigan 49 or of repromotion recovery a movieor groupof movies,frequently textitself.9 MichaelCimino'sHeaven's Like Gate, gardlessof thefilmic movies are oftenmade beforethey are made; and, like auteurist most can a Coppola's Tucker,director's promotedbiography preempt of a movie.'0In a twist the tradition certain on of textual receptions moviesbeingvehiclesforcertain the can stars, auteur-star potentially of and redeemany sortof textualmaterial, oftento the extent carry In that of us forget material themarvel itsagency. this through making and feats become thenew sense,promotional technology production a new auteurism whichthe makingof a in "camera-stylo," serving or movie (likeFitzcarraldo) its unmaking(as withTwilight Zone)forean agency that foreclosesthe text itself.As Godard has ground in films King like Lear,in today'scomparodiedit so incisively recent look likeor how mercewe wantto knowwhatour authors and auteurs it is the textthatmaynow be dead." theyact; a of text and in effect the Placedbefore and after film usurping work thattextand its reception, today'sauteursare agentswho, whether on of wishitor not,are always theverge beingconsumedbytheir they but some brandof egotism status stars. thisI am not suggesting as By that the binarydistinctions that once formulated most models of or have collapsedintowhat auteurist organization expression formal Dana Polan has called the postmodern "evacuationof sense" within to mass culture.12The oppositionalcalculus of expression text,psyno or to to meaning, authority interpretation longersustains chology
9. An example of thisposition,one whichrespondsto the special statusof the is auteur yet failsto relecton its largerculturaland critical implications, Jospeh as FilmDirector Superstar Gelmis'sThe (GardenCity, NJ:Doubleday, 1970): "Over half and sold the between ages ofsixteen themovietickets todayare boughtbymoviegoers is, They twenty-five. knowwhata director whathe does and whathe's done" (xvii). Francis and specifically, Jeffery see More recently Chown, Hollywood Auteur: Coppola (New York:UMI, 1988). auteuras self-proaccountof the contemporary 10. One particularly significant in Making "Heaven's and is Bach,FinalCut:Dreams Disaster the of superstar Steven moting disand Gate" 1986).A moretheoretical pertinent (NewYork:New American Library, "A and the New GermanCinecussionis SheilaJohnston, Staris Born: Fassbinder 24-25 (Fall/Winter ma," NewGerman 1981-82):57-72. Critique 11. One of the most sensational processof a examples of how the production auteurcan usurp the filmin severalsenses is Les Blank'sBurden Dreams (1981/2), of of whichdocumentsHerzog's making Fitzcarraldo (1982). of Mass Culture and theEvacuation Sense,"in Encounters: 12. Dana Polan,"Brief toMassCulture, Tania Modleski(Bloominged. in Critical Studies Entertainment: Approaches ton: U. of Indiana Press,1986) 167-187.

50

TheCommerce Auteurism of

the contemporary auteurfilm.Instead,institutional commercial and defines almostexclusively publicity advertiseauteurism as and agency thatis, as botha provocative empty and ofmaterial surment, display face thatintercepts those more traditional filmdynamics. Although makersmaywrite manifestos presideovermovements, and Meaghan Morrishas noted(in languagesimilar RichardDyer'sdescription to of thattoday"the primary modes offilm and auteurpackaging are stars) review altrailers, advertising, snippeting, magazineprofiles always in appropriation the precondition, not the postproducas and ready tion of meaning."'3To respondto a movie as primarily merely or a filmis, after the pleasureof refusing evaluative an relaall, Spielberg tionto it- a pleasurethat be might equallytrueofthestandard receptionof Herzog movies- and muchofthatpleasurelies in beingable to knowalready, read,themeaning thefilm a totalizing not of in image thatprecedesthemoviein thepublicimagesofitscreator.14 auteur An film todayseemsto aspiremoreand moreto a critical tautology, capable of being understood and consumedwithout seen. Like an being a deal fora largenumAndyWarholmovie,itcan communicate great ber of audienceswho know the maker'sreputation but have never seen the films themselves. For Kluge,it seems thatthe evolution auteurism of into a kindof stardomhas now, following ironythatrunsthrough an postmodern come to servehisaimsforrelocating spectator's a manyofhisprojects, relationto a filmas a more materialengagement withthe cultural agenciesof history. AnAgent Agency: Prismatic A of Effect Of theseveral within commerce theauteur-star, are the tacks of two most pertinent here:the commercial auteurand the auteurof commerce.Although first the could theoretically includea vast category as and as MaStallone, rangeofstars directors directors stars (Sylvester more purportedly donna, ClintEastwood,and so forth), respectable namesin thisgroupwould includeSpielberg, GeorgeLucas,BrianDe
in Universal Abandon:ThePolitics Postmodernism, Andrew Ross (Minneapolis: U. of ed. of FilmsofWerner ed. Herzog:Between Mirageand History, Timothy Corrigan (New York and

13. MeaghanMorris, "Tooth and Claw:Tales ofSurvival CrocodileDundee," and

MinnesotaPress,1988) 122-123;RichardDyer,Stars (London: BFI, 1979). 14. Cf. Timothy Corrigan, "ProducingHerzog: Froma Body of Images," in The

London: Methuen,1986) 3-19.

Timothy Corrigan

51

Palma, David Lean and, withdifferent agendas,John Sayles,Woody of Lina Wertmuller, theBertolucci and Allen,Truffaut thelateryears, so of the latestAcademyAwards.My argument farwould assimilate mostofthesenames,sincewhatdefines groupis a recognition, this eitherfoisted themor chosen by them,thatthecelebrity their of upon texts thatinvariably exceed themovie agencyproducesand promotes both beforeand after release. its itself, The second category I believe,the more intriguing on variation is, to monitor rework instior thefirst, there filmmaker for a the attempts of the tutional manipulations theauteurist positionwithin commerce of the contemporary movie industry. normally the auteurist text If a now run the promotesand recuperates movie, these filmmakers and commerceof the auteurist autonomousselfup againstitstextual in the of exexpression a waythatshatters coherency both authorial and stardom.Motivations, and historical desires, developpression in dramatized critical of ments- whichare frequently readings films and usuas at leastsemi-autobiographical now become destablized witha purpose: did the same Fassbinder who made MariaBraun ally is and independent giveus Querelle? it the same self-exiled stridently who says"I need to be a solo guy"and thenforTucker humCoppola surrended filmto George Lucas's "marketing the sense of what bly auteurist positioncould depeople want"?'5Whilea moretraditional to and scribethesechangesin perspective expression according some an coherentnotion of evolution, evaluationof many contemporary mustadmitfissures filmmakers and discrepancies whichconsciously in orderto confront fragand employthepublic imageof theauteur mentitsexpressive coherence.'6 himself moreand morewithin sucha I believeKlugehas positioned imand reworking institutional of the commerce auteurism, admitting in a waythat and excessesofan auteurist position aligns today postures on withfilmmakers Raoul like him somewhatpeculiarly this front
Times "FrancisFord Coppola: Promisesto Keep," New York 15. RobertLindsey, section6 (24 July1988): 23-27. Magazine, David Bordwell thisfragmentation and Fiction Film, 16. In Narration the recognizes on "The of theauteurbut sees it as a merevariation thetraditional auteur-narrator: to of to popularity R.W. Fassbinderin recentyearsmay owe something his ability filmto filmso thatthereis a 'realist'Fassbinder, a changenarrational personaefrom a a and Fassbinder, 'pastiche'Fassbinder, 'frenzied' Fassbinder, so on" (210). 'literary' thesedifferent catean agencieswithin auteurist ObviouslyI believethatmobilizing implications. goryhas larger

52

TheCommerce Auteurism of

the Ruiz, Nagisa Oshima, R. W. Fassbinder, Godard of the eighties, a and Coppola. Walking tightrope betweenthe image as a romantic of auteurand hisrecognition itscommercial conditions, Klugehas redescribed himself a "demolition as artist" whoseposition under cently theBig Top todayalternates a artist a performbetween highwire and I ingclown:"I'm RobinsonCrusoe. IfI'm an artist, am alone,and inI can workonlythisway. I'm esoteric likeAdorno is, like dividually is. artist But I would liketo have camouflage, I every mimicry. think it'simportant to showone is an artist not because it'sa very nowadays, status.""Again,thisclaimbothto be an artist to mimic and dangerous the image of the artist does not contradict earlieraesthetic Kluge's in the as cineprograms revising needsof"Autorenfilm" a cooperative ma norhisother to efforts generate multiple the of perspectives a public sphere.Yet,ifin thesixties and early seventies thoseefforts emphaand formal sized political that a leaned towards counter-culstrategies tural utopia, this particularengagementwith the commerce of indicates moreconsciousconfrontation his ownevoa auteurism with lution into the mainstream filmculture.If, comparingKluge to of and Herzog,one could previously Wenders, Schl6ndorff, Fassbinder, the make,more reliably, claim thatKluge stood outsidethe interna-

of October, the overseeing an Americancollection his films and of of and television at the Anthology FilmArchives. growing A programs television presencein West Germany, Kluge has become a reluctant star within international the auteurist and thequestionhas now circle, become forhim,I believe,theinverse theAmerican of scene political not how can a starabsorb the politicalbut how does a star today: reactivate materialist a his within or her commercial politics agency. The answer Klugeand others thatthere a businessand polifor is is ticsofagency that auteurism remain useful to a in tactic engagpermits commercialor semi-commercial of identification. Aling patterns auteurism has effectively vacatedagency a metaphysor though today ics ofexpressive and the causality textual authority, shellofauteurism
17. YvonneRainerand Ernest Artists': Interview An "'We AreDemolition Larsen, withAlexanderKluge,"TheIndependent 1989): 21. (June

tional that auteurist as circle, is less truetoday Klugecarefully prohis motes politics the of through promotion hisname:hisrecent prein mier for has radiointerappearance NewYork, example, featured with a issue views, university symposia, negotiations Paper Tiger,special

Timothy Corrigan

53

in of remains theform a material - that publicity opens a space for of thedramatization subjectivity itsown expressive refusing authority, of fora dramatization subjectivity in fact,a material as, intersubjecto and responsive the actionof self-interpretation self-critique. tivity To put thisin linguistic the with for terms, mechanisms identifying a a director, have become as important to speakingsubject,usually in communication film culture as theso-calledtextual statement today or of a movie itself the different it is receivedby different audiways dramaof a movie'ssourcecan sayas much toences: thecommercial as the drama of the movieand the dispositions itsviewers. As of day as the textof a Klugefilmbecomes theworkof critical reimportant acrosshisname,hisauteurist and his thatKlugeinitiates status ception of public's knowledge it. one of Kluge thusfindsin the contemporary agencyof auteurism on whichto initiate modernist a several grounds postmodern critique and a a ofcontemporary cynicism vacancy, wayofreorganizing devalas As as ued and emptiedauteurism a critical subjectivity.'8 early 1979, he claims,"I havealways believedin auteurcinema."But"auteurcin"is ema," he continues, nota minority phenomenon:all people relate like authors- rather than managersof departto theirexperiences is mentstores."'9" even in theseremarks an understanding of Implicit whichcan reflect as an auteurism a processof identification as itself in agencyforcritical "self-interpretation"itsaudience; such a recepis tionof auteurism possiblelargely because a putative creative presfrom and dislocated textual ence has been commercially authority reof focusedas the mechanisms agency.Indeed, one sees an especially and anticipatory concrete versionof thiscritical of the agencyof use in of auteurism Kluge'sreleaseand re-release perhapshis mostcommercialundertaking, Ferdinand: followedthe filmfrom he Strongman to sourcerepositioned a critical as intertheater theater, authorial the locutordefined the diversity his audience.The auteurbecomes of by realizedas an agencyconstructed acrossthe diverse literally response
I But 18. Klugeremarks: "We are notpostmodernists.believein theavant-garde. lies. thatis notwherethedistinction There are twodifferent approaches:dominating The thematerials respecting materials. first and the would takematerials realizeinto The opposed attitude would be to acceptthe autonomy thesematerials, of tentions. whichare living."Stuart Liebman,"On New GermanCinema,Art,Enlightenment, with 46 and thePublicSphere:An Interview Alexander Kluge,"October (Fall 1988):57. Thomas Levinand 19. Alexander Kluge,"On Filmand thePublicSphere,"trans. MiriamHansen, NewGerman 1981-82):206-207. 24-25(Fall/Winter Critique

54

TheCommerce Auteurism of

of a genuinely public sphere - not unlikeone of Charles Moore's constructed the of postmodern buildings, through interaction community planning. and ideologicalplaywithagencywithin comthe Kluge'saesthetic be seen actedout acrossa spectrum other of merceof auteurism may from and and socialand politiartistic socialtexts: publicappearances and fromrumored cal commitments literary non-literary to writings, for histories one's pastto one's penchant a certain of camerapersonor A a particular which has produced, star.20 recent television he program a forinstance, features collage of different "auteurs"fromthe New German Cinema (Helke Sanders,Margarethe von Trotta,Herzog, VolkerSchl6ndorff), theshowrefuses identify specific to the yet product of anyparticular director. Indeed,forKluge,thevery multiplicity of his own personae,as a university novelist, aesthetician, professor, politician, discipleof Adorno, and businessmanbecomes a lawyer, within auteurist the fortuitous on instability perspective hisfilmmaking career.Other, moretextual wouldincludehisearly of use dimensions, hissister a familial in films Yesterday hisplace as as like Girl, counterpart such as ThePatriot, the books that and adaptor of his own stories, Like voice-over whose Kluge'sownvoiceand promulgations.21 thewry The his introduce Patriot, expressive "uselessremarks" through agency a mostofthesetactics whichtendsto assert achieves "prismatic effect" and thendisperseitsown authority.22 As a muchmorespecific I at case, however, wantto look briefly one whichis often in taken granted Kluge'sand for "semi-textual" strategy other work: interview one ofthefew, the auteurs' exdocumentable whereKlugeengagesand disperses ownorganizhis tra-textual spaces directorial interview be ing agencyas auteur.The standard might describedaccording theactionofpromotion explanation: is the to and it and of the of inwriting explaining a film through promotion a certain tentional the dramatization selfas of self;it is frequently commercial themotivating With it agentoftextuality. Kluge,though, becomesa diin and deferral whichin his words he, about complications alogue
20. Foradditional and examplesofthesemoveswithin Kluge'sartistic practice biam ed., Alexander Kluge (Frankfurt Main: ography,see Thomas B6hm-Christl, 1983). Suhrkamp, 1-6 am 21. AlexanderKluge,Die Patriotin: Texte/Bilder(Frankfurt Main: Zweitausender am deins, 1979); Die Macht Gefiihle (Frankfurt Main: Zweitausendeins, 1984). 22. Rainerand Larsen23-24.

reassemble movies like The Patriotand The Powerof Emotionaround

Timothy Corrigan

55

from process."Indeed muchofatthe "likea catalyst, .] disappears [. formatfor Kluge may be preciselythat tractionof the interview enwhichis ignoredin mostauteurist structure dialogicor polylogic betweena concounters but whichforhim is enactedas something flictualdebate and the relationalexperienceof "chatting"(which with women).This kindofencounter obviously Klugeoddlyassociates to and hisother withtextual work efforts remontage parallelsKluge's and conflictual exwitha more cooperative authority place creative of the Yet hereithas thespecific advantage reformulating cochange. of and that of herence intention theopacity celebrity attaches indepenthe to theagency auteurism, pathwhichin thecontemporary of dently in modes of film has industry become increasingly important forming action. as identification expressive of For Kluge,the interview accentuates thatpresentation regularly As and to a seriesof rhetorical structural strategies. agencyaccording thistendency whenshe introduced as early 1974JanDawson recorded as conversation." After reada longinterview "a fragmented, three-day further of Kluge distancedhimself ing the transcript thatinterview, and about itsabstractions askingDawson "to fromit by complaining and cut down the generalisations explicatehis meaningwithmore withall thesedislofrom films."Confronted the concrete illustrations in Dawson tookproperrefuge Kluge's cationsofherspeaking subject, from filmaesthetics, askingthe readerto "createtheirown interview the textthatfollows."23 one More specifically (and more recently), findsin Kluge's interwiththe concrete not the viewsa tendency onlyto alternate abstract in but to embed thatconcrete a disconnected montageof seemingly himself an emptyagentat the centerof as stories, placing digressive These anecdotescan rangefrom but "not one story manystories."24 in about the of to accountsof thefilming an eviction Frankfurt stories lookedlikeitdoes today" oftheplow,whichin 8 A.D. already "history in of of fantasies love-making thedeserts Afrito pseudo-confessional of can theseepisodicdigressions serveas illustrations ca.25 Sometimes, which standout as Brechtian butjust as often certain gests they points, and to seem intentionally troublethehistorical cultural place of Kluge
A ed. Occasional of Female Work a 23. Alexander andthe Slave, JanDawson (Perth: Kluge PerthFilm Festival Publication, 1975) 27. 24. Kluge,"On Filmand the PublicSphere" 206. 25. Kluge,"On Filmand the Public Sphere" 216-17

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The Commerce Auteurism of

as a himself speaking failure maintain consistto subject:theapparent in subjectmatter historical or a monitors speaker whose ency episode is regularly is thepresentamatter. This beingfractured that by agency raconteur who,unliketheReaganparadigm, tionofKlugeas historical anecdoteto fabricate himself a transcendas does notuse thehistorical I sayis important true and entor opaque agentofdiscourse ("anything because I say it") but to disperse or dislocate his agency simply of the "histoires" variety history's ("becauseanything through material could be said it surpassesany coherenceI can giveit"). A second characteristic the Klugevoice is itsability absorbor of to a As has been commonfrom bedeflect centered, critical the position. with an interview Klugeis an interview a complexpluralwith ginning, in or itymanifested his third- first-person pluralvoice and thedeflectionofmostquestions about hisspecific worktowards financial, larger artistic political and issues.In an interview Stuart with for Liebman, inhis redefines own alliances, himstance,Klugeconsistently relocating self as a filmmaker of with a variety odd bedfellows.He accepts likeme." "Even films The like Boat, Herzog as an ally,as "an amateur Oberhausenway."Yethe finds Strauband Huillet'sMoses Aaron, and a filmthatwould seem close to Kluge's own materialist too aesthetics, visual in its recreation the opera.26 one point,cinemasare deof At clareddead and television hailed as the future; thenhe acknowbut "we willcome through television cinemaagain." Withtypito ledges, full cal mobility and contrariety, refuses identification either he with or themodernist postmodernist and insteaddeclareshiswork school, in His and "classical"in itsfaith a counter-public sphere.27 objections agreements always appear as onlyqualifiers, making waffling appeara strict "we have no objections,"he saysof his and politicalprogram: withthe historical focusof Habermas's work, Negt's disagreements "but we have a different of employment."28 a 1989 interview field In withYvonne Rainer and ErnestLarsen,Rainerpursues the elusive the "we" thatKlugebecomes,and theresponseonlydiffuses agency further beforeit paradoxically rankswithDerSpiegel: joins
26. Liebman 31, 49, 25. 27. Liebman 43. 28. Liebman 42.

TheNever-Ending The Story, Name oftheRose," he allows, "are made the

Timothy Corrigan all We have organized ourselves. have organized opera houses We filmin and independent and theaters Germany, book publishers or In the media- notnewspapers makers. other words, traditional and artists thebooks, broadcast cinemas, theaters, thecircus. They This And different. is they belongtogether. on television look very to televibecauseoriginally had nothing do with understandable they Der the sion.We also havea partner, newsmagazine Spiegel.29

57

To paraphrase his own words, this auteurial voice - mobile, critical, and generous in the sense he applies itto Adorno - is a voice of continin ual differentiation which it becomes more a predicateand a "porous" than an authorizingexpression. agent Interview tacticssuch as these are not, obviously,radical politicalgesconfrontation that is Kluge's project, tures.As a part of the diversified move withinthe critical however,theycan marka significant receptionof of Indeed, the questionable possibility a "radical gesture" itself agency. may be exactlywhat is implicitin a perspectiveon auteurismas critical of agency.As Charles Taylornotes about the subject/agent Sartre's"radical choice" (who might equally be the classical auteur or the textual auteur of the sixties): without He would be utterly identity. .] The subjectof radical [.. whichour civilizachoiceis another avatar that of recurrent figure, tionaspiresto realize,the disembodiedego, the subjectwho can all his objectify being,including own,and choose in radicalfreedom. But the promisedtotalself-possession would in factbe the mosttotalself-loss.30 the Instead,as I believe Kluge recognizeson all fronts, preliminary question to all otherquestions of symbolicformwithintoday's international culturemust concern the materialconditionsand agencies of inter-subThis is a politicsof agencythatmoves beyond radical choice tojectivity. wards thatof the radical evaluationand openness of a public sphere,towards, in Charles Taylor's words, the "deepest unstructuredsense of what is important." Kluge has said of the styleof his films,"one doesn't see the cut, but my signatureresides in it." Likewise,one mightsay of his agency as an auteur,one hardlysees the expressionbecause the speakerresidesso rigorously in the materialpolitics of its predication.
29. Rainerand Larsen19. 30. Taylor35.

"YouCan'tAlways WhatYouWant": Get TheFilmsofAlexander Kluge*

Helke Sander
of continue reto Kluge,twothemes Lookingat thefilms Alexander of taking shape and addingto therichness his work. playthemselves, in definite. The secThe first themeis the multiplicity the seemingly within wanted.Whileboth themescontribute the ond, the unwanted of and structure Kluge's films, to the complexity the content of they and engagedviewer.It becomes also cause problemsforthe serious clearthatone of the majorproblemsis thewayin which increasingly a of to both themesare integral Kluge's portrayal women - in itself and volatileissue. thorny the in In shapingthefirst definite, theme, multiplicity theseemingly ofeach and every individual life Klugeemphasizesthattheemotional of variousstrands emobut is notonlymanifold and inconsistent, that levand needs have come to a haltat different instincts, desires, tions, as els of development. effect, humanbeingsour emotionalorganiIn zation is out of harmonywith our social organization, creatinga To conflict. illustrate point,takea simpleconthis sourceofunending values of the betweentwo people, in which,forinstance, versation withthoseof the 15thand are 19thcentury mixed up and confused we in This explainswhy, additionto thedifficulty have 20thcenturies. withothersbecomes comcommunication ourselves, understanding of plicated- ifnot a matter sheerluck. to uses theexampleof dinosaurs Somewhere who, according Kluge
* I wishto thank of version the for ReginaCornwell herhelp in reworking English thispaper forpublication.

59

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TheFilmsofKluge

one theory, because their became extinct nervous transmitted systems thatcoordination between brainand limbsgraduimpulsesso slowly a When,forinstance, dinosaurhad a leg injuallybecameimpossible. and bled,themessagetookabouttwenty to minutes travel from the ry wound to the brain.Once realization had hitthe dinsoaur'sbrain,it was too lateforadequate reaction theanimalwas already bleeding to death. even to describe:one alwaysgets Kluge's second themeis difficult in addition whatone wants, to and possibly evengets.And something when one getsthissomething doesn't at all wantbut getsall the one its same, it unfolds own dynamic. I wouldliketo contribute experience an thatstrongly me impressed as a childand has stayed with me. It nowserves a parableforKluge's as It timein postwar pointabouttheunwanted. was Christmas Germany. Word got around thatChristmas candles were availableat the new Woolworth. However,you could onlybuy 10 thincandles if,at the of same time,you boughttwo kilograms footpowder.20 Christmas the minimumfor a proper Christmastree, meant four candles, to of unknown us all. In mymindI kilograms foot powder- a product still families see with struggling hugebags offootpowdersince,in light of themanypowercuts,they wantedto providethemselves withcanthe dles beyondChristmas. One was notto be had without other. the within The multiplicity theseemingly in the definite, unwanted threads wantedmarkforme theintellectual through Kluge's running the films. the Theyform backbonefortheinterpolations, chainsofasin and and the manyfragmented impliedstories his films. sociation, film feature to we In contrast a Kluge film, have the conventional thatthrives a lackofambiguity. thebenefit thislack,a simple on For of One standard statemise-en-scneis createdand actorsare typecast. mentin traditional narrative thatmommy lovesdaddy,and dadfilm, and the parents loves his wife, thatthe children love their parents dy is of their children, in factthecondition murderand homicide.Here one lackof ambiguity clasheswithanother one. To me, incompatible films quite theopposite.He not onlymakesintellectually are Kluge's He a anti-dramatic works,but is himself passionateanti-dramatist. "I would expose the sentence love you" as a compromise amongthe various strandswithinone person. The intertitle "Reduction of a
Crime by Way of Cooperation" (fromThePower Emotion Macht der of [Die 1983]) seems to me typicalof this. In the filmTheAssaultofthe Gefiihle,

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on Present theRestofTime[DerAngriff Gegenwart die itbrige der Zeit, auf one man confesses another to his thathe has married wife out 1985]1, of politeness. The word"politeness"meansmore herethantheword "love." On screen,a man who says he is marrying of politeness out be projecting moreofhisrealfeelings theaudiencethana man to may for is unsentiwho claims to marry love. This statement pleasantly the associatedwiththe mentaland highlights "gooeyness"normally word "love." However,politeness a word and an idea thateludes is in to The truth marrydramaand thusalmostanyadaptability screen. into out ofpoliteness does noteasilytranslate action.Thisis whyin ing and differentiathis,as well as in otherof Kluge'sfilms, explanations tionsslip intothevoice-over commentary, makingthemincreasingly are more important. These commentaries alwaysspoken by Kluge who alwayshas the lastword. himself, out that Klugejumps from pointto point.Ifone thinks he is setting hispathto clarity his to confuse audience,thisis partly true;however, This creates dilemmafortheviewer. a While leads through confusion. on communicaone can understand delivers monologues whyKluge to this tion(one ofhismajorthemes), doesn'tmakelistening themany as We are easier.After we as viewers just as complicated theauthor. all, timewhenconfronted new subjects. don't We are slowand need with wantto be overwhelmed an unfamiliar chaos, but wantinby simply stead to organize our own. We must protectourselvesfrombeing overwhelmed a chaos constructed anothereven as we are by by pleased by itspresencein thework.We requiretimeto takeup unfamiliartrains thought of and moretimestillto dwellon and to assimiof on we late them.However, findthatKlugeis already thenexttrain to reachthelastone. Thisis,of whenwe havehardly managed thought and course,stimulating, refreshing, ofgenuineentertainintellectually These mental becomes tiring. mentvalue,but it quickly jumps cause in Kluge's The Asin to symptoms the viewersimilar thosedescribed on Rest Time, when a man, in conversation with saultofthe Present the of anotherman about his wife,says:"I have myway and she getsill." whathe rebetween Klugedoes notgiveus enoughtimeto distinguish in fersto as a "real quarrel" and a "fundamental disagreement" explainingwhy the woman becomes ill. In a Kluge filmonly Kluge We and bothcommentary visualstructure. as speaksto us, controlling
1. The Americanreleasetitleof the filmis The Blind Director.

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nortimeto addressthe are viewers allowedneither space nordistance us and within in responseto hisconcontradictions objections arising is trol. The protest the against "too much" in Kluge'sfilms theequivalentof the above-mentioned powder.In thiscase the Christmas foot the combinations candles represent liberating whichwe get thought whenwe giveourselves overwithout to hischainsofassocionly mercy ations.DespitetheopennessofKluge'sform arealmosthermeticalwe is Ensnaredas we are in his lycaughtup in it.This in itself significant. or arisewhenwe find ourselves disagreeing at odds thinking, problems We withKluge'sconstructions. mustthenfinda wayto intervene. AlexanderKluge and I met over a "real quarrel." In 1974-75,I
Slave wrote a scathing critique of his filmPart-Time Work a Domestic of undFilm.I reeiner [Gelegenheitsarbeit Sklavin,1973] forthejournal Frauen

thathis protagonist, to proachedhimwiththefact contrary his intenbut was once againnothing a patriarchal tions, projection. Today,with this that moreinformation, better I am able to express feeling has never left this his After quarrel,we me, not even in watching laterfilms. became friends and my criticism became less free- pushed, as it I intothebackground. was taken byKluge'scharm, in were,somewhat as his intelligence, well as his wit(whichto me is irresistible); his by to unusualfacts, withtheother; one and by hisgenerability correlate His films osity. giveme so much thatI am well able to push aside for I I quite some timewhatever do not wantfromthem.Nonetheless, of Relindiscovered hisanti-drama a form hisform kindness. that is to and dramaand openingup hisfilms ambiguity multipliciquishing form kindness something advicedesignedto wipe of is like ty,Kluge's out definite occasionsfordestruction even thedesirefordestrucand tion. as it, Kluge's patriarchal viewpoint, I interpret is the object of the between However, us. whatactually takesplace is morelikea dispute It continuous usthat "non-dispute." is something I can bestdescribe conversaing thewordsthatKluge employsin the above-mentioned
tion between two men in TheAssaultofthePresent:

GERLACH: Who loses the quarrel? BEHRENDS: The two of us, always. I have my way and shegets ill.

GERLACH: Something's wrongwithyourargument. BEHRENDS: That was no argument, a process.Step by step. but GERLACH: Due to disagreement? BEHRENDS: Due to fundamental disagreement.

Helke Sander GERLACH: And it can't go on likethat? BEHRENDS: Sure,whynot.

63

Social conditions aren'tsuchthat could getherwayand hewould she ill. Nor would it improvematters; would however, it get change the to his ability associate,Klugesimply doesn'tthink of pattern. Despite himself it is alwaysonlyshe who getsill. asking why in is with Quarreling difficult anycase, particularly people one likes a lot. In thisconnection would liketo tella story I thatcontinually reitself and querulousnessin those peats causingfatigue everywhere, who tellit because theyare awarethatnothing much willchange. A few television discusweeksago on German there a roundtable was sionon thepossiblepardonoftwoformer of terrorists thePresident by the FederalRepublic.Six men and one woman participated; threeof themenwerestrongly the three wereforit.The woman against pardon, and one ofthemen,former members the RAF terrorist of group,had 15 yearsin prison.Five of the men wereknownto the public. spent and Since his releasethe sixthman had often been interviewed dealt withthe media relatively well.The men were self-assured, calm, and in confident. womanwas speaking publicforthefirst The timeafter 15 of silence,and she wantedto say something different fromthe years in others.She wantedto say thatshe considered inhumana system whichthousandsof people die of hungerevery are day and millions without roof over theirheads. She spoke in a shrillvoice witha a fear Needlessto say,she did notmakea justified of beinginterrupted. favorable all hunchedup in herchair,thewoman Sitting impression. for Her eyeswerefilled withtears, whichshe nerves. goton everyone's to She tried compensate occasionalhysterical giggling. did nothave by thecharm youth. theothers, of For for to particularly thosewhowanted The who wantedto "help" her,she was an embarrassment. three help did not giveher the space in whichshe could quietly expressherself, but insteadinterpreted statements. her They smoothedoverher hard words.They soothingly intervened and explainedto the otherthree men that womanactually notas bad as theimpression was the was she and silent, woman sat there, the would suggest. projecting Paralyzed or one meter removed from others the who interpreted maliciously attackedher.It was a lessonin discussion-terrorism. In Kluge'sfilms, in somewhat womenare treated a similar, although
more moderate way. While Kluge's landscape is filledwithwomen, the question always arises: what are they allowed to do? Examples from

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point. ThePatriot beginswitha titlewhichtellsus thatHannelore Hoger We therole of history teacherGabi Teichert. see her in a closeplays comHer partis notdefined her,butforherbythevoice-over by up. in Hesse, is a patriot, is, that teacher "Gabi Teichert, history mentary: withall thedead ofthe nation."A sequence dealing she sympathizes of we with thosedead follows: see a battlefield thedistant past,and war materials the lastworldwar.Then a two-word of intertitle appearsin THE KNEE. This title accompaniedby Kluge'svoice is letters: capital Christian reciting Morgenstern's poem about thelonelykneerunning war through around the world.A montagesectionfollows, recalling Then of soldiers, male choirs, and buildings. graves, repeatedimages comes a longmonologue.The kneeis givena voicelentby Kluge,the All narrator. doubtsare removed;after the knee does talk. all, in itself the The kneefrequently during film extraordinarily expresses Gabi Teichert, however, long,uninterrupted passages.The protagonist and commentaries onlyrarely a chance is piecedtogether through gets readstexts Whenshe does open hermouth, either she to speakherself. suchas Ode or to the of others attempts reconstruct writings others, by to To (Schiller's set Beethoven to music).Or, sherefuses Joy poem which is she The onlyrealinitiative displays to urge becauseshe is tired. speak convention changetheir to a policiesso delegates during political party material. After who doesn'twant thatshe willhave better all, teaching Women and small children materials"? politicalchange and "better can make thesedemands in all naiveteand innocence.Yet men can return their to normalbusiness a after speechsuchas laughand calmly are for Gabi Teichert's, the demandsof thiswoman patriot so vague and out of place as not to be takenseriously. in Gabi Teichert, search of anotherGerman history, may roam bore a hole into about thewoods witha shoveland dig in the earth, her booksand sawthemup, butshe is never allowedto formulate own She bores,digs,and saws "blindly,"as it were.The comquestions. mentary explains to the audience what she is doing and what she the a means by heractions.It also defines meaningof patriot: person who sympathizes dead. withall thecountry's and For the past 20 yearsfeminist history, linguistics, philosophy,
analysishave filledvolumes tellingus thata termlike "woman patriot" is (Patriotin) not innocent. In a manner of speaking, the very term

illustratethis ThePatriot 1979] and TheAssaultofthePresent [Die Patriotin,

Helke Sander

65

a "woman patriot"is alreadya joke. Realistically, woman patriot is a doesn'teven exist,because a patriot really male who does somefor A Thereis an is thing his country. patriot a partofthepatriarchal. beAfrican languagein whichyou cannotsay "I'm sleeping"simply cause one cannotsay thiswhilesleeping."I'm sleeping"is thusa lie, form thislanguagefortheexpression. in and thereis no grammatical is of to After years thefeminist 20 "womanpatriot" similar movement, male or feWhoeveruses it,whether thisgrammatical impossibility. male, should at leastbe awareof the extreme ironyof theterm. But obviously thisis not thecase here,wherethetermis employed with in dead earnest. KlugesaysthatGabi Teichert sympathizes all the nation'sdead. If we wereto go along withKluge and accept,forthe timebeing,thatshe does, thenwe should actually expectsomething else fromheras a woman.We should expectherto see publicbattleIn fieldshand-in-hand withotherkindsof battlefields. thisway she Gabi wouldretain perception a woman.Butas thefilm's her as patriot, is And that Teichert sees onlywhatshe is allowedto see byhercreator. that it is astonishing whata man sees. Even within Kluge'slogic only the she doesn't attempt bringtogether victims domesticbattles to of thathereye this withthepictures war.Within logicitis conceivable of travelacross graveswherenot only men and the carcassesof might horseslie, but also, now and then,women who have died in childbe of or as It birth, beatings rape,who wereburnt witches. might conis ceivablethat propsGabi Teichert handedto bore and sawforthe the is her But in secrets thebookscould prompt to suchquestions. this not thecase. The fact thatthelackof suchquestionsis in mostcases not is that due as implicit agreement it is perceived a lack by critics, to their the thatis decisive; absenceofa feminine male perception perspective at is notevennoticedas a lack.Furthermore, Klugeis a master always excellent actreswomenof greatcinematographic presence, choosing allowedto posare notreally ses who can feign independence an they of the sess,let alone to act upon, within context his films. that and the actionsof his characters result silence, Klugeinterprets to to as women'sability continue bring from He silence, positive. praises that and emotional worldsthathavebeen separated, contends together of womenhavenotyetbeen subduedby thebureaucracy theworldof is alto men.Theyare made to appearsuperior men.Theirirrationality
most a signof theirstrength. Furthermore, theyshould not nag. A womof an who nags about the irrationality Kluge's female figuresis already

66

TheFilmsofKluge

an sits in a car, preparing to commit suicide because her love has left her. She takes pills, and is found by a travellingsalesman who makes

half man,suffering whathasruined a from men.ForKlugecannot stand men. Underlying attitude a romantic his is of theworld, in conception men whichwomen have characteristics have either lost or neverpossessed.The idea evolves womenare intact, that better suitedto clearing causedbymen.No doubtthere a wreckage is caused awaythewreckage of by men and no doubttheyhave lostcontrol it.As Kluge'sthought the implies,onlywomen are considered capable of delivering world. Womenare notsupposedto reject benevolence trust. this and Theyare to acceptthisrole gladly, it increases for their In worth. the supposed askedwhether neveronce are they wantto takeon remeantime, they forthewreckage has already that occurred. sponsibility a offers second exampleforexamining of Present Kluge'sAssault the hisparticular of treatment women.In thefilm, socialworker a takesan childwithherbecause she does notwantto leave it witha orphaned that it and family she believes incapableofgiving thewarmth attention it needs. The woman,withher"richemotional what life,"recognizes is good forthechild.In thepast,womenwereassignedtheroleofcaring forchildrenbecause men had worthier thingsto do. Here she but childcare. takesthe child not because she is capable of nothing This time she does so because she is the better person,superiorto men. Womenwho laugh at thisirony often are rebukedby men who modem versions of are deeplymoved.After men now see in films all, out. Sincewomenare better children to stay are with skipping people, them- whilemen,whosepresence an imposition is can anyway, "get lost." Wim Wenderstaught thisverysame lesson in Paris, Texas: after his thetrampwho left wifeand son is fedup again,he takeshis child from foster the who haverearedand learnedto love him,and parents him returns to hisnatural without muchas asking ifshe so mother her wants child.Then,once again,he leavesto roamtheworld, lonethe a ly hero. Atthesame timeas Klugeattributes valuetofeminine characteristics thatforso long have meantnothing, also muzzles women.Womhe an's worthis increasedand men continueto wreckthe world.The is and to that multiplicity contradictoriness in theory granted men is not to concealsthisin his basically granted women.But Klugeslightly films.He tacklessubjectsfromwhichotherfilmmakers shrink. The The film Power Emotion a contains strange about a rape.A womof story

Helke Sander

67

herdo a couple ofexercises vomitup thetoxins. Whilestill to unconand informs man watches scious,she is rapedbythesalesman.A third the on the rapist.The ambulance arrives, woman is saved, and the thetrialshe saysto thewomanjudge: "my salesmanarrested. During and hurt morethantheactionofthe me lover'sobstinacy his cunning tells accused,whichI did not even notice."The commentator us that thejudge is out to getrapists, whichmakesthesituation moredifficult forthe accused,who did, in fact, save thewoman's life. in much neglected thecontempohereraisesa problemvery Kluge of able to takephysical discussions rape: manywomenare better rary hurt from personclose to them.(I also take a rape thanpsychological aller thissubjectin myfilm Trouble Love[Der The With Beginn Schrecken up ist In thefilm womanhas theopportunity describe the to Liebe, 1983]). hernon-feeling her It towards rapist. is, however, that feelstrange the of the rapistare not investigated. After the questionis: what all, ings dead makesthisman takepossessionof an unconscious, temporarily the woman? One should enquirewhether well-known "only a saying to dead Indian is a good Indian" applieshere,in a more subtleform, women (as testone cannotyetreallydo without women. Although A kill tubebabies are notyettherule),one can still themsymbolically. he lot of hiddenemotionmustlie behindtheman's action;otherwise The would nothavesexualfeelings without communication. salesman makesthewomanvomit.He walksherup and down,getsherbackon herfeetso thatshe is fit enoughto be used by him.He does notproso Had tecther,butonlyhimself thathe cannotbe calleda murderer. he notbeen observedand informed bya third on person,he probably wouldn'thave takenthewoman to the hospital. From the commentator hear the fearthatthe man may get an we we trial unsympathetic judge, whilefromthewoman duringthe trial an emotional statement thepain ofbeingrejected herlover that hear by is greater thanthatofa rape ofwhichshe was unaware- a statement thatservesto excuse the accused. Fromthe man we neverlearnwhy to womenin an unconscious state attractive him,and obviously are to men as well- think themanyrapevictims warand torture. of other of Along the lines of "silentwoman, unconsciouswoman," I would At liketo end byturning a seemingly to harmless concept. first glance, on Rest is themeaningof thetitle Assault the The of Present the ofTime understandable, making clear thatwe live in times in which it is possible to erase the future and thus the past as well. The title contains the

68

TheFilmsofKluge

on of thePresent theRestof Time,as well as Kluge's general attitudeto-

mostfilms and of knowledge possibledestruction shunstheoptimism is at are,or haveto be, devotedto. However, a closerlook thetitle not all that Or differently itis less precisethanI wouldexpect put: precise. The the whom?Is itreally present? Klugeto be. Forwho is assaulting of The possibility a future title actsas ifitwerea disputeon grammar. The products is really Butnotby"thepresent." capableof questioned. life(poisons,armaments, etc.) are in destroying gene manipulation, the hands of people who can be named: the rulingwhiteminority. white men in theworld'sindustrial Theyare in thehandsoftheruling who have thepowerto blow up theworldaroundus. These nations, this of men do not ask whether is also in theinterest their black,yel"fellow"humans.Nor do theyask white low, red, or other-colored it interests. white The womanneed onlyask womenwhether is in their to whether is prepared continue contribute thesuccess she to to herself The could haveaskedthatalso, and she ofdestruction. womanpatriot would have had her whichwould havegivenmeaningto the question, sawingof the book. Man on the Restof by Correctly put, the titleshould be TheAssault White in Time. and naiveas, interpreted the That would be just as concrete bestsense,thewomenin Kluge'sfilms naive.ButsinceKluge'stitle are our emothat is notthisbutwhatitis,itperhapsbestproveshisthesis The The title Assault tionsare lockedin variousstagesofdevelopment.

in wardswomen,havejust arrived theera ofpre-Copernican thought, the revolved in theyear1529. BeforeCopernicus's discovery, sun still aroundtheearthand themale was in God's image,thefocusofcreawhales,and seals were subjectto man, to whom tion;women,trees, led. A terrible notionrearsits head: if Kluge,the everyperspective has male avant-garde at artist, onlyarrived theyear1529in hisattitude towards have othermales arrived? women,in whatcentury

Cornwell by Translated Regina

as Force: Femininity Productive Theory Klugeand Critical

Heide Schluipmann
the When AlexanderKluge introduced conceptof a "femaleproductive force"intothedebatesofthewomen'smovement themidin it was as part of a longstanding on the "public discourse 1970s, The topos ofthepublicspherehad been a censphere"(Oiffentlichkeit). in tralconcern theleft theFederalRepublic- from anti-nuclear to the of the 1950s and 1960s to the student move(Ostermarschierer) protests ment.Whatever their causes might thesemovements inbe, particular vokedtheEnlightenment tradition Western of democracies whichthe FederalRepublicpurported havejoined. As an "extraparliamentary to the claimedto promote democratic the opposition," left process- the of theGermanpeople - in contrast thecontinuto "coming-of-age" ing hold of the NationalSocialist past overpolitical, legal,social,and The cultural institutions. Habermas'sinfluential study, Structural Juirgen thiscritical interest thelibin Transformation Sphere, ofPublic epitomized in 1962,the book of eraltradition thepublic sphere.'First published beforethe end of the 1960s. wentthrough threereprints of as The fact that factions theleft wentunderground the 1960scame a a loss to an end had a lotto do with disillusionment, ofconfidence visof Atthe A-vis emancipatory the substance thebourgeois publicsphere. of same time, loss ofconfidence this defined fragmentationtheprothe of into test movement theso-called "newsocialmovements." Despairing ofclassical ofuniversality in theformal inherent thepromise principles
derOffentlichkeit: zu einer 1. Jilrgen Habermas,Strukturwandel Untersuchungen Kategorie derbiirgerlichen Luchterhand, 1962). (Neuwied/Darmstadt: Gesellschaft

69

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as Productive Force Femininity

the movements turned thepolitics causes to of democracy, protest In and paid thecostofmereparticularity. contrast, OskarNegtand Alin exanderKlugemade one moreattempt theearly1970sto resurrect of the public sphereon Marxist In the project Public premises. their undErfahrung, and 1972],Negtand Kluge Sphere Experience [Offentlichkeit an notionof thepublicsphereby surrendering its maintain emphatic form.Withtheirconceptof an oppositionalor "counter bourgeois the they try publicsphere"(Gegen6ffentlichkeit),to extricate publicsphere ofpublicand private. from and formalism thedichotomy Instead, they to defined relations, by attempt groundthe public spherein material on on economicproduction theone hand,and by humanexperience that theother.It is no coincidence, therefore, Negtand Kluge'sbook in umbrella underwhicha left could figure the 1970s as a theoretical into ecological,peace, and women's into disintegrating individuals, could once more imagineitself unified. movements, and in Public For thewomen'smovement particular, Sphere Experience a within which continuing fundaand a theoretical framework presented could be reflected allianceof political mental struggle upon - despite in a that had once been united thepolitical exodusofwomenfrom left ofthebookwhenitfirst can The considerable impact appeared protest. the be explainedby lookingat the problemthatconfronted women's such tendencies fundamentalist at movement thetime:howto reconcile notion and thecultofmatriarchy theleftist with as "new motherhood" Tohad been committed. the ofpolitics which movement previously to has long sincedisintegrated. thisnotionof a unified politics day, of undertheumbrella a feminist to The attempt contextualize politics ofthat of fell short thespecific counter however, impulse publicsphere, cannotbe subsumedunderthe"new The politics. women'smovement as socialmovements," Habermaswouldhaveit,nordoes ithaveitspoit in litical foundation anykindof "femininity."2 Rather, is foundedin in inscribed the bourgeoispublic to the genderhierarchy opposition and Public today, Sphere Experience itis amazinghowits Re-reading sphere. of critique the bourgeoisconceptof the public sphereaptlyanalyzes but of theseparation publicand private, missesthecentral questionof
Zur HandeIns: Kritik des 2. Juirgen Habermas,Theorie kommunikativen derfunktionalistisof vol. chen 1981) 178. On Habermas'sdiscussion the Suhrkamp, Vernunft, 2 (Frankfurt: see of the within framework new social movements, also Silvia women's movement in Die der Subsumtionspolitik? Frauenbewegung den Kontos, "Modernisierung 2 Studien (1986): 34-49. Feministische TheorienneuersozialerBewegungen,"

HeideSchliipmann 71 genderdifference. and Kluge'sbook playedintotheneed foruniNegt a whenitascertained senseofcoherence tyin thewomen'smovement of But within spectrum the"post-60s"movements. italso contribthe and to uted to a tendency minimalizethe all-roundlatentconflicts, whichwould have discourseon sexualpolitics thusto evade a political not and thenewmovements, a presented challenge onlyto theold left of as but to the proponents matriarchy well. which elaboratedthe concept of femininity, Kluge subsequently in andExperience,his 1975 book a minorrolein Public Sphere playsonly A Method Slave:Toward Realistic Part-Time ofa Domestic Work [GelegenheitsThis einer Zur arbeit Methode]. discussionis not only Sklavin: realistischen but indebtedto Marxiansocial theory, also documentsKluges relain and to Max Horkheimer particular. to Critical My Theory, tionship on willbe to throw in discussion intention thefollowing light Kluge's his to concept Theory examining emancipatory by relationship Critical force.In doing so, I will referonly to of femininity productive as or in and writings notto his stories films, whichhe Kluge'stheoretical the WhileKlugeforegrounds more complexly. thisthematic presents womenplaya muchmoreperipheral in femaleprotagonists hisfilms, of Work a with rolein his theoretical writings, theexception Part-Time of Domestic Slave. to this ByKluge'sownadmission, book developedas a reaction critiwhichthe filmof the same name cism fromthewomen'smovement comhis upon itsrelease.Here as well,however, theoretical provoked ofwomenand theproblemofemanciwith ing-to-terms thesituation of narrow reprints a space: alongwith pationoccupiesa comparatively the book includesan elucidationof listof textsand scriptoutlines, as is "Roswitha's protagonist) a response agenda" (Roswitha thefilm's leveled againstthe film.In thissection,Kluge comthe criticism to the mentson, among otherthings, film'sabortionscene.Amongthe "Commentson the OppositionalConceptof Realism"thatcomprise the addresses topicofthe"Inone theaddenda to thefilm section, text in terest the Woman's Film: Contextof the Social Mode of Producof the tion." Nonetheless, effect thisworkon thewomen'smovement in was as at thetime- at leastinsofar thiseffect mirrored thecultural and academicwomen'sscene - was great:itbecame a canonicaltext forreadingand discussiongroups. the forms pointofdeparand Public A passagefrom Sphere Experience
as ture for the discussion of femininity "productive force" in Part-Time

72

as Productive Force Femininity

Slave.This passage consistsof excerptsfromthe section Work Domestic ofa on "PrimarySocialization as the Formationof the ExperientialCapacity." It is here in a footnotethatthe concept of a femaleproductiveforce first appears in Kluge's work.This concept is takenup again in the early "The partplayed by co-authoredby Kluge and Negt,in a sectionentitled female labor in human production." This sectionprimarily documents the fact that the authors have incorporated the work of Claude Meillassoux and withhim are expanding the Marxisthorizon of historical observation.I will not pursue this point in any greaterdetail here. In examining the positions Kluge outlines on the "women's question" in these pieces, the followingpoints stand out: 1. Kluge never differentiates between femininity and "motherliness" he considers the entireproblematic of feminineproduc(Miitterlichkeit); tiveforceand social existence only fromthe perspectiveof the mother/ child relationship. 2. Kluge subordinatesthe question of women's emancipation to the Marxistcategoriesof productiveforce,relationsof production,and class. 3. Femininityand sexual difference never mentioned in discusare sions of the public sphere, the productive forceof fantasy, the proor ductive force of the spectatorin cinema. 4. Kluge oftenemphasizes thatthe categories"feminine" and "masculine" do not ultimately classify persons, but rathercontribute,in accordance with a natural bisexuality,to an analysis of qualities that are present in varyingdegrees in everyhuman being. I would like to quote the footnotefromPublic and on Sphere Experience as productive force in its entirety, because it delineates the femininity scope of Kluge's theorizing on the "women's question": In theforms interaction define successful of that the mother/child a mode of production maintained is whichcan be relationship, viewedas theresidueof a matriarchal means of production. is It to incorrect attribute solelyto hormonalprocesses, a "materit to nal instinct" merely in It biologicalterms. is much morethecase herethata femalemeansof production whichis aimed at thesatisfaction needs ("handlingthe child in accordancewithits of its in capacities, satisfying needsat anycost")is vindicated oppositionto thepatriarchal capitalistic and worldsurrounding This it. mode of production absolutely is to of superior the mechanisms thatworld, but is isolated fromthe degree of socializationof

and 1980sinHistory Obstinacy/Autonomy und also [GeschichteEigensinn, 1981],

Heide Schliipmann

73

this overallsocialcommunication. superiority mode production The of of to women's claim emancipation: it makesuse, however legitimates op-

of and a modeof within superior pressed deformed, experiences if it in production only is able to grasp society itsentirety.3

herethefundamental ideas of Max Horkheimer's Klugeappropriates 1936 essay"Authority Family"- an essaywhichKlugealso cites and in his text the vis-a-vis questionofthe"double character" thefamiof to Horkheimer, bourgeoisfamily not only the the is ly.4According to but agentof submission social domination, it is also thesiteof humanity,even containingthe potentialfor resistance.It owes this to a contains resemancipatory potential theworkofwomen,foritstill ofthe"principle love forthewholehumanbeing,"Klugespeaksof of the mode of production thatis aimed at the satisfaction needs by of means of concrete, actualuse values. BothHorkheimer Klugesee thefeminine and in potential thefamily as always above all because thewomanis exclusively restricted, already on of fixated thewelfare thefamily whichis politically conmembers, in In servative itseffect. addition, to Horkheimer refers the"chains"of cessfulmother/child the relationship," child neverlearnsto see the mother thewoman)in herconcrete existence a socialand sexuas (i.e., al being. Kluge does not extrapolate reality women otherthan a for thatof themother/child He relationship. onlypointsout the"double thisrelationship: within her oppression"thatthewoman experiences social oppression, and theoppression to herexistence general specific forthe child.5 In spiteoftheselimitations, Horkheimer Klugemainand however, tainthatthefeminine of its allowsitto transcend potential thefamily statusquo, whichHorkheimer as the "inadequacyof love designates in itsbourgeoisform"- a topos of bourgeoisliterature.6 Kluge,on
3. OskarNegtand Alexander undErfahrung: OrganisationsanZur Kluge,Offentlichkeit von und alyse biirgerlicherproletarischer (Frankfurt: 1971) 50; emSuhrkamp, Offentlichkeit phasisadded. 4. Max Horkheimer, und Studien Autoritdt Familie und "Autoritit Familie," (Pariiber Kritische Theorie is, 1936); also in Horkheimer, (Frankfurt: 1968) 277-360. Suhrkamp, 5. Cf. Oskar Negt and Alexander Kluge, Geschichte Eigensinn und (Frankfurt: Zweitausendeins, 1981) 312. 6. Horkheimer 357.

idue of matriarchy. Where Horkheimer - along with Hegel - speaks

monogamy, and to the factthateven in the - to quote Kluge - "suc-

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as Productive Force Femininity

the contrary, betweenthe superiority the of perceivesa discrepancy mode of production of feminine and the relations production which fromthe public sphereas something separatethisproduction "private" and prevent frombecomingsocially it valid. It is apparent, thatHorkheimer's however, conceptof thefeminine is within family at base affirmative, critical; derives not he the potential element from projection. fact womanmust a The theutopian that maintaina different, earlier levelofsocialization within retarded, capitalism, inthat produces she and reproduces requisite the can humanity, be read in thephilosophy thebourgeois of revolution (Rousseau).Horkheimer in morethanthefunction celebrates, itsdisintegration, nothing imposed on womanin theestablishment thebourgeois of family. In thewritings Rousseauwe see in beautiful of mahow little clarity this and violencedetermine role.Roustriarchy howmuchpatriarchal into the organizational seau's philosophyallows us to look further structure the family of and capitalist and public (the private society on authority the family. and than does Horkheimer's sphere) piece the of makeclearthat discussion theemancipatory Rousseau'swritings of cannotbeginwith woman'srolein thefamithe potential femininity fortheactualproblematic locatedpriorto this, theappropriais in ly, and femalesexuality society. The tion of the sexual relationship by of the private and thepublic,without whichbourseparatedspheres would not be able to function, constituted means are geois society by ofthefunctionalization thesexualrelationship, of whichis thusalienated fromits own reality. femalesexuality, bound by its Specifically, for to reproduce speciesand to themale capacity love,is the obligation withheld fromwoman's experience. Horkheimer's that emphasis on the "erotic rebellion" intimates of what is reallyat stakeis the emancipation relations betweenthe sexesand theemancipation womanas a subjectand a sexualbeing. of HorkBut onlya perspective the transcending family a perspective heimerneverreaches- could differentiate froma romanticizing this of the capacity love attributed women.Klugeapparently for to avoids thisromanticization elidingtheeroticaltogether, instead by speaking in a sobering tone of a femaleproductive force thatstandsin opposiof In tionto relations production. so doing,he on theone handcomes closerto theproblemof theseparation theprivate of and public,but on theother this with In Marxist overlays separation categories. theenPublic and sexualdifference, tire to Sphere Experience, Klugefails mention

HeideSchliipmann 75 or of cited femininity, theemancipation womanexceptin thefootnote on whichbelongsto thechapter socialization within bourthe above, Yet in of geoisfamily. he managesto devoteone section comments the addenda to the public sphereof children. in What Kluge(alongwithNegt)neglects Public and Sphere Experience, on of he reflection thequestion woman'semancipation, innamely, any tendsto addressin Part-Time ofa Domestic Work Slave.Within framethe workof thisemancipatory he to the interest, attempts interpret contradiction the between private publicin thelivesofwomenas one beand tweenfemaleproductive of forceand patriarchal/capitalistic relations in themostimportant ofproduction Womenpossess production. object of thecommodity labor power.Theirlaboring producehuto society: man beings, things, not thusalways a retains "humanresponse":"The forceof women so determined would have to be emanciproductive in and ofitself."7 does itnot,then, havean emancipatory efpatory Why fect? theanswer: of "The reasonforthisis therelation Klugeprovides within which productive the forces womanareexpressed. of production, Her productive is force defeated itsprivateness."8 this What meansis by thatwomendevelopstrengths whichare considered weaknesses the by dominantreality While the critics, and women especially, principle. called Klugeto taskforthe simple-mindedness the political of actions RoswithaBronski,the protagonist the film The of by represented Occasional of Domestic Work a he maintained he had been that Slave, firmly concerned withrepresenting female specifically capacities. to between woman'sproductive According Kluge,thecontradiction forceand the relations production assumed in current of has society the formof a contradiction betweenactual strengths the public and of as Thus Klugeelevatesthe recognition thesestrengths weaknesses. themeof emancipation fromthe narrower Marxist model of revoluand ultimately marksit as a questionof the modificationary change tion of the public sphere.In otherwords,women will breakfreeof theirconservatism when theydevelop an alteredconsciousnessof themselves whichrefuses validatethe dominant to reality principle. this in and Klugehas described problemelsewhere Public Sphere Expe- "in reality as forceof fantasy.9 rience one of the productive Fantasy
7. AlexanderKluge,GelegenheitsarbeitSklavin: realistischen einer Zur Methode (Frankfurt: 1975) 185. Suhrkamp, 8. Kluge,Gelegenheitsarbeit 184. 9. Negt and Kluge,Offentlichkeit thissectionhas been translated Peter 66-74; by 46 Labanyi;in October (Fall 1988): 76-80.

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as Force Femininity Productive

in form humanlabor"' - exists current of themostimportant society in splitparts.One partis functionalized a bondingmediumto as only fixatehuman beings on the statusquo as "the best of all possible discredited "mere as worlds";theother partis excludedas unrealistic, and permitted within reserves "art,beautiful the of feelfantasy," only is thefamily, leisuretime."" Fantasy notavailable ings[schline Gefiihle], foruse as a mediating forcebetweenthe drivestructure, consciousworld.Kluge drawsa connection betweenthe ness,and the external of of a "confined"(kaserniert) and the emancipation problem fantasy but the worker, failsto draw a similar connection betweenconfined of that and fantasy theemancipation women.Indeed,considering his it that offantasy groundedin psychoanalysis,is noteworthy is concept of has the reality sex and sexual difference eluded him. of in The thematic the "interest women's films"thatKluge finally on conto promises addressin one ofhis comments the"antagonistic the of this of precisely problemofhowto liberate force fantasy women and about women. However, our expectations are disappointed: of returns on thetotal"context socialmodes ofproducto Klugeagain of tion."He hopes fora "transformationsocialrelations" based on the interaction betweenthe maternalmode of productionand thatof etc. in workers, farmers, This hope also results thedemand,expressed in a footnote, cooperation for betweenfilmmakers, politicalfilmorand women'sgroups.Thereis nothing in thissection else ganizations, to in related the"interest women'sfilms." specudirectly Klugerightly lates that"any one of thesemodes of production, class in itself, any he but nonetheless, does not possess the keyforits emancipation," of again bypassesthe question of the emancipation woman's (self-) consciousness and the role playedby cinemain thisprocess. he In whatfollows, analyzesthe "blockages"of the emancipatory of forces womenwho "don't workforwages."Womenwho are active in theworkforce neverspecifically are discussedin thiscontext since,
as posited in History Obstinacy/Autonomy, and job trainingis not "classWork a Domestic of Slave) circumscribes cept of realism" (in Part-Time

of specificto the femaleclass."'2 Perhaps the representation these

in in Hopf, and Alexander Kluge, FilmwirtschaftderBRD und in Europa: Gditterdiimmerung

10. AlexanderKluge,"Marktstruktur Bediirfnis," Michael Dost, Florian in und

Raten (Munich:Hanser, 1973) 75. 11. Kluge,"Marktstruktur" 75. 12. Negtand Kluge,Geschichte 320.

Heide Schliipmann

77

the blockagesdoes sound plausibleifone proceedsfrom assumption thatwoman represents productive a social forceonly as a mother. her Only thendoes it seem reasonablethatshe mustmaintain "subdominant context production of and meaning,"even ifthis"mainteis of for of nancein turn thecondition possibility theoppression womAnd thelistof oppressions thatKluge drawsup - in the first en."'3s place, her oppressionby man - is a long one. Kluge analysesthese on whichform within pointby point,focusing possiblecounterforces in the them,in order to return the end to his point of departure: ofwomenis blockedin sucha waythat can be it potential oppositional withothermodes of production: organizedonlyin interaction the of of oppositional formation degree complexitythe against opin is alsothere allother of that modes production; ofthe pression that those businessman, oftheworkers, intelligence, ofthesmall But thefarmers. because themultiple of of program theproductive force women their of and this themost is oppression, pointed for for And, provocation a realist methodology. therefore, thethesisthat ofthe all various of alsocial modes production oppressed learn eachother.14 from ternately Thus it becomes increasingly for obvious thatwhatmatters Kluge in but is women'sfilms notwomen'scinemain general, whatthevision of femininity contribute his own work. to can in theability represent to seemsto Moreover, femininity Kluge'sfilms be blockedprimarily the factthathe reducesthe questionof the by ofwomento thefigure womanherself, thefigure of to of emancipation themultiply herinto woman,in orderto subsequently oppressed bring hisdiscussion theproblem theemancipation theother of of of "classes." In otherwords,he separates themeof femininity a productive the as from oftherelationship between sexes, the and that sexualiof force that in within them.However, thisconnection and never reunites society, ty of and of liestheelement commonto a critique femininity to a critique of thebourgeois and itsseparation theprivate public), publicsphere(in of and cinema. as wellas to a critique a confined fantasy mainstream to The fact theproblem femininity pertains menis at once that of also his to and closedoff Klugewith reference bisexuality. by acknowledged
13. Kluge,Gelegenheitsarbeit 229.
14. 241. Kluge, Gelegenheitsarbeit

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as Force Femininity Productive

have and determined, socially femininity masculinity become Although of thatthediscussion interchangeable to secondnature such an extent individuals identify to that forces attributes veilsthesocialviolence only and It is notHorkheimer's on authority the with essay positions. gender that the but of family, theDialectic Enlightenmentcontains mostadvanced of and power, of intothefusion gender Theory displayinsights Critical Dialectic of theoppression womanin itstruly dimension." of abysmal ing from of Enlightenment outhowthebourgeois project emancipation maps of fails. realizedas thedomination nature, nature, necessarily Thus the from nature was notresolved idea of theemancipation and, underthe women'smoveofenlightenment, also taken bytheradical was up sign that with ment together theinsight, however, itcan onlysucceedifitis theemancipation nature. But,forwomen,emancipaof simultaneously to themselves be defined terms in nature meansnotallowing tionfrom of ofmotherhood, evenin theform "social motherhood." of In conclusion, (at Theory leastas itperKluge'sreception Critical it is as tainsto theconceptoffemininity productive force) one-sided; is and the Family" based on thosepassagesin Horkheimer's "Authority Thiscorresponds to look backnostalgically theearly which bourgeoisie. in to areassuchas television, to Kluge'sconcept, expressed relation other of existthereactivation qualities forces ofreleasing through productive disrethemanufactorial ofcapitalism. Klugecompletely stage ingduring in Critical of of Theory, gardsthe dimension theDialectic Enlightenment at theexpenseofthe Marxist once againaffirms and instead categories in of Nietzschean influence thework Adornoand Horkheimer. Perhaps that with allowsKlugethe itis precisely relationship Critical this Theory in tendencies Adorno's filmmaker remainimmuneto the rigorous to contrasts of the "culture industry." these Instead, Kluge critique underthe with memory an early, of tendencies the cinema, precapitalist to coverof whichhe is able, withfeigned naivet&, move productively and television. within media of film the

Daniel Owen by Jamie Translated

trans. and Theodor Adorno,Dialectic Enlightenment, John 15. Max Horkheimer of 1969). Cumming(New York:Seabury,

Alexander Phantom the Kluge's of Opera

Koch Gertrud
AlexanderKlugeattaches much greater to importance musicas an elementin the overallmontageconstruction autonomousaesthetic thando otherdirectors who workpredominantly thepossibilities with motifs afforded montage. playedthrough Operatic manyofKluge's by films wellbefore becamea motif. Bizetand Wagner, Verdi, opera itself into minimalizedparts,run like a threadof sound fragdismantled mentsthrough films, do popular hits,male choirs,humming, his as marchesand othermusical material. The musical warbling, tangos, motifs suffer same fateat Kluge'shands as do theimagesand the the down so as to bear script: spoils,often stripped theyare a collector's theburdenofthevisualand verbalmaterial. his printed muIn work, tendto cropup in theform sheetmusic,scrapsoflarger of sicalmotifs finin Processes a Deadly with scores.Thus, thestories theLearning Ending ish witha Schubert whiteon black.' It contains mesthe lied printed have burnedintothe forests a distant of planet sage thatresearchers with chemical weapons and can now decipher with a telescope: the flushof dawn,the hymnof theplanetof the same l'Aurore, first of name. For Kluge,musicalmotifs not illustrative are conveyors atare like mosphere;rather, wordsand images,they signsofa social experiencethathas congealedin the subject. Carmen Spitzname: in Power Emotion. This is thetitle a short of of story Kluge'sbook,The The storyconcernsFriedrich chiefeditorof the politics Karmecke,
mit a. 1. AlexanderKluge,Lernprozesse t6dlichem Ausgang (Frankfurt M.: Suhrkamp, 1973),last page (n.p.).

79

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Kluge'sPhantom theOpera of

who findsthathe is to be subdesk of a WestGermanradio station, to a security checkthatwillincludehis private life: jected On various Karmecke inhisyounger had occasions, separate years in andindifferent locations sexurepeatedly engaged extramarital al congress, this he which morning couldremember sleepily. only Allthese amount hisCarmen.ishisexpeto It experiences together of the is rience venturing the beyond limits; rest office.2 for Carmen as shorthand exogamy.In his famousessay on Bizet's an Adornooffers interpretation whatin Kluge'sworkfuncof Carmen, to condensetheconcrete of if tions experience a definite, ideal-typical it as theuniversal into case. Adornoviews lapse of sexuality a natural in to state, thecourseofwhichsexuality by gainsitsfreedom refusing to conform societalnorms:"The fatethatholds swaythereand that in holdsup nothing humanis sexuality and itself, itsante-diluvian prein Adornofollows Nietzsche's intellectual Where tracks, form."3 Kluge The opera,above all itsmusic, which clearly meaning. injects practical for Adornostill contained of of something thehistory humanbeingsas naturalbeings (as he sees being performed Carmen) translated in is "venturbackin Kluge'sshort intotheopposition between prosepiece and "office" thelimits" ingbeyond [Amt]. Sexuality [Grenziiberschreitung] and of cenbecomes"extramarital intercourse," theexogamy the 19th a "venworldis transformed an imperial into tury opera transgression, turing beyondthelimits." is "Carmen also one ofthoseoperasaboutexogamy, series a which exto to civilization."4 Lulu- eulogies an escapefrom Klugerefers this pasAdornoin one ofhistelevision on broadcasts which focuses presageby of the of senting history opera as a sortof social history humanemoIn thesebrief films tions. thirty-minute montage producedfortheprivatenetworks, a different of reading Klugeproposes way opera history and the stories thatoperas tell.While"Spitzname:Carmen"summarizesthereferential in of interpresence opera mythology theeveryday ofitsrecipients, operaclipsmovealonga variety paths his of pretations
2. Kluge,Die Macht Gefiihle der Zweitausendeins, (Frankfurt: 1984) 346. 3. Theodor W. Adorno,"Fantasiasopra Carmen," 16 Gesammelte Schriften (Frankfurt/Main: 1978) 305. Suhrkamp, 4. Adorno299.

and tendsfromThe Jewess

via Aida,Lamke and Butterfly Berg's to L'Afriiaine

Gertrud Koch

81

of to approachthemaingoal: thedisarming thefifth in whichthe act, of traditional was wontto have the heroinedie. opera dramaturgy bearsthetitle Love One ofthesetelevision or, experiments L'Africaine; a In the with FatalEnding. it Klugehas SabineTrooger, announcer, say the following: from on film A famous director, abroad, returning work location his decided work seemed when life's andata moment threatened, in World order as itwere, in to father children theThird 110 to, nations. The of death. thelowcostlevels those At havea life after failed. attempt of numerous to notion Thiscorresponds a key underlying operas men infatuated exotic with forWestern become the19th century. as Theodor Adorno W. putsit,seduce eignwomen, theanalyst The exotic women ofsuchlove. die return home. them then and Adornomentions on The operasinsist thisfatalconclusion.
Power Fate,theearth the of fal],the exoticCarmen, Inca son in The with Gone Lulu.We would add: the slaveHelen in Quovadis, spirit The theWind, Ice-cold etc.,etc.5 Angel,

ParsiMadame Richard Puccini's Kundry [from Wagner's Butterfly,

Giacomo Giacomo Meyerbeer's Halkvy'sTheJewess, L'Africaine,

on This sequence,whichfollows theheelsofthepassagefrom Adorno into20thfrom 19th-century the movessmoothly cited, opera already frommammothspectaclesvia the filmhistory, specifically century melodramato the Frenchfilmnoir of the sixties.One of the wellon knownthesesin Adorno and Horkheimer's chapter the "Culture Gesamtkunstwerk once consummated and destroyed filmwas at by and it is thisthesisthatKlugeinvokeshere. from trajectory, this that however, Apart Klugebelieves operaand film to different needs:whereas for invokes Feeling irthe correspond opera the majority films of themselves reparable tragedy, imagine obligedto offer happyending. bothcases,lovegets somewhere thewaya In left on side. Klugeby no meansaccepts compulsion closure the to whichlinks film As terms. in his stories and opera withnarrative in dramaturgical films,Kluge approachesopera by means of a consistent policy of minimalization atomization. selects and He details from plotor the the
5. Kluge,"Ein imaginarer der 1984Hamburgischen Staatsoper Opernffihrer,"Jahrbuch 88 (Hamburg:Intendanzder Hamburgischen 1988) 15. Staatsoper,

is of Industry" in TheDialectic Enlightenmentthat Wagner's notion of a

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of Kluge'sPhantom theOpera

to their intrinsic to sucha pointthat musicand attempts radicalize logic theoverall architecture theclosedartwork. of ultimately they explode He thustakes ofMadame stock a colonialist drama,bymeans Butterfly, ofimages waiting, that of for culminate MadameButterflyher in images death.Usingblack-and-white - with details from footage garJapanese dens whichhe projects onto a stagein an pmpty theatre he stresses the Western precisely mythologized signsof an essentialized, "Japan": thebamboo cane,thegraphic linesoftwigs, MountFuji,etc.Yetat the same time, limited this of the quality thesignsimplies deathoftheperson: exoticism a fantasy as which carefully is sheltered from life a real lifeof appearances. Klugesumsup theitemsin his "imaginary guideto theopera" in a ofideology reminiscient he thema differmanner critique, though gives entdirection: rather thanunmasking as delusions, ashe mythologies sumes the attitude a quasi-naive of observer. The latter poses tough of questionsas to the probability thatwhichopera's illusionary space evokes.Thus Klugeallowshis imagination reinwith free to respect the motivations: does all actionat a particular in protagonists' why juncture an opera appear to be connected a powerfully to effective or destiny? whataretheblindspots theactors' in mindsand motives in which result their sexualoffenders theheight enlightat of becoming unpredictable ened civilsociety? A ten-page textin The Power Emotion entitled "The Police Chiefis of " is undoubtedly mostbizarreof Kluge'ssupplemented Dead . . . the he a opera plots.In thistext, narrates by Scarpia'smurder Tosca from widevariety perspectives of on theone hand,trace inevitabilithe which, attention detail to cretyofhisdeathwith and,on theother, painstaking ate an altogether unusualpicture PoliceChiefScarpia.Kluge'sinterof takes itsleitmotif musical as the motif Puccini assigned that had pretation to thepolicechief's appearance: Threethunderous harmonies theorchestra B-major, from A(in and the for loud,almost form leitmotif the major E-major, brutal) somewhat the to action folblackguard Scarpia, preempting violent Ferenc believed couldrecognize he in low.(Theconductor Fricsay them "blinding ofthemidday in Rome.")6 the sun glare with Kluge'spassageon "Scarpiaas malebody"seemstome significant
6. 446; trans. in this issue. Kluge, Die Machtder Geflihle

Koch Gertrud

83

of respectto the qualities and idiosyncracies Kluge's oeuvre. He may adshare the opinion thatopera concerns itself withemotive states mittedly and worldsthathave been suppressed by civilization and which simultaneously create and express "discontentin culture"; yet in the strictest sense he would reject the antipodal division of nature and history, of drivesand culture.Allow me to quote at somewhatgreaterlengthfrom thispassage, on which I shall laterelaborate. The textbegins witha descriptionof Scarpia's physicalcondition beforegetting in the mornup findshimselffaced by the ing, namely that he sullenlyand unwillingly factthaton thisparticular him as ifit morninghis erectpenis confronts were somethingforeign and troublesome,"but he cannot cut itoff the in same way thathe can close one of his security or giveor fordepartments In himselffromthe preget orders to subordinates."'7 order to extricate dicament he thinksof blackmailingTosca, clearlynot with any pornographic intentbut so as to reestablish.the harmonybetwen himselfand his own social contextby thinking the social degradationof thisdivine of to singer."The next day," Kluge's textreturns the passage in the opera: The nextday,however, whathe with good reasonhad deniedhimin hiswayonce he hasTosca lockedin hisofficial self chambers gets and talks herinsistently, brings in physical to him to which proximity himso that circling her.She kneels aroundherin thisdibefore he, her so vineposture, endsup behindherback[... He shoves slightly .]. thatshe falls into the emforward a position spieshad occasionally been broidered and he, upon in their reports which had histrousers in unbuttoned themeanwhile had sheremained couldhave and still, in as or manner ifhe werea goator a hare, a exploited a primordial soldier the French a lullin thefighting so forth. and Instead, during in stuck histrousers becomessmeared thetipwith fluid at a penis notsperm and noturine, rather lubricant; itfails makeanya but to the whichare difficult open, so to trousers, thing glidethrough silk thatScarpia,annoyedwiththisbrazenautonomy, longerfeels no thediva'smagicand loses his desireas ifitmiscarried. a conseAs thisdeceitful seduction quence, he proceedswiththe blackmail, - not because he hopes to gain some eroticadvantage over the in diva,but rather orderto get his mind to prevail, which,since the earlymorning, had been at odds withhis penis.8 What is remarkablein thisfantasy which supplementsthe established
7. 8. Macht 450. Macht451.

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Kluge'sPhantom theOpera of

lishedplot of theopera is thewaythedescription almostscientific, is itscomic effect from familiar the deviceofthefailure meof drawing in in chanicalprocesses. Withan eyetrained experimentation thenatural sciences,the painstaking methodof the empirical of description in the case of this "male body" correphysical-material processes in an deictic spondsto a certain tendency Kluge'swritings, inclination use exemplary demonstration is depictedand/or in which surfaces to hisfilms thecommentator's as as voice,as intertitles, statements exby and otherdevices.The assertion in the opera, thatit is perts implicit withpassionsand all itsvariousforms, Scarpiadesires concerned that the divinesinger, and thattheopera in turnclaimsthatshe is Tosca, desirable- it is thisprecondition whichallowsopera dramaturgy to switchon "a power stationof emotions" that Kluge subjectsto a dialectical thatopera has to do with critique.He takesthe assertion in orderto then,in a second step,definethatpaspassionsseriously sion in terms itssexualcore,quite in keeping of with Adorno'sintenWhere he does so, however, also shows - not without tions. he a undertone thatthepassionopera demandsis alwaysone mocking has of this that been deprived precisely sexualcore.Scarpia'sdesirefor Tosca is the sheerwillto power:thechief police blackmails diof the vine diva; sexuality disturbedhim in the act. At the moment, only whenthepassionis robbedofitssexualcore,itcollapsesby however, itself. Hence Klugesummarizes: Thisishowhedied, without the at reason hisdispohaving original salthat outside observers would haveascribed hisactions. to Even without he his in Tosca'sknife, wouldnothavereached objective In the it his rather were affair. fact, wasnever actually objective, there in the that into situations as objectives affair disintegrated different soonas they neared He felt carealization. hadalready the practical that If died adventure, coming morning.he hadn't inthis tastrophe he would havedisgraced himself impotence.9 with Yet Klugedoes notlimit himself reconstructing supplementing to and mechanisms external, the internal of theatrical eventsfromthe perof observer and demiurge: also invents he unspective an omniscient realizedpossibilities the characters for involvedin the action.Opera thusbecomesforhima pile ofruinsleft thefatalistic courseofthe by
story,which he sets out to rearrange. Once exploded into atomized
9. Macht 451f.

Gertrud Koch

85

details - ruins - the power of fatedissipates, as does the efficacy of narrativeclosure. He can now hunt forways-outand give recomany whose functionin Baroque opera mendations. Like the deusex machina, that the prescribed good and was to ensure with pleasing regularity harmonic end was afterall achieved, so Kluge too descends upon the smashed remnants of the opera in order to expose as misdirected determinismthe now openly visible mechanism as it runs on empty. It is above all the short form of the television operas that is best suited to such atomized portrayal,and Kluge groups these miniatures ironicallyunder the heading of an "imaginary guide to the opera": to According [this guide],a modernopera now,at theend of the 20thcentury, would not consist an imitation thegreatopera of of The repertoires. searchforthe needle in TheMarriage Figaro of it at for and thedesperation notfinding - suffices a sketch opeas The sum of such material ra material. could fillmanyevenings: musicaux." could be as short the"moments as yeteach singlesketch It is enoughforsucha moment "flare to up." Thereis no need for a temporal build-up.'0 The explosive elements which Kluge extricatesfrom the operas are clearlynot those of an unbound sexus, of natural images of a utopia of reconciliation: the cover of ThePowerofEmotion shows a single photoin and it is no of an air forcesquadron flying combat formation, graph coincidence that the volume not only contains the scriptof an opera filmof the same titlebut a wealth of criticalmilitary as writings well. In his briefpreface, the writerand filmmakersketches his project: The poweroffate: nameofan operawhich the almostall wouldfit therereallyis such a operas. But it remainsdoubtfulwhether are different as thing fate.Perhapsthere onlya hundredthousand the fateafter event[ . . . causes whichare called is was entitled Power Emotion. The Therereally sucha Mylastfilm of and thereare also realemotions. power, to And incidentally it Warposes thegreatest challenge emotions. all power-based the greatest challengefacing projects comprises forsucha timeas itcan provethatno powercan hold itin check; it. and historically hitherto powerhas been able to arrest I wish no to tellstories whyemotionsare not powerless." of
10. Kluge,"Ein imaginairer 20. Opernfiihrer" 11. Kluge,Macht, (n.p.) preface

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Kluge'sPhantom theOpera of

as Klugethuspositsemotions diametrically opposed to war,yetat the on comment thepowerof emotionis so clearly same time,thisinitial discourse WestGermany theabstract of that embeddedin thepolitical is mediated associations. "Fate":thename through particular opposition above all to describe used in the publicor semi-public consciousness the for to of war- instead investigating causes war,one preferred invoke that itself thepoweroffate manifested in war.WhenKlugedeploys the "disarmament thefifth thisonlymakes formula thenecessary of of act," of sense against background such a covert the cross-connection which and a the their abstract despite forges linkbetween polesofemotion war, in suspect Kluge'seyesbecauseittouches Opera is highly juxtaposition. on the factthatthe greatest passions- whichcan become thatfate and death- can,in theform a masspsychosis, of also which decideslife of becomethebasisforcrusades annihilation, as in theshapeofan just with deathoutoflove. individual psychosis can linksexualmurder they thatcomThe clinical descriptions Klugegivesof thesexualprocesses the explosivecore of emotionsare notjust a means of ironic prise but a of of distantiation,travesty language, also theexpression a deepdistrust thepowerofseduction, power of a seatedfear, overwhelming an thatmustbe disarmed. as denies fate Construing as ineluctable, metaphysically preordained, determined thepossibility freely of action.Interestingly enough,at this swerves Nietzsche. return To from toward Kluge away juncture Adorno with to Bizet'sopera,Adorno once moreto thenameofCarmen: regard to as of sawthevery state theredemption sexualidegeneration a natural and Carmenis compelled follow to that as sexuality ifitwerea catety, thus intotherealmoffreedom: "Her song," imperative, passing gorical "is no songoffate, thesubject's but to answer fate ."12 writes, Adorno .... which of critique Kluge by no means sharesthe figure redemptive in he of Rather, seemstobe Adornodevelops hisanalysis Bizet'sCarmen. of whichAdorno citescritically indebtedto thatremark Nietzsche's in thatits authorremained"entrenched" "fatalism": when averring is are whosemethods thoseofwarand which founded "Love, upon the hatredbetweenthe sexes!"'3For Kluge,thisis whatopera is deadly that levels critique. intertwining he his The ofemoabout;and itis atthis tionsand warbecomesthedecisive on a metaphor whosewings whole of is of spectrum associations borneintobattle. Kluge'scritique operais
12. Adomo 303. 13. Adomo 305.

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of his at hearta critique Wagner's Gesamtkunstwerk, including mystificaof deathdressedup as metaphysics. tion ForKluge, the meansaboveall exposing the combatting poweroffate did causesthat hidebehinditsmighty, realflowing Ofwhat Scarpia flag. but of ly die? FateforKlugeis nothing thejammingtogether motives thatremainopaque, thatmutually each otherand henceexparalyze deterThus,in operathedeathsare bothutterly plode in a fatal ending. minedand well-founded yetcompletely and for unfounded, thecharacdo ters notsee through ownparadoxes. their Whatthey is a practical lack withwhichtheycould finda wayout. It sense,a shotof pragmatism would be wrong, to thatKluge'sopera performances however, suggest of could be summedup in thesimplistic terms ideology The critique. withtheir their retheatrical-scenic drafts, solutions, multiperspectival of hearsal action(which sometimes takes form court the of proceedings) a contain stubborn, core:thewishto reutopian implicitly idiosyncratic to verse courseofaction, givein to thechild'simpulse savePunch the to from arrested shouting a warning him.Kluge'sfilm to out aesbeing by thetics revealwithexceptional a certain clarity compulsionto repeat; a is that there hardly motif does notcropup againin some other situais once more,rearranged, illumiand tion,that nottried out,rehearsed If natedanewbydifferent contexts. one takes thisaesthetic, moformal mentseriously, can interpretas theexactcounter-programopera one it to seria- the serial opera which dispersesits motifsin a wealth of situational possibilities. suchan antipathetic Atfirst sight, agendawouldappearto be completothenature opera.Foritis no coincidence operaof that tely contrary ifit is robbedof itspathosby irony, which, immediately overinto flips - has become the favorite the comical and object of all travesties Whatis thereasonforKluge'svehement on attack opeimpersonators. ra's blindbelief, alliancewithdeath?I have already its outlined briefly ofthepathosoffate from that and passionstems social Kluge'srejection that cannot seenin isolation be from German history. experiences Kluge is therepresentative interim ofan unwho childhood generation had their der NationalSocialism and their in intellectual socialization the Federal the of Republic.For thisgeneration, experience chainsof events in which action bothlived was and whitewashed as fateculpable through wouldseemto be a crucial issue.The wishto redress acts fulinvolvement ofinjustice musthavebeen as overpowering thediffuse as of experiences
to omnipotenceand impotencein the war. The endless chain of attempts the dead of opera dramatics back to life (the film,ThePowerof bring

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Phantom the Kluge's of Opera

vicalso to to a murder its Emotion, devotes lastsection theeffort resuscitate contains factual a core:namely, non-acceptance death. the of tim) utopian as the to Kluge's compulsion represent really majoremotions precisely in thosewhich border deceit on takes a burlesque on form histelevision The First Barsofthe"Valkyrie".an interview, 140 In opera Klugedoggedly conductor on Michael Gielen theabove 140barsofthe"Valkyrquestions and ie." In thecourseof his musicological analysis, at Kluge'srequest, of and Gielenalso goes intothepractice Wagner performances theenormoustechnical difficulties musicians the haveplaying part thescore. this of dintof hisintransigent finds that out some By questioning, Klugefinally areso difficult themusicians that resort a practical - they to simaid parts and quitesystematically some ofthepassages leave the out,reducing ply a humanly in to measure. Whilealready manageable Wagnerian opulence the 1950sWieland an undertook imin productions Bayreuth Wagner's of manent deconstructionWagner's themateby mythology concentrating it rialand reducing to thetransparencythemusical of structures, in Kluge his minimalistic one stepfurther: attempts he to goes critique Wagner in thescoreitself oppose humanpractice. showplaces that of Kluge'ssmallencyclopedia opera,hisimaginary guideto theopera, a of offers critique theconsequences 19thcentury forthe20th, the has in undertaken thespirit the18th of as century: Enlightenmenttheutopian of forms lifeand relationships whichemotions not in of do conception havea fatal butarerather and commented inplayful on actedout ending This iducation in is scenarios. however, conceivable theFederal sentimentale, as a kindofre-education. question to howlife as will The Republic only continue cannot contemplated be without thesametime at howlife asking couldbe organized action becomes life differently:as interconnected itself a utopia. Thisform thought of an affirmative inherent in trait incorporates of as Yet is anyaffirmationlife a program. Kluge's utopianism pragmatic vis-A-vis apologetic such trends the historical against foil relativized by whichit is written themass murder millions the20thcentury. in of in this theyearning death great for Against backdrop, operaappears hardly lessapologetic theyearning a livable In view theparadoxes than for of life. ofreality, a becomes utopian with oftime: gambler theirreversibility Kluge from "once upon a time"to "ifonlyI had ... !"

Gaines TranslatedJeremy by

Film,and Feelings KlugeOn Opera,

Editedby MiriamHansen
Answer TwoOperaQuotationsi to
I

("Do yousee?The angelofdeath. ") GiuseppeVerdi,Aida,Act IV ... and 1.The unlikely theEthiopian (regeneral pair, princess theEgyptian buriedalivebecauseoftheir movedfrom are love.Theyareconoffice), is traitors. still sidered Radames,though accompanied deputies, now by in alone (or so he thinks) thatdungeonundertheTemple of Vulcan. in she snuck byherself; is hereofherownfree will.She Aida,in contrast, a walledin. known that lovelikethiswouldend with had always being trial Thissceneis preceded thedramatic by underground oftherelucremained silent. Radameshad stubbornly tant traitor. Changeofscenes. The orchestra evokesa particular melancholic mood, set in D minor, immediatescenes- for thosemoments which Verdiusesfor departure wherehis loveris. Her Radameswonders actsof finality. ly preceding she so to was presence never familiar himas itis nowthat is absent.... The off... a sigh.... Qualgemito? The musicbreaks (What is that?). cry that for creature had in searches thedarkness theliving former general score.Radames has just in sighed.Nervousmovement the orchestral of Even in the darkness the tomb,he knows toucheda strange body.
XI 1. "Antwort zwei Opernzitate," auf Jahrbuch derHamburgischen Staatsoper die fiir This and all subseHans Christians 1983/84 1984): 117-130. Verlag, (Hamburg: Spielzeit of herewithpermission theauthor. are quenttranslations printed

"Vedi? morte di ." l'angelo.

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On Opera, and Feelings Film,

He thought Aida had been saved.Thisthought, interest herobhis in is lovesher.He lovesherreality. well-being, a signthathe really jective Thatis why is so extremely he whenhe finds buried her alive. desperate Aida answers: me forewarned "Myheart Ofyour condemnation; Intothis tomb was Which being openedfor you I mademywaybystealth, Andhere, far human From eye every I In your to arms wish die." As a princess, is awareofthefollowing: is written shesacrifice she it that forherlover;thisactwould benefit caste the eyes everyone's herself before of the the and the ofall princesses widows, kingdom, priests, memory can the the and thevictim, whatever be redeemedfrom latter. Sharing she of every destiny herlover,however, dies forhimalone, "farfrom for or humaneye,"without producing benefit herself herclass:she any
him.Throughout the entireopera, the lovers that loves expresses shereally

"Tu, disparazione): in questatomba?"("You, in this tomb?").

who it is. He calls out in extreme massima immediately despair(nella

thattheylove each other.Againand again appear amazed, surprised the all declareto each otherthatthey(against thelawsof reality, they for etc.)are on fire each other. powersof war,class boundaries,
are and The old tale goes: sacrifice thewish happiness coupled strictly for

collidein the "emotionaleconomy"of thisscene. of currents history

Even now Radames is amazed: "To die! ...

to die for love?" Two

sion between values and times. "Sognodi gaudiochein dolor svani... ." ofjoy which in sorrowfaded. .. ."). But in thisversion,the sky ("dream opens up: "A noisi schiude ciel .. ." ("Heaven opens forus ... ." - the il word "to close" has the same root as "to open" in Italian).

her the that womancan onlyexpress saying together itgoes without fact the being,in sucha wayas willcost loyalty, very thatshe is a living bourher herlife.Collidingwiththis,on the otherhand,is a certain the in level-headedness Radames: one doesn'texaggerate bond geois in of as to the pointwheresomeone has to die purely a result falling but also happy:Aida's particular is surprised, love. That is whyhe in of is form devotion expressed of clearly themidst thiscolliespecially

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At the climaxof thelovers'dialogue,or rather the climaxof the at theloversmisunderstand each other twoalternating monologues(for ." di in distinct Aida says:"Vedi? morte .. l'angelo. ways), an 2. "Do you see? The angelofdeath... ," saysAida. Is there angelof Are seesat this moment? there angelsof deathwhichRadames, too, any there weresome in themists in We deathwhatsoever Egypt? knowthat deathand later ofGermania becauseBrunhilde pronounces Siegmund's of cite Does fetches in The him Valkyrie. theEthiopian princess a myth her undercannotimmediately whichthe Egyptian own country general the Or stand?Does she see anything? does Aida onlywantto comfort herself as Is shedescribing to man byclaiming see this angel? despairing have blackin thistomb.The executioners notsetup any one? It is pitch the mustprevent condemnedfromburning because the priests lights to himself death- forifhe did so, his soul would not be starved to deathalongwithhis body,indeeditwould notevenstepoverintothe it realmof the dead; rather would hauntthem in whichcase, they that's At as whyitis dark; might wellhaveburnedthemselves. anyrate, is but thelovers toucheach other, nothing visible. can Hence,Aida can to that claimwith Radames, willing believe impunity sheseessomething. in he looks fora time,spellbound, the direction assumesAida is her, Neia He pointing. does notwantto spoilthemood with contradiction. The dead in Egypt the Nor ther does sheinsist. does sherepeat question. the made the the enter realmofthedead via the by living: dead preparations not at in Egypt thedebtto be discharged thehome ofthecreditor, are nicht of thedebtor(Bringschuld, Holschuld). that of 3. The Unpredictability the Angel of Death examnot do of if are however, there angels death, they help,for Why, the One verdict? has to distinguish liveburin thecase ofa mistaken ple, one that the from sentence condemned ial oftwolivelovers only ofthem. of thanthepunishment lovers are Doubtlessthere casesmoreunjust dreamofhappiconsumerist an all, who,after werepursuing egocentric, to with rather and behaving di gaudio"; ness,"sogno imprudently regard would now pay. In Smolensk secrets forwhichthey state 1942,that OewhenAntigone, haveled to a rashendingas well.It's another story of herbrother for is dipus's daughter, walledin. Shefought the burial for she buriedaliveas a result; fought thevaliditythe and was herself of old
laws againstthe new despotism. No angel of death helped her. It cannot

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On Opera, Film,and Feelings

of that to insensitive theinbe, however, angels deathremain completely suffered thedying who waitto be fetched. Brunhilde is Thus, by justice to quickly prepared decide theduel against Hunding;Herculesenters in theunderworld Alceste, to theunjustsacrifice robbing responding by thedead; and thusCharlemagne in intervenes thenickof timeto save in theInfante DonCarlos, Angels death, they exist, etc. of if do haveincertaincases no otherchoice but to mutiny, refuse commands, employ theseare actually signsby whichwe recognize the cunning.In fact, them.How else couldwe discern whether notwe aredealing or an with ofdeath?After we don'tfollow himmerely be hiswitness. to all, angel the from samesubstancefrom the the which Bytheway, angels originate oldlawsarise. The text morespecific aboutthe"di morte reports nothing Here liesthestarting another l'angelo." pointfor opera- itliesin thegap the The secret is waiting be revealed from perspective text. that to the is, of of theangel,thetext.

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for Instructions thetransferrala dead personunderthesupervision of of thestars; to rite. according Egyptian

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their The dead are notequal. On thecontrary, different forms of accomodation(some are put into holes, othersinto pyramids) rather consolidate earthly whichin turnrepresents the hierarchy the theonlysecureconnection with cosmos.An angelofdeathin thishierarchy, to theGermanic tradition would be likely confuse ifhe wereto display senseofjusticeor a personalcaa especially In pacityfordiscrimination. Ethiopia,such a thingmighthave but neverin Egypt.It could be the case, therefore, that existed, Aida sawan angelofdeathwhichRadamas,hardas he mayhave could neverhave seen. tried, 4. The mission the20thcentury, which still of have 16 years of we ahead ofus, is to tellcounter-stories collected to the stories the 19th of century in themannerof thestory Odysseus, of whichis of courseeither fairly To of old,or setin Ireland(James Joyce). theclassical dramaturgies plot, we intensification, progress, suspense,climax,and catharsis, oppose ofexpression; is,forms developfrom laws that that the forms gravitational This is no contradiction the 18th of narrative musicalmaterial. and to to or no yet century, contradiction Lessing ArnoSchmidt, dearlyone to as the 19thcentury it nestsin themindsof the20th. 5. Radio Broadcast fromAfar;Air Raid on On 7 April1945,at 11 p.m.,there a broadcast Aida,I think is of in of bedroomin front a brown Radio Rome.We are sitting myfather's the stawooden set,withan illuminated glass panel showing foreign to from off and a and we listen thedistorted far tions, music; mystery little summaseriouswhichour father garbled,it conveys something At rizesin brief Germansentences. one o'clockthelovers suffocatare of a doctor who knows something thetechnical ing.Myfather, country tasks of prop-masters since he is also on call for the Halberstadt on or be Theater, speculates whatthecause ofdeathmight on thethird fifth on whether to Aida or viceversa(according Radamessurvives day, be medicalprobability a doctorcan never sure).Theywerefoundin of this thousands years. Did Caesardigthem vault, father said,after my One can imaginethis One doesn'tknow.How weretheylying? out? fromotherpictures, and Pompeii.It's namelythoseof Herculaneum hard to embrace forfivedays straight; theywill not have had the in theirlast momentsto changetheirpositionin any major strength
way. Nothingin theworld is as serious as (1) a dramaticopera, which (2)

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and Feelings On Opera, Film,

our comesto us from great a distance. With bigsuper-radio thedining in we wouldnothavebeen able to receive distant the musicthat this room, to dispense intoourprovincial albetown, managed tiny foreign product itwithdistortions. Becauseitgotso late, didn't to theRiibelAnder we Hohlenthenext go we 8 April1945,although children weresupposedto be evacuated day, of there becauseofthedanger theairraids, was which everyone talking about on 7 April1945,a Saturday. Insteadwe have been sitting the in from11:20 a.m. on. After first shelter the whenthelights went attack, on floor. This actionhas nothing theseriof out,we are lying thecellar of ousnessthat operatic action Aidahas.The magicofoperaimplies: the we believein theabsurdbecauseitcontains serious a because mystery; whatis spokenand whatremains the (for unspoken example, angelof of death)is guardedas a secret, camouflaged thework theorchestra. by Ofthebombers, we what hit however, onlybelieve really happens.Ifthey I'm but me, I'm dead; otherwise, not.Theycan buryus in the cellar, without cannot moveus to consider whatitmight like feel doingso,they to be buriedin the cellar, whatwe feellikewhenwe think the enof tombedloversin the operaAida.We see themas theydepart, fleeing from city: squad formation,schoolofminnows thesky. a the in in Living in the 20thcentury, do not knowwhyit saysin the opera guide: we abovethetombsendsa prayer peace to thesky." find "Amneris for We for "ciel"in manyoperas. thisprayer peace,theinvocation This sky, is the however, occupiedwithbomberformations; invocathe mustfind another direction. oftheinjustice of tion, prayer Thinking their thescattering bombsoverrich of and poorseemsinsensitive action, to us.We knowthat of behavethis The atangels deathwouldnever way. I tackwas unnecessary.would neverhave said to mysister, whilerundi l'angelo...." ning throughthe burningtown: "Vedi? morte

6. PracticalUses of a Love Token in of above herthefootsteps thepriests thedesand Sitting thedark, makesmistakes, for (who in such a condition peratecalls of Amneris which Priests send herto follow lovers the will the intodeath), Aida has, unknown thoseabove,a ringon herlittle to She this finger. had stolen from who has delicate so thatthering, Amneris, ring Egyptian fingers, whichRadameshad givenAmneris whenthey werestill does engaged, notfit thepawsofthemuscular on Aida. Now,in thefaceoftheangelof
death perhaps she could survive three or five days in this vault,

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are hoursthat too short living too long for and longdrawn-out through of for butshecouldn't think anything moreto do - shetookthe dying, from finger, her on metalring handledit,scratched wall signs thecellar on herlittle and eventually theringback She finger. lackedtheconput viction for action. necessary a definite In Halberstadt, home town, story told of a youngwoman the is my whomthecountof Regenstein in incarcerated thedungeon unlawfully ofRegenstein in to castle ordertowinherlove(compare Countdi Luna inII Trovatore). grotto castle or that The bearsthenameRegenstein situis of atedatthenorthern border theHarz,dating from timebefore a there owneda ring werecities. imprisoned The woman, however, young given to herbyherlover, whomsheremained to faithful for satin the and this on the an rested. In scratched oblongholein thesandstone which prison thespring, did notknowthedate,shebeheldtheshimmeringof she light the of use. and Thus,thetoken herlove had a practical valley, hurried away. The ringis thesavior whentheangelof deathfails.
II Richard Sentain The Act Dutchman, III Flying Wagner, cellar. With this ring her fingerswould not have worked she

death!" "HereI am,true youtill to

1. The Dutchmanhas overheard conversation the the between hunter Erikand Senta.Erikreminds Senta"thatshe once pledgedhimeternal him.The Dutchman overheard misunderfaith." and Sentarejects has to the stoodeverything. renounces He rushes theship,orders anSenta, chorto be weighed."Sentafrees fromthosewho are trying to herself holdherback,reaches cliff throws a herself thewaves."Her last into and words:"Here I am, trueto you tilldeath!" 2. A Putschof Emotions For2,000years, cruised sea and nowhe decides, the from moone he mentto the next:I willmarry woman (whomhe has neverseen). this Senta, the well-protected daughter, jewel of her father'sstock of throwsherself without further ado at this stranger of commodities, whomshe has onlyseenpictures heardstories. know, and We however, thatsuch pictures mythical or do stories not at all resemble actual the
person who suddenlyappears beforeus. Feelingstaketimeto develop. It

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On Opera,Film,and Feelings

therefore seemsunlikely love at first that is sight mutual.An emotion thathas been building fora long time,enriched fantasy, erupts up by one has heard;yes,love at first but by stories sight, onlyforone; the otherfeelsmagically attracted the preythatis just lying to there.He actslikeone in love.Thus,in appearanceatleast:loveatfirst Yet, sight. one ofthemis investing wholeweight hisor herlife, the of whereas the seized an opportunity. suddenness The other, merely happy-go-lucky, of the Dutchman'sand Senta's fataland mutualfalling love has in of something an actofforce.One could call ita putschin thedomain of emotion. 3. Older Versions: Sacrificeand Self-Realization;The Dutchman as Vampire to this tries mystify situation. there oldertraces. But are The Wagner Senta'sfatal reads:"Praiseyourangel complete phrasepreceding leap and hiswords.Here I am, truetoyou tilldeath!"Thus,a moreancient comesintoplay;itrelates thepromise God's messenger to of prophecy to lift cursefrom Dutchman's the the a life, provided womandies for him.The angel'swordsthenmean thereverse, in thecase ofAbraas ham:there no substitute thehumansacrifice; thecontrary,is is for on it in command- though, thiscase,thevictim thehuman of required by is sacrifice notthesacrificer's childbutthedaughter a stranger, own of robbed fromher father. it is through act of robbery For an thatthe Dutchman of from fathSenta's managestogetpossession thedaughter er: he beginsbydisplaying treasures, his no differently a than behaving would in occupying poor or defeated a wealthy army country. in as the ocStory Never-Ending discovers battle Just Arteju The already in of on ballad curring theform paintings thewallsofa ruin, Wagner's assumestheendlessrepetition that of whichhas already happenedbut has neverbeen redeemed: picture thepale man above thedoor; the of in thisregard, Sentahas been readylongbefore pale man actually the enters thedoor. She ends herrecital theballad ofThe of through Flying Dutchman with "the ecstaticpledge to bring redemptionto the damned." The reasonsforthispledgelie, as it were,in prehistory, in thecommand an angelor in Senta'sinterest. of

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The pale man. He says:"Ah, bereft hope as I am, in thishope I stillindulge." of "Afterhis and the helmsman'scalls remained unanswered, Daland discovered Dutchman the motionless theshore. on sitting He approachesthelatter who,in the courseof the conversation thatdevelops,asks the Norwegian grant to him lodging one for When Daland singsthe praisesof his daughter Senta,the night. in desires to be hiswife. Only her stranger, a suddenfit ofpassion, .... theselfless of devotion a womanwilling sacrifice to herself could free Dutchman the from curseofeternal the In damnation. search setfooton solidground."
of thissavior,he once again today - thisis his last chance - has

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On Opera,Film,and Feelings

4. Senta's Attemptto Escape Her Father It is a terrible whenthedaysthatrushus toward fate deathbecome new willhappen.Whatwould lifebe like on the predictable: nothing side ofErikthehunter has who,as Sentawillhavequickly learnt, only as limited interests faras herpersonis concerned? contrast: nevthe By needinessof the Dutchman.He requiresfundamental reer-ending Thisis theloopholethrough whichSentacan escapethepademption. ternal She has to realizeherinterests before father her the sells prison. Erik. is tothewrong instance Whatmakesthefather unreliable man,for he that wouldprefer sellhermorethanonce. He is nota good busito nessman. The commodity, itwere, as understands moreaboutthebusiness than the merchant. For she is interested meet someone who to needs herfatally. thiswould be serious. Only 5. Two Different Versions of a Curse A curse dates farback intoprehistory. wretch committed has The A the Collectives blasphemy. curselikethatalwaysaffects individual. whichtemptor blasphemeGod are usuallynot punishedin this way. of to confinement the Theyincurthe flipside the curse:the everyday of habitsof life, civilization itsdiscontents, prospect marriage and the withErik,the "extendedpresencethatleads to death."All thisis alin of described thefairytale Sleeping she ready by Beauty: is pricked the 13th so shecan fallintoa deep sleep- a routine fate. of And, fairy only has one seesonlyprinces aroundthehedge.Rarely accordingly, lurking Sentabeen awakened try makeherwaythrough thicket to the from to the inside;rarely, would theyoungwoman and theprincemeet too, of The invincible fascination romantic midway. opera - comparedto - is thisantiphony dramatic the between curseand the merely opera from to the actofliberation. whilethecursevaries Yet victim victim, act ofliberation usually in is described rather It is based schematic terms. on a particular and a typeofmale actionism, priormisunderstanding, the abruptdecisionof thewomanto killherself. Whatdo I fight whenmylife at stake? thehistory all dead is "If of for, likea nightmare themindsoftheliving resolved on is generations resting for moment, life nottoohigh price pay,"says opera. one is a to the just my 6. This Collides withMy Mother's Sense of Practicality on of side lived by virtue her sharp My grandmother my father's

tongue, in constantbattlewithher physically superiorhusband untilhe

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to his she after death, diedas well.Shewasfaithful him, died.Halfa year to herwar withhim,tilldeath.My maternal grandmother, especially he her with husbanduntil died bornin 1872,livedin relative harmony and 36 him survived byanother years died,physin 1937.She,however, in her weeksafter 100thbirthday three and mentally quitealert, ically faithful surviving. 1973; she remained by February of for to Formymother, herdaughter, i.e., coming grief reasons love for Thatwasreserved us.She herself in no waypartoftheprogram. was as and had come to grief, had died of it. She was wellawareof this, a of think itas tragic, aboutit.She didn't and kindoftrap offate, had talked becauseit has is A as consistent. feeling notproven wrong just merely the runoff tracks. of for we The ecstatic pledges makeareprepared bytheprogram our in in This generation. is thecoreoftruth theangel'swords, the parents' of in to repeat, theprinciple theballad,in theclosedform compulsion and in whichdramais submerged risesagainto be transfigured, freely At words. issuearethebalancesheets which the by adaptedfrom poets' missed their and our forefathers foremothers lived,sought happiness, triedto stockpile wererobbed,etc. their it, happiness,

Senta,to theleft.

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On Opera,Film,and Feelings III

TheUnfiufiled Drama Program the of Bourgeois Tragic

Reclam OperaGuide,16thedition, 1953: "Aida is considered one of the summit of achievements Italian opera. The nobility musical whose language, of

1. Misunderstandings fromthe Opera Guide

in melodicpowerofexpression themostimmediate senseoftheword manifests soul,isjoined bya willto form the of whichis in fullcontrol itsmeansand usesthemwith ... Fascinating wellare as clarity. greatest themusicallandscapes local (thesceneat theriver Nile)and theEgyptian color to whichmayhave nothing do withancient musicbut, Egyptian thanks Verdi'smusicalidiom,is raisedabove themerely to historical
into the realm of a higher artistic truth.

2. Keyword: "Higher Artistic Truth" truth Thereis no suchthing. Artistic does nothaveanyspecialstatus vis-A-vis truth. Nor can truth "higher." be for There are truths which thereis no time,truth thatis jammed up because it does not getexin tornto shreds, etc. pressed,truths passage,in the diaspora,truths one of claimthat concept truth the allowsfor However, cannot comparisonsofanykind.I can accumulate ... buttheopposite these lies of lies more timely, cannot be more beautiful, more elevated,more local, moretrue, Thus truth eludesa basicdramatic etc.,thantrue. principle: the Whatis true, a in the intensification, heightening, stretta, bottleneck. mannerof speaking, itself. regulates In Act IV ofAida"higher"could mean: thesad Amneris, above her thepriests, all of themstillon thegroundfloorof thetemple. though is that di Higher Verdi's yet, misunderstanding thetemple a "tempio volcano." Above, Egyptian the a figment poetic imagination. of heavens, of Above thatstill, soffits thetheater the One cannotaccombuilding. mere heightwhatcan onlybe gained by means of a plish through of The is context, relationality (Zusammenhang). dramaturgy experience everlinear. gravitational, hardly We would reachthe same conclusion withregardto a "more proIt foundtruth." would be underthefeet Radamesand Aida - i.e. of to in the desert.It would be interesting think "truth a non-artistic of sense."Forinstance, thestandards Egyptian of the custom, behavior by ofAlceste and Aida is barbaric, not"artistic." vehemence The certainly of feelings at odds withart. is

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3. "A Summit Achievementof Italian Opera" notionof the As in the case of "highertruth," similarly a mistaken At of ascareer'sgradually 19thcentury. issue is the image a creative or a After crisis thedeathofthewife lover), (usually trajectory. cending committo followed decline, deterioration, by steepascent thesummit, in or clinic old age. It is appropriate talto a mental asylum tuberculosis for operas to use principleslike accelerando, crescendo, momentary of as discontinuation the music,drumbeat, wellas marvelous plateau For Boccanegra). theconcrete passages(liketheone on peace in Simone suchmountainof and however, working processes authors composers, eeringimagesare inapplicable.

whichdisplaythe qualitiesof thereare musicalmaterials Certainly or thereare workers Napoleons of music, bourgeoisacquisitiveness; musicalidioms.The humansensesthemselves or slavish domineering withthe ears,the the seem riddledwithclass barriers: eyes struggle refor ones - all sensesfight their with interests thephysical "higher" of In rights. thegrandiose projectof opera,theevents which spective an indirect account- the primalscenes,the carnagebeoperasgive of causes - are ennobledand tweennations, failure great the political and idiom of sound, communication, raisedto the levelof a unified idiom provides commondenominator the This heightened meaning. for the and heroesalike, theEgyptian for extras Radames, slave, upstart in Germanpolitics the 19thcentury: thePharaohet al. This resembles von Caprivi, von Bismarck, aristocrats (von Stein,von Hardenberg, of as and manymore)runtheaffairs state deputies Prince Hohenlohe, forces who cannotagreeamongthemselves. forthe bourgeois 5. "Egyptian Local Color" Veror feature Land Smiles, theAmerican Similar Turandot, of to film, artistic an local colorforthesakeofa "higher di's Aidainvents Egyptian of the truth." The sluggishly Nile,theexotic, "savageness" this flowing whichdoes notknowthatitis olderand wiserthantheItalian country like who builtRome - theseare marksof distinction the barbarians of The invention sothe noses of prisoners. ringspierced through of calledlocal coloroccursaroundthesame timeas theflourishing the
slave trade in the Sudan.

4. "Nobilityof Musical Language" MusicalLanguage"

"The Bourgeoisieof

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On Opera,Film,and Feelings

6. "Le vaisseau fant6me" title Dutchman the The French oftheoperaThe Flying epitomizes prinmusic, opera:a phantom century, cipleofthe 19th-century ship.In this wereforthefirst timesetintoa dynamic motion(beginsocialrelations and ningwitha smalladvancein the 18thcentury extending through of theoutbreak thewarin 1914 as partof the 19thcentury) ... in Likea chaotic ark,thisphantom shipcarries itshold thesymbolic of associations all pastcenturies, setting relations up amongthemfreely and arbitrarily a confused ofestablishing ground. firm This attiway is ambivalent: wouldliketo tellthetruth that one evetude,however, is in flux, thatin thissocialsea there cannotbe anyfixed rything posiat a is sevenyears. tions- yet, thesame time, landing attempted every two but One ofthese goalscouldbe accomplished, notboth.The people "La est oftheoperaare notin lovewith civilization: mer plusbelle queles / cathidrales...." ("The ocean is morebeautifulthanthecathedrals.."). / . 7. The Approach to Symbolic Sequences In the opera Le vaisseau severalmyths intersect whichare fantome, in to thanclassantagonisms morehostile relation each other be: might of the of the wandering Ahasver, wanderings Odysseus,piratetales, of aboutGod which thestory Kundry's leads to her2,000year laughter etc. This multiplicity antagonism thatthe diverse (the persecution, foster makesanyredemption themselves) mythical fragments among of schematic. origins theevents The inevitably appearmultiplied far too manyreasonsforone Norwegian or fora singlehistorical fjord War. yearin the Egyptian-Ethiopian In theend: a leap intothewaves or a walled-in tomb - fartoo fewanswers. The waysin whichour two centuries, 19thand the 20th,apthe such symbolicsequences are fundamentally The proach superficial. in twocenturies (presumably themannerofan administrative act arisas tocracy) ifthesesequences of the mind,thesesymbolic sequences and authentic could be manipulated at narratives, entrepreneurially, to will.As ifone could plan whether use theimages, sounds,or narraor to tivesin a documentary fictional vein.This attitude corresponds in to an incompleteformof materialism these two centuries, their
"occasional materialism" (Gelegenheitsmaterialismus).

8. The Wanderings and AttemptedLandings of Ulysses

Via detours, the sufferer Ulysses approaches his home, the island of

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in minoroffense, committed the heat of passion. Hard to berather lieve that,as a result, Dutchmanwas subjectedto 2,000 yearsof the in There must be something him complicitwith the punishment. This means, "that Satan took him at his curse, an indecisiveness. betweenthem. word"; probablytherewas a contract 9. Kundry,Ahasver, Lucifer,Nora Leaves the Doll's House ... There are otherswho are cursed, fallen angels: a woman who laughedwhenJesusmade his wayto Golgotha;a woman in Norway who dared to leave husbandand child- now she leads a solitary life. In one case, a cosmiccoup d'etat thecurse,in another alan provokes in most trivial The excessivedisparity thesenarratives violation. sugfrom whichwereacdifferent stories, geststhatthey originate entirely in stories whichtheability cumulated, superimposed upon each other; to discriminate lost. got 10. In thelogicofsuchpredetermination, suchincorrigible of powers, there no traceoffree is one will,notevenan involuntary ofthehuman species. Solum 11. Terra, Bothtermsmean "land"; theycould also mean "area," "a surface

up!' /....

Ithaca.In one instance, insults god ofthesea byputting the the he out a of one of his relatives, one-eyed Stormand shipwreck engiant. eye ofprincesses, sorceress, is intothehands a and sue, Ulysses saved,falls who try seducehimfrom shore(buthe has cotton to the ballsin spirits his earsor else is tiedto themast);at anyrate,he seemsto managethe withalmostgreater than the rapprochements. perfection separations whichhe originally Now he has reachedthepiece of land from came a He he (terra, solum). does notenter pale,beardedman. Rather, takesa He whobesiegehiswife; decthe he himself. kills suitors bath, disguises for hisvagaries. been disloyal imates staff having the during Gradually, he is getting used to thehappyoutcomeof his fate;it surprised him. This is a totally different fromthatof the Dutch captainwho, plot "in raging to windand violent storm ... once sought rounda cape; / /. of he cursed,and in a fit madnessswore, 'In all eternity, notgive I'll /
And Satan heard. . . ." As far as blasphemy goes, this is a

on which to stand." Terra can also referto "fatherland" or even to the whole planet - these are large areas of abstractionfor the powers of

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On Opera,Film,and Feelings

fate. The Latinwordsolum cannotcompete.It always refers theactuto A al place whereone putsdownone's feet. partofthegroundtowhich In humanbeinghas a right. theoperaAida,bothterms land, for every are home, surface used. country, 12. Turning Drama Inside Out In antiquity, drama reported eventsthateluded the willof the on can be found in laterdramatic persons concerned.A tracethereof in theselaterworks, works; however, delight thedemonstration offree will.Fromthetortures in incurred thename offree will,drama,likea nourishment. the extentthattheyare To vampire,takesits nightly morethan thesesystems logic,theseintensifications of tear just effects, human beings to pieces. The accumulation causalities of and family the relations, masquerades of choice, produce the tragicending. Chance, luck, detail was whatever not subjectto mychoice (as little I chose to havethis as mother and this thusoffers, to to father) contrary the rulesaccording is whichexperience traditionally associations, organized, afree surface for a starting This is where the new point for our sense of intimacy. storieslie.

to Bruckner"2 "Response Jutta

"That which bears us, as the surfaceof thewaterbears the ship,is only the most recentlayer,the 19thcentury...."
2. "Anmerkungen Jutta zu Asthetik Kommunikation (December und 53/54 BrUckner," in to written response Brickner's "Carmenand thePower Emoof article, 1983):233-35, in unlessotherwise tion,"in thesame issue.Quotations Kluge'sreply, noted,are from WhenCarlosSaura'sfilm article. Cannen in (1983)was released WestGermaBrickner's successwith female audiences.In BrUckner's the article, ny,itscoredan overwhelming feminist filmmaker film and theorist this from merely a distinguishes reception regressive based on a simpleidentification theheroine. with She attributes fascination the of cult, to Saura'sfilm theemancipatory pathosin Carmen'sdance: herbodylearnsto speaka narcissistic but of a passionthatis notcompensatory an expression freedom, sourceof the offers an erotic less than of Hence,Brackner argues, film energy. fantasy a fantasy libIn eration. thiscontext, criticizes she of Kluge'splea foran "emancipation feelings," that within maternal a modelofthesatisfaction needsand,at of claiming itbothremains thesame time, in deniessexualdifference favor a mutuality of from liberalist the derived On of also see thediscussion conceptof themarket. thefemale reception Saura'sfilm, und 36 "Carmenon theCouch,"Frauen Film (February 1984):73-77.[Translators' note.]

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105

Without Ifthatis so, we mustbecome submarines. metaphor: "... if will fortheemancipation not be one, or theold one willbe false, it it no body." Ifithas theold falsebody,however, willbe no emanhas cipationwhatsoever. Saura's Carmen, Regarding opens a vasthorizonand Jutta Bruickner the thenclosesitoff towards end ofhertext- witha classifying again thatis, withold glue. mechanism; A fewkeyphrases: "In defenseof emancipated emotions" Don Jos& stabs This expression reveals a misunderstanding. theopera),he killswhatis dearest Carmenand, as he himself says(in A he in thuskilling to himin theworld, later, something himself. little this too willbe seized and condemnedto death.Nietzschecelebrates ... in his essay"The Case ofWagner"(1888): "love as destiny cynical, cruel- and forthat Love,whosemethreason,nature! very guiltless, ods are thoseofwar,and whichis foundedupon thedeadlyhatebehe tweenthesexes!"Throughthis"African gaiety," claimsto havebeThis kind and come "so Indian,so sedentary" "a better philosopher." and through, of ideologicalvogue, so 19thcentury enrages through is no whatsocircuit logic, feeling me. All I can see in Don Jose's short ever.Carmenlookingover intothe arena,all frazzledand madlyin the love (or themoresubtleparallelin Saura'sfilm: scenein thetextile not be of momentarily inpossession factory), might describedas nervous, of force his We knowofDon Josethatthepent-up any feeling. particular Carmen'swill (or her love initially keeps him fromeven perceiving and stabsaway. all thenhe forgets his feelings state); in relaI willnotin anyway,shape,or form speakofan emancipation We Therecan be no suchthing. mustbreak tionto suchcatastrophes. on collisionby relying our feeling, thiskindofmelodramatic through Ifat themomentDon Jose drawshis daggertheprompter intuitively. discussion" "I wereto call to the protagonists, requestan immediate - then,I assert, themto proceedmetheir would notpermit feelings After tothe the their mutualdatewith executioner. towards chanically withtheprompter, and-fro thisthree-way of conversation perhapson more to refuse haveanything thisparticular Carmenwouldsimply day thatDon Jos&fails this to do with typeofman. After theonlything all, is over is to understand whythematador preferred him.This same sitThe Saura's reinterpretation. macho man is fatally uation informs

wounded by the comparison with another man, rather than by the woman's refusalof tenderness.

106

On Opera,Film,and Feelings

for The prompter's intervention anyother intervention, instance: (or the police sirenis heard and things serious)creates get surprises; they is like about the situation funny. function comedy,althoughnothing This formof defensebringsthe emotionsthatgovernthe restof life the into with contact thosethatcontrol moment- withdeadlyconsefortragedy. quences I contendthat, underreal-life and conditions forthesakeofthemoof of move is to upsetthe strategy dernity our novels,the productive This the willed isolationof feelingpromotedby the 19thcentury.
would move would ensure that a momentarygeneral assembly offeelings

before opposing them with thefoundations feminist of thought. perience,

in is a be continually session.Thisgeneral assembly offeelings grass-roots "I" The narcissistic by contrast merely is "parliamentaridemocracy. from conceptofemancipation theassembled an." This differs the (for emotionsthemselves would not have to changeiftheywereinserted intoan emancipatory There is also no deferment drives. of context). Severaldrives,exactly theyare in everyday would come into as life, witheach other, intomelodramatic contact insteadof entering strugI these dramaturgies ofexglesforprecedence. wouldbeginbyexploring

the physical ... ." Now, thatdance is performedby expertsof a culture

"The marketmodel lacks history" for The market model a shorthand is kindofthinking. term a certain do themselves about them)definitely not Markets (unlikethetheories the I as we In that yet hardly lackhistory. fact, am certain comprehend Thereis onlythe extent thatwhichbelongsto thepast of markets. of thereis no exchange, and market. Otherwise logic ofsacrifice thatofthe is the only isolation.In everysphereof intimacy, market disavowed market. but nonetheless there.And it is not necessarily capitalist the firm. "You ask theimpossible. lied. Her soul remains Carmennever Thisis erotic Not It'soverbetween and you" (Carmen). her Gaullism. in who come equipped 300 years our culture has producedhumanbeings withtheconstitution suchemotional for harshness. of I understand that"free-floating misery"means a splitting cona of of for Instead religious sciousness theprocesses fantasy. illusion, new of of the imagination. Millions womenin the 1920sviewed pantheism life. thevampfilms this in but way, did notactas vampsin everyday The Carmen. with distortion even more extremein the identification is without "Powerof thedance,whichis liberation cause.The searchfor

Alexander Kluge

107

seats believe thebodies the that ence in context.I cannot of viewers jammedinto are in themovie theater liberated meansofa dramaturgy the19th(or 16th) by of their eyes. It rather seems to me a case of a century beingdancedbefore

remote WestGermans. thescreen, that. for On at The thatis relatively monstrous of refinement the reactionary social model thatis being danced shakesup thebodies of theviewers perhapsin a moredifferentiated butin principle likethegoose on urbanstreets, way, step just A that male fantasies. rhythmic dramaturgy standsin quickenedby to we contradiction everything do, actually feel,or expericomplete

construct" accompaniedby an emotionalovertone. "thought

fromthepersistent small steps thattrans"The wearinessresulting formall courage into mere tenacity... ." It but Holdingon to thisbitter experience. was courage, onlytenacity has remained.The filmpromisesto change all that.The cinematic and the transform weariness, smallsteps, tenacity lifting dramaturgies by inunderrealconditions. suffer themabove themisery However, they in there rests wealthof "thought cona herent real conditions already with structs" can consolebyplayfully that alternating self-deception imofreality. towards None ofthishas anytendency murder, war, pressions of the deeds. The majority womendo not walkaroundwearing great for of a sex-object macho eyes.Theyhave to concealtheir body-dress for bodies underclothes their entire lives.No Don Josewillstab erotic them.Nor are they askedifthey love someone.At thesame time, still in of of thismajority womenis involved a private economy itsown sort, and intuition of amounts thewarmth, inwhich (eventengreat learning, for are generated. life These are theproducts are that derness) necessary of for necessary the manufacturing human beings.If theseproducts and could everbe coherently organized- thatis, by humanabilities notbytheprinciples the19th of thoseofisoneeds, particularly century, out lation- thenwe would nothave to be "androgynous of fear." "The maternalmethod of production" meththis the Forthosewho do notunderstand concept, matriarchal butrather od ofproduction exists us notas something complete, among as a residue, ruin,a component. a in are that traces "notwarlike their One can be certain, however, these crueland In that methods." a relation production is "cynical, of guiltless,
not humans. inexorable," monstersthrive, is The point of the film ThePowerofEmotion this: in the traditional

108

On Opera,Film,and Feelings

alliancesoffeelings thatis, neither with nor submission, passionate it without - humanrelationships notthrive all.War,as a do at entirely criticof emotion,defeatsour feelings all levels. on sensual-practical Whoever content is withthisdefeat, himmake himself home in let at thisworld..... It is no coincidence thattheindividual in contributions The positive Power Emotion, onlyexamplesofhappyendings, the haveto do either of withtheabsenceofemotions or luck,rescueby a criminal), (accident, withlabor + miracle. I haveseentheopera Carmen times, sister seenit 17 times, 48 has my father 14. 108,and mygrandmother I can thusruleout thepossimy that or opera suggests waysout ofitsdilemma, bility thisbeautiful any thatit depictsanyactualexperience.

ThePowerofEmotion(Excerpts)3 Warin theMedia Remarks Preliminary Jungle: Tunnel Both the classicalformsof public life,and the modern,public law channelsare threatened today by the newmedia.Yet, even without thesenew,privately ownedmedia,the public sphereis disintegrating - beforetheabundanceof immediate experience producedby peoof Whatone ple can findanyadequate,widerform publicexpression. has livedthrough can (Erlebnisse) become experience (Erfahrung) if only itcan be related theexperiences others. to of is predicated Experience on public comparison.The accomplishments the public sphere of thusbelongto themostvaluabletreasures thefree of West.FortheRoman res in thisis encapsulated thefourletters publica, S.P.Q.R. Above theformerly Roman cityof Mainz [theseat of ZDF, the second German TV network], theseletters stilltacitly in are written the sky.But one needs a long-term to be awareofthis.In the 19thcentumemory for ry,imageswiththepowerof reality provideda framework public orientation. are metaphors far-reaching of They significance, referring, as thephrasegoes, to: "State,Opera, and theIndustrial WorldFair."
3. Die MachtderGefiihle Zweitausendeins, 1984); scriptand materials re(Frankfurt: lating to Kluge's film,ThePowerofEmotion (1983). The excerpts are frompages 234-235, 50-53, 202-205, 187-189, 239-240, 272-273, 346-348, 424-425, 447-456.

This film deals with the problem of the publicsphere (Offentlichkeit).

Alexander Kluge

109

the In a similar vein,thecinemaadaptsfrom opera the metaphoric to classicaleconomyofemotionas itcorresponds a publicsphererendered obsoleteby actualdevelopments. each actingindependently, juxtaposed: are The following forces, in An immenseurbanlandscape,rendered an imaginary mood, (1) of whichis undergoof impressions the Rhein-Main area, composed from outside, the Less though as powerjust ingreconstruction. visible of ful:the concurrent reconstruction emotions. This is for emotions. (2) The classicalprojectofa factory intensified from theclassicalopera and itsabode. Not seen frontally, theperspecwherethework beingdone. is tiveoftheaudience,butfrom backstage the a after In clearcontrast thelatter, modernproject to (founded (3) dispersed pluralistically giganticopera of the Third Reich), sorting of and emotionsintothecategories information entertainment the moderatepublic law media. of public life (4) The superimposition all the formsof traditional the privately a projecttaking owned,new shape today, (items1-3)by conditionsof human media. This projectaltersthe environmental It consciousness. is a questionof ecologywhichcan be more importo tantthanthequestionof nuclearpowerplantsor otherthreats the environment. a (fictional figures: (5) In thecourseof thefilm, seriesof characters a the RosemarieEilers,Betty Hinrichs, Waldstabe, lighting specialist of the an accountant, architect an opera house, time-motion analyst, diversecontexts. thesefourhighly the editorDresen et al.) traverse contact with acwill theplot,thesefigures engagein lively Throughout fromthe worldof film, tual characters radio,television, opera, daily life,and politics. TheMoment Thuth of
row. . . ." On her behalf, however, the matchmakingfathersays this: as "Believe me, she's as faithful she is beautiful. . . " The woman is

wishesand you'll be marriedby tomor"Give in to yourfather's

sold, and yetshe is recognized- thisis more thanjust a sale. Does Wagnerhave a sense of humor?
- Where?

- Would youjump after to save me? me

110

On Opera,Film,and Feelings - Into the cold waterof a Northern bav. - To save you? - Yes. - No otheroption? - Be honest.It won'taffect relationship you wouldn't. our if - I wouldjump in after you. - You're lying!

It occurred to her that he habituallylied when he saw no other way to shut her up. They took a few hurried steps. - You don't havetojump, I'm onlyasking. Not thatI am the FlyDutchman,she said, but assumingI were? ing - Then I wouldjump in after you, to save you. - I don't believeyou. - Nor are you the Flying Emil Ml1ders. Dutchman,answered Because she is a woman, his fiancee (withwhom he had stepped out of the opera house into the Munich night)could never be the Flying the Dutchman - who, misinterpreting conversationbetween the hunand terand Senta, thoughthis bride was being unfaithful jumped into the harbor. Senta jumped afterhim, though,and theyboth headed off to heaven. "This story, which I found moving," said Hilde, "had nothingin it to look forwardto. Why should I, hoping to be saved, go offto heaven withyou by way of the dirty water of Munkmarsh harbor - to use an example we both know - where we couldn't drown anyway at low tide because it's so flat?When we both know that up there past the comes the Van Allen Belt,then emptyouter-space air and stratosphere in the way of a place to live?" nothing "You can't say 'outer-space air,' " replied Emil. "Why do I get so worked up," Hilde persisted,"when greatand absurd emotions are involved,but staycool when thereare realistic issues at hand, like whetherI should pick up some sausage on the way home so you'll be relieved of hunger in the evening? Is that supposed to mean that the places and occasions for great emotions do not exist?" "Apparently, that is what art is tryingto tell us," answered Emil, who was anxious to stop in at the Leopold beforeitclosed. To do thathe needed to hail a cab, but the dispute was impeding him. "Justa minute!" said Hilde, "You can't just put me offlike that." In her mind she

Alexander Kluge

111

withSenta'sgaze, whichshe had held forso long - thegaze lingered of to man in theentrance theshipdirected theapparition theghostly at her yard.Butnow she was supposedto rushto thetaxistandwith fiancould of it where ce ifthey had anyintention making to theLeopold, they run intopeople Hilde had no desireto see - people who in no way in of to could be related anything theatmosphere theopera,neither to nor the Norse merchant werenot theghostly sailors, depot.Yet,they in wereobjectheonlyoperagoers hurriedly need ofcabs,and so there hustleif they tivereasonswhythe two of them had to show a little This seemed absurdto Hilde. wantedto geta cab forthemselves. so she asked,"mustwe go to theopera ifwe have to hurry "Why," to herto be an exercisein much when it's over?"The opera seemed of she thelongerbreaths requiredbytherhythms emotion."I think," But said, "thatartdoes wantto tellus something. it can't be merely As thatwe mustconstantly believein spirits. faras thisopera is conitseems to me God's vengeancehas lastedtoo long.That this cerned, Dutchmanin AD 30 (or zero, around Christ's death)laughed at the have condemnedhimto a jourmomentshouldn't necessarily wrong God is tough,but not thatpetty." neyintothe 20thcentury. "The action,"answered Emil,"takesplace in 1810,not in the20th century." "Stilltoo long," Hilde replied.She foundEmil's answersuperficial. whatdoes art on "Concentrate myquestion,"she said. "I am asking: this feelthatfora fewhours,watching piece, I wantto tellus, ifI still but was able to accommodateor mobilize largefeelings, thatnow I in has can't?God's vengeance, contrast, lastedtoo long."Theyhad arrivedat the taxistand.Therewerenone left. "Whichones?" asked Emil. "Whatdo you mean?" said Hilde. in "Which large feelings, which directiondid yours go?" Even Emil had not remainedwhollyunmoved by the opera, he though asked out of politeness. She could not answerright away. been a in It She was disappointed theconversation. hadn'treally for cab.She a becausethey weresimultaneously conversation rushing she had to makeup hermind,themoment couldfinally open the himsuperficial paying atdoorofa cab,whether should she find (not to to to too tention herand at thesametime hectic payattention his some"commonground" on there still ownfeelings) whether or was

112

and Feelings On Opera, Film,

which she could continue livingwithhim. Then she jumped after him into the back of the car. We must not be treated thisway,she It was goingto costherdaysto become clearabout whatfolthought. lowinghim had meant.Since she reallydid wantto talkabout what out (had checked arthad tQtellboth her and him. She had figured her watch)thatit took 17 minutesbeforeSenta and the Dutchman reached an understandingabout their firsteye contact. Hilde, uneducatedin thehigherarts, imaginedshe would need 30 minutes to interpret correctly only one of Emil's exasperatedlooks or the movementof his paw towardsthe car door. She found thislack of timequite unfair withregardto any one of her dailymovements.

so "Why, she asked, must we go to the opera ifwe have to hurry much when it's over?"

Alexander Kluge

113

art to vacThus,she beganto doubtwhether had anything tellthem, in illating herjudgmentonlybecause Emilwantedto getto theLeopold and to so single-mindedly onlybecause he had promised make an apWhen theyentered, looked at herformorethana pearance. nobody tookitas a matter coursethatthey of second.Theirfriends would apas promised.Have a seat,Emil,one ofthemsaid. Hilde felt like pear crying. and Performance Amnesia and France;in W. The opera singer was a big starin Italy, Austria, of she the FederalRepublic,however, had to fight againstthe inertia for the apparatus.She fought herart,againstthe slothof the apparanoon towarmup. It is not at before tus.She usually arrived thetheater Nothwithout to and preparation. humanly possiblesimply arrive sing for CoveringFrankfurt the Berlin ing big happens instantaneously. in room. the artist her dressing TAZ,the reporter daily questioned
Tosca as well? REPORTER: Miss W., are you goingto perform PRIMA DONNA: That's whatI'm famousfor. rolesfromthatperiod? R: Whatare yourfavorite P: Today,Tosca. Otherwise, Aida, Gilda.... R: All of themtonight? P: Unfortunately, Tomorrow, no. Aida. R: Why"unfortunately"? to P: It would be interesting compare the different experiences. I thatAida,an Egyptian Fromhertemporal slave, distance, think to out how to travelsafely la could probablyhelp Tosca figure the prima donna living with her cavalier. Conversely, Spezia around 1804 could certainly pass on a fewwords of advice to for who livedaround 4000 BC. It is impossible, however, Aida, thesetwowomen to knoweach other. in thiswiththewomen'smovement mind? R: Are you saying P: Whatdo you mean?

114

On Opera, and Film, Feelings

Aida, 4000 B.C. "RejectedLover" (Beate Holle)

Alexander Kluge R: Unitedwe are strong. P: Yes, we are. R: But you knowall threewomen:Aida, Tosca, and Gilda....
P: ...

115

Asuzena.. Brunhilde, Kundry, R: Yes, and thenyou could uniteall six womenand their various wordsof advice,no? P: That would be difficult. R: How so? You embodyall thesewomen. P: But stillonlyone a night. R: But ifyou made an effort.... P: All the same,I am nevermore thanone of themper evening. R: Why? P: Because I make an effort. concentrate. I R: And ifyou didn't? P: I would not even be one of them. R: But you aren'tAida anyway. P: How do you know? You are the R: In myeyes,you are Miss Wallstabe, opera singer. of in sitting right front me. in of When P: You can'tknowwho's sitting front youjust likethat. I am Aida. I concentrate, of R: Or theimpressionAida. of P: Then you are the impression a reporter. R: I am a journalist. P: And who livesinsideyou? A dead writer? R: Whatdo you mean? be P: If no one livesinsideyou,you might wellnot here. as R: I am here. P: (rising) don't believeyou. I timesat length, orderof thestage per (Bell signal:it soundsthree manager).

and I'm moving into dramatic genre now, I'm preparing

beMore thanever,I am convincedthatthereis a relationship Whata on and whichcan be captured film. tweenreality poetry EleonoraDuse. monstrous and beautiful thing!

116

On Opera,Film,and Feelings

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The "fate"motif from opera Carmen GeorgesBizet(see arrow, the by is above).Fromtheoverture: "Everything inevitable; everything predeTo in act: "Carmen,some good termined." whichFrasquita, thefinal advice?Go away,don't stayhere!"To whichCarmen:"I am not the woman to tremble beforehim." Had she left suggested, as however, the hangmenof Sevillewould not have had to killDon Jose.

Alexander Kluge

117

of Carmen.The onlyexisting photograph thisyoungwoman, takenby L. Perez,Seville.

118

On Opera,Film,and Feelings

are in the In a cigarette factory Seville, womenworkers quarreling. and She is arrested worker. The youngCarmenhas injuredanother on the sergeant duty,Don Jose, "innumerabledelights." promises withhimself." "succumbsto He The sergeant struggles "desperately and releasestheyoungwoman.The promiseoftheintheseduction" LillasPastia. ownedbya certain refers a restaurant to numerable delights Don Full of expectations, Jose goes there. to her With promise Mercedes, Carmenmeant say,as herconfidante, thatshe would be availableto him forthe durationof one explains, thatshe was She night. meantto saythatshe was goingto be generous, Don Jose,who had released this notgoingto keepcountduring night. her,should feellike a lieutenantcolonel of the dragoon regiment; to wouldbe attentive wouldbe availablehourafter hour, she,Carmen, on him.The kindofficer dutywho let her escape "should be able to She had promisedto come up with takehis time,likea gentleman." This is whatshe meantby theword"delight."The word something. to of referred the duration theentire "innumerable" night.

"What you started,you have to finish... what matterdeath?" Atthetimewhenthepromise was to be fulfilled, Carmen'sproblem in was to recreate herself mood whichroughly a to corresponded her mood whenshe made thepromise.Otherwise wouldhavebroken she her word. However,thatwhichshe had promised, is I'amour, somenot availableevery Hence Carmen's thingstubborn, something day. song: "L'amour est un oiseau rebel."

Alexander Kluge

119

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"Love is a rebelliousbird ... it isa in vain to call it ifitchooses to refse."

"Love is a rebellious bird... itis all in vainto callit ifitchooses refuse," to

If Zacke looked likeLaura del Sol, ifshe had put hermiddlethe of thenshe European legs through basic training flamenco, likethe dance also be preparedto acceptan aginggallant might master even ifhe could not make her intoa top-notch Antonio, all, dancer,sinceZacke,after has a regular and does nothave job for He desireheras a thetimerequired showperformance. might in dance (although doubtshe she moderately competent expert in would be interested herunlessshe provoked envyon thebasis of her achievement), in no case would she wantto displace, yet she oustor killthecompanionofthisnervous master. Therefore, the that director the Saurafirst up Antonio's resents fact sets aging companionas Carmen'srivaland thenleavesherin thelurch. "A connoisseur flamenco of tellsme that (i.e.,Carmen's)style her of dancingis a lot more 'masculine'thanthatof herrival... ."4 That tops it,saysZacke.
4. "Carmen" 229. [Translators' note.] Bruickner,

120

On Opera,Film,and Feelings

Hilde Lehmann,prompter. in performance theopera HildegardLehmanngavea breakthrough to whomhe worCarmen. WhenDon Joseraisestheknife killCarmen, it that she shipswithall his life, asksfora delay:she suggests he think Don overagain,she asks to discuss his action. After discussion, the to as ready act,although, he pointsout,thereasonsfor Joseis no longer the such action had not changed.Likewise, actressplayingCarmen concedesthat the to she now,after discussion, is no longer willing sacrifice her lifeforlove. A week fromnow she would probablyeven cease to be infatuated withthematadorEscamillo.For thisone week, itwas notworth in however, Besides,she had no interest killing dying. Don Jos&.She saysshe is notvindictive, rather but to grateful himfor

Alexander Kluge

121

whathas happened. If she were to throwthe ringto the floor,she be Don Jose,because thenhe would stab her; would in effect killing thisat leastis whatit saysin thescore.As a result, Don Josewould be hunted,seized, and sentencedto death in accordancewithSpanish The law. One should reallytryto preventthis outcome together. and hissing (a) spellbound,the whispering spectators have followed, trialogue betweenthe prompter-who cranes her neck out of the of thesingers in as squatting front the prompt-box faras she can--and are The spectators feelcheatedout ofan evening, be(b) prompt-box. to to moneyback. Here hurry thebox-office gettheir comingrestless, (a) gone home, againwe havetwopossibilities: thecashierhas already sinceshe assumedtheoperawouldproceedas usual;whatis she doing at at home,whenand howdoes thenewsreachherthat, theend ofthe in cliwas required, itwere, lieu ofthedramatic as herpresence opera, is to max? (b) thecashier was still be foundin thecanteen, calledback to and on herpartengagesin a discussion, trying placatethisevening's without She is not allowedto reimburse perpatrons. patrons paying missionof the manager.The discussionis now devotedto practical questions(polylogue).

122

On Opera,Film,and Feelings

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Alexander Kluge

123

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124

On Opera, and Film, Feelings

Carmen Nickname: is in The office off space at the radio station situated hallways the same waythatroomsadjoined the hallways theThirdReich'sWar of in on thosehallswere Department Bendlerstrasse Berlin- although and moreold-fashioned. doorsto theoffices thisradio roomier The at are station smallerthanthosein theWar Department. Friedrich Karmecke a high-level is political functionary a supervisorforthe"steamradio"; thatis,chief editor and head ofthepolitical sectionof a WestGermanradio station. Karmecke despondent. is He out thewindowtowards lotsof thecar depot,a provisional the gazes term"parking-lot." new technical A palace is planned here thatwill the dominionof the complex northward. Karmeckewould expand rather think not about thefortuitous bordersofthecomplexof 1937, whichhad surrounded villa-like a The structure. sunnyautumnlandfeelscool. scape outside,he muses,probably In yearspast,in several isolatedincidents he recallssleepily that this Karmeckehad engagedin extramarital sexual encounters. morning, Added up, all oftheseincidents constitute Carmen.It is his experihis ence withventuring the limits;the restis office. beyond At a board meeting, higher the functionaries the station of discuss civil war. possibleradio actionin cases of emergency: or international TV transmissions be cutoff will but will first, radio broadcasts continue. They mustbe transmitted the individual to transistor ownerssitin theircellars.What should be broadcast?How should it be ting broadcast- moderated, unmoderated? Withmusic,without music? Should the news be editorially or should it remainunapapproved provedbut subjectto "generalguidelines"?Or shouldthesourcesbe censored?Whatprotection versions? Karmecke against deviating goes to thephone. He tries convince to Mrs.Scherer, who runsthecanteen, to hook him up to a cup ofcoffee. Such a service mustbe availableto the highestfunctionaries the complex; Mrs. Schererpoints out, in thatthecanteendoes not servebefore11:30 a.m. An excephowever, tionto thisrulewould cause bad blood in-house, says.Karmecke she is, however, verysleepy. He used to be considered whenhe was sleepy.His sleepdangerous inesswas perceived a disguise dangerous as for situations. wasn'tacIt
space which neitherclaims - nor could be permittedto claim - the

tuallya mask, but rather,whenever this sensitiveman detected mortal he danger in his vicinity, got sleepy.

Alexander Kluge

125

In general, federal had to representatives no reasonwhatsoever ina state-run radio institution. not having security But a vestigate public was the an agentofitsown,there no doubtthat radiostation presented riskin an emergency and so the self-govarea of security situation, now felt to ernedorganization Inobligated come up witha remedy. steadof doing so, however, the directors, editormanagers, program and sat offederal in-chief, a fewother higher-ups at a roundtablewith ficers and haphazardly triedto workup some kindof security plan. This conspiracy directed was need forsecurity. If againstKarmecke's he tookpartin it,he himself would haveto submit a security to check of questioningand investigation con(a three-month long process cerned above all else withfactsthat could be exploitedby blackmailers: extramarital encounters relations, friendships, acquaintances, in railroad Ifhe did notagreeto thesecurity he check, would cars,etc.) in still allowedbecause ofhisrankto advisethestation an emergenbe but made - he situation, he wouldnotbe apprisedofthedecisions cy would haveto waitoutsidethedoor. In other words,he would notbe in tolerated thisoffice longer, since,after theinterested all, parties any room did believein theprobability a of assembledin thisconference case of emergency. on the otherhand, he agreed to the security If, Carmenwould be put on record.How could he check,his collective he with- by thattherewas nothing could be blackmailed explain he had an agreement withhis wife?For a moment, had the he saying - who,as mentioned was before, crazyimpulseto desertto Carmen not one- and fleewithher to the smugglers. what,after1968, But GDR that would subjecthimto a security would thatbe? The orderly check?

126

On Opera,Film,and Feelings

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Alexander Kluge

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"That whichbears us, likethe surfaceof thewaterbears the ship,is . only the most recentlayer,the 19thcentury. . ." snowfellovergreater BerOn 14 November1983,theday thefirst had twohoursto kill,sat in a lin, RosemarieZacke,suddenly having It movietheater CarlosSaura's film Carmen. was a successful watching film thatshe knew."It is about thepowerofthedance,whichis libfilm cause ... ," so read thetextof herfavorite critic, eration without on whose reviews Rosemarieusuallyrelied.Now the femalelead of of the del Sol) was cutting throat the agingwoman Carmen (Laura in dance master thatstudioin Spain.The womenworking thefactoof into hostiledance groups;theymade the floortremble rydispersed and the whiletheycut through rowsof their antagonists rhythmically untilsuddenly murthe aroundone another in a cockfight), circled (as cut, der,likea rhythmic put an end to thedance. As forZacke,itwas to the whilesitfor not liberating herphysically watch dance and murder in a narrowseat. She was bothered thefoulairand was thinkby ting moment beingAdof who,at that Eilers, (it very ingenviously Elfriede of the vent),was probablyscurrying through streets Berlin.The first she snow! Zacke had the feeling was missing something.

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128

On Opera,Film,and Feelings

"The Police Chiefis Dead" The policechief Rome,Scarpia, either first of was at a sight conservativeoftheold school,a gentleman, whoseclothedbodyone forgot in of favor his face;an untouchable in man,who becomesembroiled an diva,Tosca. He wantsto intrigue thisonce by the overwhelming just stealTosca awayfrom that horrible immature mama's boy,that farmer whomshe had taken herlovermerely for becausehe had a boyMario, fewcrudegestures his command;thisspoiled childwilldrop her, at as however, soon as she,growing older,willbe displacedbytherising diva, Ermolli,and onlythenwill Tosca have reacheda stateof full bloom towhichScarpiacan relate. Scarpia, For each courseofactionis the need fortheVaticanstatesomehowto prevail, contingent upon and that turn in on bastard Mellasleadingthe dependsexclusively that Austrian in northern troops Italy.

AL;

;AwTosca: In theforeground, whomshe has stabbed. policechief Scarpia,

Alexander Kluge

129

Or the police chiefScarpia,fearedthroughout Rome ("Trema tutta climber,a wild boar, a bureaucratwho Roma"), was a primitive he could afford diva on top ofan oyster the breakfast without thought his oppressive duties;a dutiful man,who,on thisparticular neglecting ambitious day,felt enoughto wantto add "man ofpleasure"to hislist of personalqualities- thatis, to augmentthe trappings abstract of as somehowholdstogethpleasure-seeking longas thestate apparatus it to er. Ifthiswereindeedthecase, however, would be impossible exhow the Queen of Naples could ever have exchangeda single plain wordwith thisScarpia, whilesuchan exchange wouldhavehad to preas cede his installment police chief. inherits a The guestperformer is to portray who Scarpiathisevening lineofproductions characterize that as a stout long Scarpia perpetrator of violence - probablya mistake.In this crude rendition, Rome would not obey him. He would be whispered about among his spies The and counterspies. Queen would be informed this that violent man in of is seeking personalgain.He mayprovecompetent theexecution stateenemies,but he would threaten courtitself the and, withhislack of control, fromtheusurperapproaching could not be distinguished from in acrosstheAlps. For a police chief thePalazzo Farneseis him- unlesshe is a gentleman. selfsubjectto surveillance The performto how the social climbertries imitate the ance should at leastsuggest of Trimmedlikea Christmas withselftree countenance a gentleman. made qualities, has to acquirethismaskbefore he himself the allowing of pleasureslikeTosca. luxury In thebustling opera house,thereis no place quiet enough- neither anyofthevariousfloors, in thedeserted on nor areasbackstage to allowforan observant Whatlookslikea hall-size attitude. dungeon or abyssnextto the Flying Dutchman'sship - setup in preparation forthe nextevening- will actually the back wall of the Palazzo be Farnesein the second act. The onlyplacesofattentive reflection theareasbehindthepolice are thesearechief's butthesinger does notseem to care. He carries eyes, as around the stagewithhim. These retinas both of Sicilies scrutinize, fromthe perspective a restless of Rome, an era of whichScarpiahas in as stored theback ofhis mindonlythe20 yearsofhis activeservice foremost His enemies call him "the memory,"a livingdossier spy.
that does not have to read the reports of his spies in order to divine what goes on in his Roman domain.

130

On Opera,Film,and Feelings

for constructed an age other Whatwe havehereis a living machine, thanthe one thatis beingdestroyed. Sadly,thisretinal qualityof the role is drownedout by theroutine Scarpiamovingabout in theforegroundof the stage. "Give me," he saysto the stagemanager(and whilehe speaks,the seltzerforthisjuice theycall wine. "a retinaremainsinactive), little is need themtonight." The acidity constricting vocal chords.I still my is on The prop masters but bring thesoda water, thecurtain already The soda nevermakesitto thetableand glass.The performing rising. on otherthanrehearsed movements and concentrates nothing singer voiced farmer's his voice. Throughthe eyes of a powerfully boy,the like into retinas a visitor an alien historical Scarpialooksout ofinactive world. physical as Scarpia Male Body the Anticipating heat of the day, the police chiefin the Palazzo his of is o'clock.A film sweat covers Farnese awakeearly aroundfive it is stillcool outside.The thinsheetthrown aside, he body although hidtract his considers sexual toolsalongsidethe surgeof a digestive theseinstruments. he cannotcoordinate den by hisvaulting stomach; Above the stomachpit,the bellows- air fromtheAlbanianmounthis tains- indicatethatScarpiais alive;unassisted, partof his body watches. risesand fallsas thepolice chief Scarpiagetsup and washes, inexcessive of thefilm sweataway.His eyesare clear,without cooling or He the terest. considers stateas a coordinating unifying essence,its for outerboundaries"assailed" by Bonaparte a metaphor therash of Frenchtroops;these to-and-fro marching the bodies comprising however,marchingas an entirebody, presumably already troops, As now at fiveo'clock in the morning. Scarpia envisions underway thesebodies - thesnoutsof armedcolumns,legs,digestive systems, to and theseextended knapneckslinked spines, headsupon necks, by thisimagesuppliedby theenesacksand weapons - he drawsfrom to the framework integrate centrifugal make-upof his my a unifying thismorning. looksforthereddawnspreadovertheRoman He body wallsof the Farnese it ("l'aube")and finds beyondthe silk-draped city to whereit takesshape forthe wakingmind and contributes Hotel, the is unawareofit.Meanwhile, French evenifhe Scarpia'sunification

soldiers carry single-mindedlytheir sexual tools - superfluous in times of war - like knapsacks; that is, as ballast dating from the

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needed fortheoccupationofRome. Theydo not millenia, field-packs the who wonderswhether this experience doubts of the police chief, is in factmeant for pleasure as well, though he himself piss-pipe in wouldn'trequiresuch a thing orderto achievethoseunifying overthe cutitoff same wayhe can close views.All thesame,he cannot just or or orders hissubto one ofhissecurity departments, delegate forget the ordinates.On the contrary, pressureof his colon fromthe left an causes hispenisto swellso thatScarpiacannotpisswithout accomof desire- his penis largeand swollendue to a mefeeling panying of chanicalmisunderstanding amongtheorgans.The dissociation the of rulercorresponds the association the ruled. to it If he now thought more important thansomething - just as else one sends spies out on patrolhopingthatthe suspectedpreywillbe itself Scarpia could make use of the roused and somehowbetray for oftheorganbyforcing mechanical himself, example,to expansion of think the divineTosca. He would have to imaginethatthe singer about him.Thiswould be a misunderwas lookingat himor thinking of suitableforeliciting feeling desire so thatthe a standing, though itsdissociation from body,could rethe arousedmember, plaguedby and venture eruption. an The cuncall itsancientor medievalability this can do without kindofsolution thisis notthepath ningScarpia could be achievedbyblackmailing acthe to unification. Rather, unity not of tualTosca, a proudwomanwhowouldcertainly be thinking the a her the of chief, womanwho derives powerfrom divinity her police voice,and who is not thereto awakensexual desire. The nextday,however, whathe withgood reasonhad deniedhimchambers selfgetsin his wayonce he has Tosca lockedin his official him in physical to and talksto herinsistently, whichbrings proximity himso that circling aroundherin thisdivine her.She kneels before he, if ends up behindherback (and thiswould appear indecent, posture, he caredto look,so she would thenscootaroundon herkneesto face himfrontally into so forward she again).He shovesherslightly that falls the a position spieshad occasionally embroidered upon in their reports and and whichhe, had histrousers in been unbuttoned themeanwhile as had she remained could haveexploited a primordial in manner still, soldier a lullin thefightifhe werea goator a hare,or a French during becomes Instead,the penis stuckin his trousers ing and so forth.
smeared at the tip witha fluid - not sperm and not urine, rathera lubricant; but it fails to make anythingglide through the silk trousers,

132

On Opera,Film,and Feelings

whichare difficult open, so thatScarpia,annoyedwiththisbrazen to no longerfeelsthediva'smagicand loses hisdesireas ifit autonomy, miscarried. a consequence, proceedswith blackmail, deAs he the this ceitful seduction not because he hopes to gain some erotic advanoverthediva,butrather ordertogethismindto prevail, in which, tage sincetheearly had been at odds withhis penis.This is how morning, he died,without the reasonat his disposalthat outside having original observers would have ascribedto his actions.Even without Tosca's he in it knife, would nothave reachedhis objective theaffair. fact, In was neveractually objective, his in rather there wereobjectivestheaffair thatdisintegrated different into situations soon as they as nearedpractical realization.He had alreadyfeltthe catastrophe coming that If he morning. he hadn'tdied in thisadventure, would havedisgraced himself impotence. hislasthourhe wascompletely todesire: with In unable death was only anotherannoyancein the face of this failure.He carried "marshal'sbatonin his knapsack." no this Precisely is whathe so died of: a confusion, to speak.

Cavaradossi'sarrest.

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It is wellknown Tosca was very thatthedivine carried easily awayby because she had learnedto express thisemotionso jealousy, probably to and no one had everbothered teach wellvia hermanyoperatic roles, rousedmerely the conductor's she could emit her another; baton, by on her thisexpression cue. It is possiblethat,anticipating aging,she her she evena momentary feared deathso muchthat could nottolerate and therefore on herdominion to the hastened attack disinfringement to of Mariowiththe authority the police;the police,withregard loyal wouldnothavedone otherwise. tookadRome'sstate enemies, Scarpia vantageof this weaknessof Tosca's when he displayedthe fan of full the sister, knowing wellthat divawouldnotgiveup until Angelotti's in until was and hide-out revealed, chamber, Angelotti's ting thetorture of weresealed,that until had an explanation she thefates all involved is, talented ofthefan'sorigin. Now,a highly primadonna can be trained of not onlyin the automaticoutpouring so-calledemotion,but also at in theartofimperturbability. Therefore, thispoint,she cannotbe not has the unmasked.Nobody, evenScarpia, thepowerto lift maskoff in heractions advanceofthecatastrophe. deathwas preThus,Scarpia's as determined, was Mario'sdeath,and Tosca's end, too. And Tosca, as a police chiefof her emotions,also had counterin of at that theexcitement themoment strategies hand.Thus,worried a wrongbreathmighttear open her tight-fitting Empire gown,she for while Mario was tortured could have held back her confession - forat theend of thisperiodher of threequarters a minutelonger and the Roman judge, havingeye contact hero would have fainted, withthe diva of whose power outside the courthe was well aware, in the would breakoffthe torture such a moment,following secret - thenAngelotti's would nothavebeen revealed to hide-out protocol theRoman police. Onlydayslaterthe French cuirassiers would move into the city:the drama would have been cancelled. Nevertheless, Tosca and Mario cannot avoid the tragicending,since any other courseof actionwould have led to the singer's aging,to an insoluble or to a phase ofmutualindifference. plotofthe intimate The dispute, if opera cannotgo forward the dressis torn. the the sessionhad made hisowncalBesides, judge running torture in the smalltorture culations. chamber- whereone of the Arriving
dribbled red paint over the forehead and cheeks of the make-up artists was directingthe score of the cries of tenor,where the stage-manager the miserableMario - who would have lefther soon anyway- was sit-

134

On Opera, Film, and Feelings

the wheredeputy Roberti was busytrying open a to pain from wings, the of stagedoor that onlyopened from outside- thejudge thought in hisfuture, which ofin Naples,might whisTosca,very highly thought in wordsto theQueen abouthisconduct thetorture chamber, pera few in which He coulddecidethecourseofhiscareer. was notinterested the task with Hence,thelookhe exchanged ignominious he had to perform. was "I theGoddessas he left Scarpia'schambers appeasing: willdo no out of morethancarry theletter theorder.No additional pain shallbe He as the inflicted theknaves." promised, itwere, correct execution by of the order.The Goddess,however, had reasonsthatprevented her her She from secret his partisan. did notrecognize trusting calculating, interests. is whyshe and Scarpiahad to die. That long-term of Exchange Characters Scarpia/lbsca: with Likean intelligent a monkey, primadonna becomesfamiliar the All characters performs. thesame,these she characters minor are next to of the actual movement the music.Tosca, who does not see herself has Scarpiain view,is thus able to get to know onstagebut rather of thanhe. Forthecharacinternal better Scarpia's systems negotiation of of the teristics Rome's chief policehavea historical they carry origin; of within themselves a weight that weight theserealconditions heavy on a counter-characteritsunderside that so is actually produces Scarpia notatall Scarpia to wouldbe whenhe tries playhimself. Tosca,however, in theposition playherantagonist to unburdened theearthly by weight ofthecharacter. once in hislife, For wouldliketobe able torelax Scarpia to his vigil, lose his head and his body completely of happiness (out aboutthereunion, a discoverer), in thelongrun,he wouldlike like but

would have really a and life enjoyedtaking sliceof eternal forhimself, theimpatience suchunaccustomed of desire(what does theoverworked

to stick thetreaties. to he defend basic the of Therefore, must treaty the old regime force something ancien with the is notableto susregime In mask tain. contrast,anunreal as Tosca by acquired learning, isableto these character purely, a de-dramatizing Notraits with effect. present will before time she die their if plays Andshebrings slice a body Scarpia. ofeternal into vicinity thepolice life the of office. in YetToscais an ice-cold bitch: other she a words, is diva, goddess. She sees Scarpia's confusion almost ifhe werewearing as no genital she a whose his travails. bachelor, This clothes; supplies causefor daily in in emotional proceeds life sometimes fast-motion, sometimes slow,

Alexander Kluge

135

man knowofdesire?) makeshimfeelliketearing hairout. Here the his clever Tosca might appearedas a musicalinstruchelp; having already or tor,she knowshow to plyherunifying day-breaking magicnotonly All on a spoiledboy,butalso on thisrealman lying fallow. themoreso of of that sincesheknows herdominion artmustnotbe a republic pleasbut can onlybe established a monarchy, she be robbedby as lest ure, theyounger and quitecapableTazzi. as This is whyshe sacrifices Angelotti, already good as lost,and the dumb dog Mario as well,who - without regard herand with for any be minimal sincehe wouldrather painting - gothimself oils endesire, in political activities. and caresses tangled Through timely betrayals (only of bothtogether create the magic)she obtains trust theagingman,even she for though willtradehimlater a Napoleonicgeneral buthe cannot knowthisin advance. All of thiscould have been cleverand in line withthe Goddess's but out becauseitwould contractual relations, turned to be impossible in have used up all thediva's energy real relationships. herdevoYet, tionis primarily herart,as in thecantata to from thatevening. earlier unable to conjure up in this inappropriate She is therefore official room therealaffair whichshe yearns for withtherealScarpia.Rather, that she musthangontothechildMario,ontoa relationship demands and as afless reality serves a kindofleftover cuisineforwhatremains terthe diva is done singing. her Thus, it is not Naturethatprevents from the actionto a happyendingand avoiding the bringing dramatic but rather, failsbecause she had alreadyexpendedherdishe opera, in vinity Art.

An Imaginary Guideto theOpera:CommentaryOperaand Television5 on I " 140 "Distance,"Vision," BarsofThe Valkyrie Adomo talksabout the disintegration materials.6 of Whatdoes this in mean?It refers a newly to interest precision, awakened concentration,
5. From"Ein imaginirer derHamburgischen 1984Staatsoper Opernfiihrer,"Jahrbuch 1988 (Hamburg:Intendanzder Hamburgischen 1988). Staatsoper, 6. Theodor W. Adorno,Asthetische Theorie (Frankfurt: 1973) 31. Suhrkamp,

136

On Opera,Film,and Feelings

classicalvirtues that correlation, details,metamorphosis in effect, works arthavehad fora longtime.Take,forinstance, final of the scene fromthe libretto Carmen, of whichthe impresario RobertSchulz has I heard218 times, which mayhaveheardabout40 times. itnevand But to as er occurred me that Carmenspeaksofherself an independent oba perceptive, to witness herown deadlyfate: "Carmen server, objective firm. overbetween and you." Chilnever lied.Her soul remains It's her drenspeakthis werestanding besidethemselves; and too,as ifthey way, forCarmen, speech- which the "I" with - playsa decisive yet, begins role in thefinalconfrontation. to the musicalagitation thisseDue of I do notnotice verbal the nuances.Havingsearched Merimse's quence, of with to talefortheorigin thefascination theCarmentopic,I turned For thelibretto. my ear thewordsfinally became clearonlywhenthe in prompters, thiscase two women,spoke the lines ofJose and the voiceoftheactress SabineWegener Carmen's bright responded offstage. if text enhanced I don'tsee an imagewith Josh's demandsattenis it. text tionifitis spokenbysomeoneoftheother (whois playing part sex a that doesn'tbelongto thedrama).In bothcases,information imagesare and to extent. reducedor neutralized a certain A similar effect be achieved themusicalparameters creatcan for by musicianseatedin the ing sound perspectives: as the individual just midstof his or hercolleagues does not hearthetotalsound oftheorchestra onlythosepartsofthescoreplayedbythemusicians his but in I or her vicinity, can place microphones such a mannerthatin a in for and bass Wagner-orchestra, instance, only the cello, contrabass, forthat other are extremely drum, or, matter, any group foregrounded. Such proceduresseem to suggestan artiste However,by ddmoliseur. thematerial thevergeofdisintegration, also opens up to one pushing newqualities within Wagner's it. scorenowsoundslikechamber music. would be possiblethusto createfragments use themto adapt and It of rawmaterial a second nature- such as thelibretto Wagnerwrote but neversetto musicon the subjectofWielandthe Blacksmith. Thereareabout85,000operas.As we know, 180 roughly ofthesecan be heardon theoperastages and onlya smallportion thereof makeup One the repertory. could cultivate curiosity theforgotten a for scores. Butone could also do something else: one could focuson thevery elementsof therepertory, whatAdornocallsthesubcutaneous on structure,in such a way thata novel typeof workemerges. In thatsense, the 140 bars of the overture in Act I of The Valkyrie may constitutean

Alexander Kluge

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work. Thiswork "serves" describe situation,wooded to autonomous a a someoneon therun,thepursuers, until curthe area,a thunderstorm, of tainis raisedon page five thepiano score."The stageremains empty fora while,the stormoutsideabout to abate." But ifone ignores this - the are function sincethematerials disintegrating serving anyway of attributes a sonata;no doubt,itis absolute musicassumestheformal to function musicwhichwas neverreducible a descriptive anyway.
II

a thathas so far The genreof the opera guide harbors literary form of the utilized. been insufficiently Nobodywouldconfuse text theopera a foreThe withtheguide itself. opera guide thuspermits perspectival in which- ifone wereto groupdiverse as itwere, a shortening operas, shot- couldelucidate affinities motifs. is hardly This long amongopera in that not works movetheaudience, especially during possible dramatic on exert maximum thenights whichthey effect.7 in a privatecirclein 1964 that one Adorno therefore suggested to could thenbe offered composers thatdon't exist.These abstracts his whowouldsetthemtomusic.To support argument and to overinterlocutors Adornoput forward following the whelmhis hesitant As an opera machine,a social event,a musicalformburexample. seriaof the 18thcentury dened withprescriptions, opera the was no A ofdevelopment. dinosaur. The fact that- according longercapable to thecanon ofthisgenre- onlygods,Romans,and aristocrats qualified as dramaticcharacters explainsthis situation only superficially; it of the rather, was theimportance thesesoirees, "realismof thesocial thatrestedon thegenrelikea nightmare. intermissions, The estates," werefilledby "entr'acte" La as Pergolesi's Serva however, pieces (such to ofeight twelve minutes featured that cooks,figaros. servants, Padrona) These "unrealistic" as which piecesor echoesthenserved thecorefrom Doniat leastItalianopera was revived composerssuch as Bellini, via works. zetti, Verdi,and againproducedmonumental
7. Bycontrast, is possiblewith this that performances fail.Thus,I once had theopof "seeing" theaffinities of in II Trovatore implied duringa performance the portunity opera at the MunicipalTheaterof Mainz in the 1950s,because all three protagonists had a bad cold and theannouncements that to effect the tension bedisrupted dramatic act. foreevery

to should writeimaginary guides theopera;thatis, shortversions of operas

138

On Opera,Film,and Feelings

this modem opera,now at theend ofthe Considering development, of would not consist an imitation thegreatrepertory of 20thcentury, The searchfortheneedlein The for Marriage Figaro, instance, of operas. as for at thedesperation notfinding would suffice a sketch an opera it, of an the evening, though indiplot.A series suchplotscould fill entire can be as briefas one of the "moments musicaux." is It sketch vidual "flares limit either enoughifsucha moment up." Thereis no time way. from "timeofa rewarding the for This emancipation evening theeduthe for classesofthe 19thcentury" creates condition cated,propertied of and serialprocedures, as wellforcategories authenticity, thoroughetc. ness,stringency,
III

in in its effects Television achieves greatest (likebroadcasting general) A television whichshows a naturalistic program key. (Fernsehprogramm) at but as (Ferne) represents nothing a distance everything ifin close im- a window whichneither affords look outsidenorreflects a mediacy is full insidebutinstead crammed ofprogram obeysthereanything This is thecrufilms grown-up. are eventhechildren's ality principle; or and musicaltheater cinema.Opebetween television cialdistinction of the has ra in particular learnedto breakthrough barriers therealistic means of emotions. gaze by television. no As faras I know, operashaveas yetbeen composedfor intotelevision that chunks This confirms hypothesis operasimport my looklikethenormal television nordo ofanti-realism. neither diet, They I of theysharethe gravitations opera performances.wonderhow the in will notesofsuchmessages a bottle soundin a strange first medium, the of or from perspective the opera house,"froma distance." whatI love,has to be as far awayas heaven- - -" "Hope is mydesire:

Hansen by Translated Sara S. Poorand Miriam

Habermas: On Misunderstanding A Response Rajchman to

RichardWolin
One does notneed a Ph.D. in contemporary fiction deAmerican to in theallusioncontained thetitle of review cipher ofJohnRajchman's Habermas'sThe Discourse Modernity, "Habermas's of Philosophical Jiurgen is The reference clearlyto the masturbation-obsessed Complaint."'' of who also protagonist PhilipRoth's 1968 novel,AlexanderPortnoy, had a "complaint."The theoretical of Rajchman'switty implications on are analogy,moreover, spelled out clearly virtually every literary alterego, sufviz.,thatHabermas,likehisfictional page of his review: feredsome childhoodtraumathatexplainshis "phobic" revulsion of so-called "irrationalist" "Where does this philosophicalparadigms. come from?"Rajchmanasks plaintively the at phobia of irrationality of his review And a fewpages laterwe are told that, (164). beginning "In his phobia, Habermas conflates irrational the withphilosophical irrationalism" (171). The ironies this of are for tack almost prodigious words. too polemical theFoucault-advocate author a commendable of short Rajchman, (and on the latter2), of book that adopts the rhetorical strategy suggesting
1. NewGerman 45 will Critique (Fall 1988) 163-191.All subsequent page references in appear in parenthesis the text. For fourreviews whichsharemanyof Rajchman'sobjections Habermas'sreadto see Habermas's 'The Philoing of the poststructuralists, the"Symposiumon Jiurgen contributions F. Dallmayr, (with sophicalDiscourseofModernity"' by J.M. Bernstein, and D.C. Hoy) in Praxis International C. Norris, 8 (1989): 377-464. For a review thatis much more sympathetic Habermas'sproject, Martin to see Jay and 1 in History Theory (1989): 94-112. 2. Michel Foucault: Freedom Philosophy York:Columbia University The Press, of (New

1985).

139

140

Habermas Misunderstanding

on is Habermas's critical thought pathoperspective poststructuralist logicalin origin;and thatsuch depth-psychological explanations thanthe innerlogic of theintellectual matters issue - offer at rather into his against insight thebasisofHabermas's"complaint" privileged Frenchcontemporaries. boilsdownto a shallow instance tu of Of course,all ofthisessentially withFoucaultet al. are quoquereasoning.If Habermas's differences havean "irrational" basisin unconterm), they "phobic" (Rajchman's to scious or repressed mentalprocesses.And thus,according Rajchas it is not Foucault, Habermaspurportedly us, who stands tells man, of but since his criticisms guilty "irrationalism," Habermas himself, are drivenby an uncontrollable psychological compulsion. Or as efforts lay analysissuggest: was Haberat it Rajchman'samateurish withNationalSocialismthatleft himwith mas's youthful experiences an exaggerated of"irrationalism" all itsforms; itis thisearfear in and vis-A-vis lytraumathatexplainshismisplacedanxieties contemporary French Madness all Foucaulthas taught from Yet,after that us, thought. and Civilization about the prejudicial natureof clinicalcategorizaon, the that this tions, argument ifsomeonetakesissuewith yourposition, in disturbcan best be explainedprimarily termsof certain ontogenetic ances would seem a monumental of bad faith. act At thesame time, one of theessential claimsofmyrejoinder be will that rationalism/irrationalism the on which dichotomy Rajchman primato Habermas's in Philosophical relies explicate Discourse rily argument The of is bothunproductive misleading. is unproductive and It insofar Modernity as itresults an ever-escalating in of and exchange sterile charges counterthusRajchman to the(perceived) claimsofpoststruccharges: responds irrationalism characterizing Habermas'stheory communiof turalist by as cative action merely another variant dogmatic of rationalism an althatis equallyfalse.It is misleading as insofar it misrepresents legation thephilosophical and of is which argument intentions Habermas'stext, neither chronicle "self-defeating a of noran account "a of philosophies," vast intellectual nor a "war" (declaredor undeclared) failure"(169), In irrationalism." fact, Habermashimself exis against "philosophical in hisuse oftheterm The "irrationalism." worditself sparing ceedingly is never, myknowledge, to to of Foucault applieddirectly thework either or Derrida.It wouldofcoursebe misleading underestimate proto the foundand fundamental differences separateHabermasfromhis that
French and German interlocutors. to read Rajchman's review,one Yet

Richard Wolin

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Discourse Modernity would think thatThe a of represents veriPhilosophical table and sustained jihad againstirrationalist thought. Moreover,althoughRajchmanwould like to read ThePhilosophical of Frenchphilosophy"as Discourse "an intellectual history postwar the as "a book on neostructuralism" - in truth, i.e.,exclusively (166) do not make an appearancein the book untilthe "neostructuralists" seventh lectures thatcom(on chapter Bataille);and among the twelve the book, onlyfour(in additionto a lengthy Derrida-excursus) prise work.Thus, although contemporary the to are devoteddirectly their of reasonmaywell have served of thepoststructuralist critique vogue reconbehind Habermas's labor of theoretical as the main stimulus underconat struction, the same time,the "discourseof modernity" and endswithNiklasLuhmann sideration whichbeginswith Hegel - is decidedly more complex. criticisms substantive Before I address several of the legitimate I Habermas's study, wish to return Rajchmanbringsto bear against and prejudicial "rhetorical" dimension to momentarily the pervasive since it tendsto of his review.I viewthisdimensionas unfortunate, of illumination specifhaveinsteadbeen a fruitful displacewhatmight and thusshort-cirof ic limitations Habermas'stheoretical standpoint overdebate.Rajchmanmakespromising cuita potentially interesting tures in this direction:for example, when he points out that in about thequestionsofsexual"thereis nothing Habermas'snarrative, conthebody,language, and gender"(166) thathavebeen central ity, Here cernsin the workof the poststructuralists. it would have been accusathat the fruitful show- in terms to wouldtranscend simplistic in"rationalist" theconcrete, tionthatHabermasis an incorrigible athavefoundso little reasonsas to whysuchthemes ternal-theoretical tentionin Habermas's own critiqueof power and domination.But the and instead, substantive followed such pointsare rarely through, matters issuetendto be obscuredbypolemical/rhetorical at overkill.3
to 3. In addition, might it havebeen fruitful pointout thatFoucaultseemedto lay of with thebasis fora truly Theoryin productive rapprochement thetradition Critical his wherehe seeksto insert own philolateressayssuchas "Whatis Enlightenment?", Niethatreaches"fromHegel through tradition sophicalconcernsin a theoretical ed. or tzscheor Max Weber to Horkheimer Habermas." Cf. TheFoucault Reader, P. Rabinow(New York:Pantheon,1984),p. 32. in Moreover, one of his essayson Foucault,"TakingAim at the Heartof thePresthe ent,"Habermasexplicitly recognizes commongroundthatseemedto emergebeto For tweenthe two as a resultof Foucault'slaterwritings. Foucault,in attempting

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to Thus, according Rajchman'sreadingof Habermas,"the French have become the bad RomanticGermans"(163-64).His theoretical his are insofar as, contemporaries explicable grievances against French "The evilof Germanfascism shownus, ifwe needed to be shown, has all of that irrationalist relativist or forms thought dangerous are errors" to Rajchman,"'irrationalism' (163). For Habermas,according always leads in modernsocieties fascism" to it (179). And further: is Haberconviction theonlywayto secureourselves that mas's "fervent against a recurrence fascismis by an unconditional of commitment a to universalist rationalist cannotbutregard claimsof (171). I philosophy" thisnature bizarre, strangely oftouchwith theoretical as as out the debatesat issue. Is thetruegroundofHabermas'sposition the really exof as perience NationalSocialism, Rajchmanimplies?Can thebasisof hiscritique contemporary of French be thought really reducedto such fatuous in (Moreover, whatwaycan arguments? "guilt-by-association" In Germanfascism considered be whereas "relativist"?). pointoffact, the nexus Rajchman'sclaimsconcerning fascism/irrationalism might German historicalcontext that gued in the case of a specifically "irrationalist" of forms thought abettedthetriumph a fascist of politi- they cal structure seem to possessvery little value with explanatory reference the Habermas text under consideration. to And though would liketo interpolate "fearoffascism" thehidden, a as Rajchman foundational of subtext Habermas'sentire discussion contemporary of French one is at a loss to identify leastbitoftextual the evphilosophy, idence to supportthisclaim.When Habermas does allow himself to about poststructuralist he sentiments, makes speculatebriefly political reference to fascism, to a "primordial not but anarchism" (PDM 4). Moreit could well be thatpoststructuralismphilosophically is over, signifior Fishmight it- "politicalcant,but - as Richard Rorty Stanley put it lywithout consequences."All too often, though, seemslike Rajchman is reviewing 1952 "demonology"(AgnesHeller)instead Lukdtcs's oftheHabermasbook itself. And whilethisapproachmight makefor
raise once more the question about the meaningof Enlightenment Kant had that thematizes in DisHabermas'scentral concern Philosophical earlier, posed twocenturies course otherworks: and of unlikeany viz.,theunique quality themodernage, which, The other,must provide its own normativeself-justification (Selbstvergewisserung). Habermasessayis reprinted Foucault: Critical in A ed. Reader, David C. Hoy (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1986) 103-108. 4. Atlantic Heights,N.J.:HumanitiesPress,1981.

hold in the case of Lukatcs'sTheDestruction Reason4- where it is arof

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it and the polemics, is oflittle helpin identifying provocative gratifying that differences are at stakein the debate - my intellectual legitimate chiefobjectionto Rajchman'smethodand mode of presentation. Discourse a The specious chargethatPhilosophical represents global irrationalism up theequallyillusory sets struggle philosophical against racharacterization Habermas'sown theory a typeof superficial of as of tionalism.The problem here is that the theoretical specificity Habermas's philosophical nevercomes intoview.Instead,all project the we supposedly need to knowis that Habermasis a "rationalist"; inof intolerance his positionseemsa self-evident tellectual consequence ofthislabel. Thus,we are toldthatHabermasembraces"a rationalist or of standards, according conception reason:judgmentby unassailable and discussion" to criteria downprior independably of laid (171). He is [sic] all 'rational' the advocateof "a line to be unanimously repeatedby victim theillusion to that"there Habermasfalls agents"(171). Finally, whichcannotbe contested or models and assumptions are historical Suffice to say thatanyonewho is the least bit acquaintedwith it imHabermas'sdiscourse ethicwould findtheforegoing descriptions a woefully and misleading. reductionist Theyyield plausible imageof - as thoughthe Hegel-critique rationalist Habermas as an inflexible of of Philosophical Discourse a mannerthatparallelsthe argument (in andHumanInterests) not makehis differences tradidid with Knowledge rationalism to tionalphilosophical clear.Contrary Rajchabundantly thinks thereare historical models and man's argument ("[Habermas] whichcannotbe contested 'falsified"'), conception or the assumptions ofcommunicative ethics forth Habermasis eminently "fallibilisset by for tic."The counterfactual thisconception ideal recommends thecreationofjust political normsis thatno normwould be validthatcould not be agreedupon in practical discourseby all thosewho would be are are affected thenorm.In thismodel,there no normsthat priviby renone thatwould be exemptfromthe processof discursive leged, Nor are therenormsthat would be a priori ruledout as undemption. thosethat would systematically interfere acceptable- exceptpossibly it withtheright all arguments pointsofviewto be heard.Rather of or of is the communication thatis charged community those affected withthe responsibility determining normsand forms lifein of of the whichthey wouldlive.In truth, wouldbe difficult it to accordance with
imagine an ethical theory or an ideal of justice that would be more 'falsified'.. ."(179).

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and by the Hegelian conceptionof Sittlichkeit whichhave come into or vogue again recently among the so-calledneo-Aristotelians "communitarians" examinesits Sandel, etc.). If one honestly (MacIntyre, thanrelying rather it cliches, seems presuppositions upon prejudicial clearthatthe discourseethic, insteadof beinga dogmatic inarguably an of and principled rationalism, represents impassioned justification Thisis trueprecisely virtue its"formalism" or of pluralism. by political whichin principle remainscompatible withan in"proceduralism," finite of normsor "formsof life."Moreover, variety practical onlya "formalistic" to ethicssuch as Habermas's can be truly approach sinceitin no wayattempts prejudgethecontent thedeto of pluralistic, cisionsthatare ultimately reached.He is awarethatthelatter alwill and traditions waysbe in largemeasurecontingent upon the context of the specific discursive in community question.5 tellsus (171) thatone can be opposed to "rationalism" Rajchman withoutbeing an "irrationalist" and who would disagree?But (at Rajchmanfailsto recognize leastin Habermas'scase) thatone can be a defender "rational of and agreement" be a thoroughgoing pluralin ist- and that fact, discourse the ethicmight wellbe thesurest philof we osophicalvindication pluralism have. The essentially character Habermasianreason is of non-dogmatic made eminently clear in his discussionof the "praxis philosophy" held in commonbytheyoungMarxas wellas 20th-century advocates of Marxisthumanism(PDM, 75ff.). Both partiesremaintied to the model ofself-positing advocatedbytheearly subjectivity Hegel,which in theworkofMarxbecomesthe"production paradigm."ButHabermas is mistrustful neo-Marxist of to attempts posit a macro-subject thatwould be capable of transcending divisions contemporary the of - theseparation between man and nature, society subjectand object, etc. - forsuch attempts the riskof a "de-differentiation" of present thevalue spheresofthemodernworld.In Habermas'swork, that like
Recent Habermas(Cambridge:CambridgeUniversity Work Press,1988) 48ff. ofJiirgen

to ria thatwould be treatedas validprior discussion; those advocated e.g.,

And thus, claimthat the is and there a covopen,tolerant, democratic. ertappeal to "unassailablestandards" "criteria downpriorand or laid of the delusive.Instead, discourse independably discussion"is entirely tosurmount appeal to standards critean and ethicis designed precisely

5. Foran extremely lucidaccountofthediscourse The see ethic, StephenK. White,

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ofhispoststructuralist we a adversaries, find, examination, upon careful of"totalization." respect theindependent His for vahealthy suspicion of claimsofthevarious "valuespheres" modemlife thusanothis lidity ofhispersistent er important the example skepticism vis-at-vis claimsof to reason.To confuse theories his the with latter, totalizing approaches and them. would onlyserveto distort misrepresent therefore, in Habermas's fundamental which Discourse, argument Philosophical in a receives thorough grounding TheTheory Communicaof sociological is tive Action Mass.: MIT, 1984, 1987),6 thattheparadigm (Cambridge, of Westernmodernity contains certainaporias as well as certain The strengths. central problemwiththe post-Hegelian philosophical in discourseof modernity his viewis thatinsteadof pursuing iman this manentconfrontation withthe diremptions modernity, disof has via withNietzsche, sought course,beginning redemption a wholesale leap beyondthemodem age and itsaporias.This is suggested by of thediscussions "postmodernism" in recent that yearshavebeen asIn thinkers. sociatedwiththe names of these(predominantly French) of thissense,his objectis less an "acrimonious""declaration war on honestathis Parisiancontemporaries" (165) than an intellectually to define theoretical and of limitations risks thepoststructuthe tempt ralist critiqueof modernity. Like othersbeforehim, Rajchmanperpetuates misconception the as thatHabermasviewstheneostructuralistsessentially "neoconservaIn in versusPostmodernity,"8 Habermasretives."7 fact, "Modernity fersto the Frenchintellectual that "leads fromBataillevia lineage of but Foucaultto Derrida"notas neo-conservative, as a variant "young
is to 6. In myopinion,one of Rajchman'smajor interpretive failings his refusal of in to the understand workunderreview relation thesociological theory modernity in Action. elaborated The for TheoryCommunicative And thus, example,one encounters of "His [Habermas's] a purely is even claimthat theerroneous intellectual, Idealisthistoof in thatmight have been linkedto the ry;one learnslittle thedevelopments society with the errors" variousphilosophical familiarity TheTheory (169). Surely mostcursory Action discussedin Philosophical of ofCommunicative - in whichthe theory modernity Discourse receives thoroughgoing a socio-historical grounding wouldhaveprevented to a review fails contain sinThat suchan elementary misstatement. Rajchman'sentire omission. to reference Habermas's 1981 workwould seem a glaring gle neoconservatives are 7. "He [Habermas]saysthatthe neostructuralists structural whichdon't have much in common)" (166-67). (i.e.,neo- twothings is 22 8. NewGerman "youngconservative" in1981)3-14.The term Critique (Winter of Germanthinkers the 1920s - thebestexamtendedas an allusionto like-minded an ... attitudes justify ple wouldbe ErnstJiinger who "on thebasis ofmodernistic Ibid 13. anti-modernism." irreconcilable

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conservatism."thistermhe means something the By quite specific: embrace of an intractable"anti-modernist" anti-enlightenment) (or stancewhose origins of maybe foundin the critique modernity proof theleadingexponents aesthetic modernism Baudepounded by the that concentrates on laire,Rimbaud, Joyce, surrealists a critique of theinsufferable effects the logicof modernization. Haberreifying mas himself on severaloccasionsemphatically has endorsedthe deideal of "profaneilluminations," conceptionof a dethe fetishizing centered advancedby thismodern,post-auratic subjectivity, concepof aesthetic He whenthis tion however, experience.9 becomescritical, of is transformed thegroundand bamodernism into experience aesthetic in sisfor theoretical discoursegeneral, essential the philosophical precedent movebeingNietzsche's in The forthistheoretical Birth Tragedy appeal of fora "poetic Socrates."This neo-Nietzschean to attempt generalize the aesthetic momentbecomes the focal point of his dispute with above all, withreference the latter's to to Derrida, attempt invalidate the genre-distinction between philosophyand literature.10 also It makesitself at several junctures Foucault's felt in his key development: of celebration the four"mad poets" (Htlderlin,Novalis,Nietzsche, and Artaud)at theconclusionofMadness Civilization,wellas his and as foran "aesthetics existence"in the last twovolumesofLa of option volont6 savoir.' de In Habermas's the of view, therefore, poststructuralist critique moderis definitely distinct fromthat of the neo-conservatives, it nity yet the in Whatthe unexpectedly complements latter an important regard. twoperspectives shareis a rejection albeit, from proceeding entirely different theoretical and premises temperaments ofthe(universalistic) foundations modem political of life.Thus, forexample,in normative their ofmodem forms rationality, poststructuralists of the seem critique to differentiate betweenpractical and instrumental reason. unwilling
9. See forexamplehis reply Martin in Habermas Modernity, Richard to and ed. Jay J. Bernstein 1984) 199-203. (Cambridge: Polity, 10. I find to this efforts saveDerridafrom charge Rajchman's unconvincing (180ff.), and I thinkthe most cursoryreviewof the Derrida-Searle debate will confirm of the aforementioned regarding Habermas's characterization Derrida's intentions Event in See Context," Margins genre-distinction. Derrida, "Signature (ChicaofPhilosophy of A the go: University Chicago, 1982); Searle,"Reiterating Differences: Reply to and "LimitedInc.," in Glyph (1977) 202ff 12 Derrida," 1 Glyph (1977) 198ff; Derrida, 11. A good summation Foucault's of of of theory an "aesthetics existence" maybe found "On theGenealogy Ethics: Overview Work Progress," The in of of An in in Foucault 340-372. Reader,

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tendto be subsumedunderthe inInstead,both typesof rationality of strumental identification reasonwith variant, leadingto a superficial ofmodem political domination court.12 tout Foucault'scynical equation "normalization" normswitha repressive (e.g., processof disciplinary as inDiscipline Punish) and serves a good case in point,as does Derrida's But of the of critique "logocentrism." as a result thiscollapseoflevels, fallsout ofaccount of modernmoral-political rationality specific logic - a logicthatmaynotbe equatedwithtechnical rationality simpliciter. on The neo-conservatives, the otherhand, who advocategovernthe democratic fear authentically mentbya technocratic elite, implicaIn to contrast the poststructuralists tionsof political modernity. stark of and as advocates "technological modernization," bothendorse they and the global spread of instrumental rationality tend to be staunch of critics thede-reifying, qualitiesofaesthetic expressive-emancipatory of is blamedfora dissolution thetraditional which protesmodernity, Habermas work Discourse, tant-entrepreneurial ethic.'3In Philosophical betweenthesetwo positions, poststructuradistinguishes veryclearly different complebut that lismand neoconservatism, are at once very the as we have alreadyseen,whereashe characterizes Thus, mentary. anon a "primordial of theorists based as attitudes theFrench political of technocratend neoconservatives to be advocates political archism," intelof Insteadofa conflation thesetwoprominent "postmodern" cy. thinkbutmanyneoconservative lectualcurrents merely (not Lyotard, in whichmanyofthenorof erstendto be enthusiasts a "posthistoire," of have been renderedobsolete), mativepresuppositions modernity differentiates them. we see thatHabermas carefully he Butdespitetheseimportant differences, simultaneously inquires or as to whether not,on one veryimportant point,theysharesomethe essential: viz.,a desireto outflank problemsof modernity by thing at the expense of the othertwo: one of its components emphasizing of of in the poststructuralists,theirone-sidedcelebration the virtues in the neoconservatives theirexclusiveendorseaesthetic modernity, of features themodernage. Or as mentoftheeconomic-bureaucratic this characterizes paralleldialectic: Habermas himself
of 12. This is also thechargeHabermas levelsagainsttheargument Horkheimer See and Adorno in the chapterhe devotes to TheDialectic Enlightenment. "The of of Entwinement Mythand Enlightenment" (PDM 106-130). Contradictions of 13. See theargument Daniel Bell in TheCultural (New ofCapitalism York:Harperand Row, 1976).

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Boththeories postmodernity of to pretend havegonebeyond this it horizon European tohaveleft behind the as [of modernity], horizon a pastepoch of We cannot from outset the exclude .... that thepossibility neoconservatism aesthetically and aninspired in to are archism, thenameofa farewell modernity, merely trying it to revolt are against onceagain.It couldbe that they merely their with tradition counterof cloaking complicity thevenerable in the Enlightenment garbofpost-Enlightenment 4-5). (PDM Partof the problemin attempting assess the relative to of merits Habermas and the poststructuralists is thattheyproceed fromsuch different theoretical traditions. Even in those relatively few entirely momentswhen theirphilosophicalconcernstemporarily intersect, one feelsas though inhabit twoentirely different uniintellectual they To verses. takeonlyone example:whereas The in Order Things, is Kant of viewedas theinitiator thosepernicious of "sciences l'homme" bede that come the ultimate basis formodern,carceralsocieties, the Kant of

and is in Knowledge Human Interests the last philosopher to reflect an au-

of thentic of of wayon imperatives a theory knowledge a tradition thatHabermas seeksto revive. philosophical inquiry It is clear,however, thatforthosewho are interested compariin sons,itis to theworkofFoucaultthatone mustturn.Forat leastsince the so-calledgenealogicalturnin his work,his theoretical concerns have overlapped withthoseof Habermasin no smallmeasure.In eswith critiquedomination. a sence,bothhavebeen centrally preoccupied of As Tom McCarthy observed, has "Habermas devotestwolectures to concludethatin his dialogue Foucault,and readersmight justifiably withFrench Foucaultis thepreferred More poststructuralism, partner. thananyother theradicalcritics reason,Foucaultopensup a field of of of investigation social research; for thereis in his workno 'mystificaintothe 'destinings' thisor thatprimorof tion' of social pathologies dial force"(PDM xiv).Here, too,it seemsthatRajchmanhas misseda at is "there comgood opportunity. Thoughhe remarks one pointthat mon ground;thesephilosophers and the poststructural[Habermas enemiesthaneach other"(165), inthis ists]mayhave moreimportant sight,too, remains undeveloped,scuttledamid effusive polemics. of the However, work Habermasand Foucaultmaywellprovemutualin severalcrucialrespects. ly complementary It seems thatFoucault'sown analysisof "power" fallsvictimto a
series of debilitating aporias. Habermas has accused him of a

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(PDM "cryptonormativism" 276ff- perhapsnot the most felicitous his choiceofwords).Bythishe meansthat during genealogical period, is framework of established Foucault unable,in terms theconceptual by in theto for direction which that hisowntheory, account thenormative of oryitself disciplinary pushes- viz.,an overturning theomnipresent Thisproves be thecase insofar to as of mechanisms thecarceral society. Nietzsche's of"knowledge" Foucault essentially cynical equation accepts but as and "power."Thereis no such thing "truth itself," onlyvarious of thevarious socialeffects oftruth arerecognizable that among regimes at remarks one point:"every pointin theexercise power.Or as Foucault is And conwhere ofpoweris at thesametimea site knowledge formed. ofknowledge the and assures exestablished every permits versely piece in is reaffirmed "Nietzsche, erciseof power."'"This insight vigorously of the and whereFoucault describes intentions the Genealogy, History," of rancorous "The historical method follows: as analysis this genealogical restsupon injustice revealsthatall knowledge willto knowledge (that or for to is evenin theactofknowing, truth foundation there no right, runstheriskof immeof And thus,anycritique domination truth)."'5 to Nietzschean victim thesame sinister, cycleofeternally falling diately has Any potential counter-power power formations. self-supplanting those methodsat its disposalthatare alreadythe characteristic only If of meansofthereigning empireofdomination. thistheory theinner "it Habermasargues, mustdestroy of poweris correct, then, workings "if of thefoundations theresearch by inspired itas well."Conversely, the for of Foucaulthimself raises hisgenealogy knowledge claimsthat truth that to and amounted no morethantheeffects this werein fact illusory of thenthe within circle itsadherents, the is capableofreleasing theory would of of entire unmasking thehumansciences undertaking a critical lose itspoint"(PDM 279). of deficiencies Foucault's Habermasthusemphasizesthenormative thereis an additional method.However, methodological genealogical for failingthat is perhaps even more debilitating the criticaland thatleaves us a of intentions his framework, failing "emancipatory" of witha critique domination thatis in manyrespects self-cancelling. as to we Forwantofa better term, mayrefer thisdimension Foucault's
Foucault: ed. 14. Foucault,"Power and Norm: Notes,"Michel Truth, Power, Strategy, M. Morrisand P. Patton(Sydney: FederalPublications, 1979) 62. and Practice: 15. Language, Counter-Memory, Selected Essays Interviews (Ithaca:Cornell, 1977) 163.

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which his "felici"methodological objectivism," parallels self-professed touspositivism" corrective that (and here,I happily acceptRajchman's is thisterm Foucault notreferring an "objectivizing to but method," by of In to the"positivity a domainofknowledge"). themain,theproblem for may be describedas follows.Foucaultundercuts potentials reof to bothon thesideofthe"object"sistance thereign "bio-power" of of theanalysis themechanisms powerthemselves and on that of the "subject"- thepotential "addressees"of his theory. Letus consider the"subjective" oftheequation.Summarily first side Foucault'sdistrust anthropocentrically of oriented put, approachesin thehumansciences so extreme in hismethodhe effaces pois that the of tential addressees hisadmittedly material He brilliant, "unmaskings." to concentrates such a degree on extirpating the last traces of from analyses his there that, definition, subjectivism by epistemological arenosocial actors who might takeup thevery constructive real, left potentials hiscritique. as Foucault of Or at proclaims one point:"The human has ... and he works, lives, beingno longer anyhistory sincehe speaks, finds in himself interwoven hisownbeingwith histories are neither that to subordinate himnorhomogeneous with the him."'6Similarly, functionof an "author"maybestbe understood to Foucaultin according of terms "themode ofexistence, and of circulation, functioning certain discourses a But within society.""7 once the capacity actionon the for of is in terms to part socialactors understood exclusively objectivistic (or, - i.e.,once theyare use Foucault'spreferred "positively") expression, as understood purely of passiverepositories variouspriorsocialeffects which and structure, constitute, shapethemodem "self' thoroughly theexplanatory framework deniesin advanceanyand every essentially of otherness contestation. thusthepotenand And possibility historical tial"other"of poweris in Foucault's framework deepistemologically to one of itsa priori manifestations. graded In methodological Foucault views terms, therefore, essentially society the lens of Bentham's His one-sidedpreference through panopticon. for"positive science"- as opposed to theanthropologically contamimodels- leads himto ignore entire an nated, "interpretive" sociological tradition which himwith theory socialacalonecouldprovide the of of lacks.Foucault as tionhisanalysis powerso sorely creates, it thereby were,his own "methodological prison."
16. Foucault,TheOrder Things (London: Tavistock, of 1970) 369. 17. "Whatis an Author?", Foucault The Reader 108.

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This methodological deficiencyis then predictablycomplemented and reinforcedby his own material analyses - the aforementioned "objective" side of the dilemma. It is at this point that his own thesis concerning the omnipresence of power in modern carceral societyreturnsto meet his epistemological anti-subjectivism half-way. Although Rajchman points to certain of Foucault's later utterancesthat tend to of minimize the monolithicity disciplinarypower (above all, 177, note such observations are the exceptions thatprove the rule. There is 16), no avoiding the fact that Foucault's genealogical studies point in the direction of an all-encompassing and virtuallyseamless network of bio-power. Or as Foucault himselfremarksat one point: of fixes individuals theproto Thus theapparatus sequestration habits meansofa playofcomduction by by apparatus producing This mustmanuand teachings punishments. apparatus pulsions, thatcharacterises itmustcreatea a facture behaviour individuals, of whichthesocial"belongingness" indinexusofhabitsthrough is thatis, it manufactures vidualsto a society defined, something forth monlikenorms.... While[theclassical] apparatus brought norms.Constitumanufactures the modem sequestration sters, sotionof labour-power, disciplinary apparatusof sequestration: function normalisation. of That is theseriesthat permanent ciety, characterises typeof society.'8 our to It would be difficult deny that vis-a-visbourgeois society,Foucault the Nietzschean standpointof "total critique": since bourgeois adopts norms are reduced to the functionof providing a veneer of pseudofor humanisticlegitimation the various disciplinary technologies,these societiesare devoid of a potentialfor"immanent critique": thereare no ideals of freedom, equality, and solidarityleft to redeem. Since for Foucault, like Adorno, "the whole is the untrue," a "solution" can be found only deus ex machina,i.e., non-immanendy.'9The only hints Foucault can give in thisrespectare vitalistic: e.g., the paean to "the body
18. "Powerand Norm:Notes" 65. of 19. It is ironicthatRajchman considersHabermas's theory communicative of Buteven ifone deniesthetheory univeras a deusexmachina postulate. competence of sal pragmatics terms whichthistheory grounded(and one mustdoubt from in is of familiar is with he treatment theseissues how thoroughly Rajchman'ssuperficial of and strucone can certainly them), pointto a wealth legal,constitutional, normative of of the turescharacteristic modem societiesthatwould suggest content the theory has a distinct basis in reality.

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with and itspleasures," which volumeone ofThe conHistorySexuality of dudes. Or the following with responsetakenfroma 1977 interview Bernhard-Henri "we shouldbe able to rediscover things the themIkvy: in selves their behindasylum the of walls, spontaneity primordial vitality: in and through penal system, fertile the the unrest delinof madness; sexualprohibitions, purity desire."20 I think beneath the of But it quency; is clearthat whatever vistas socialcriticism emerged new of have despite of as a result Foucault's of of thematization "bio-power," theory soany cial contestation tries base itself "thebodyand itspleasures," to that on "the purity desire,"or a "primordial of is selfvitality" essentially The "aesthetic theKierkegaardian cannot cancelling.21 sense) sphere"(in be treated a self-evident reliable as basisforsocialcontestation. and Butisn'tthis the the of acprecisely areawhere theory communicative tiondevelopedbyHabermascouldprovide important an remedy given theaporiasofFoucault's of the theory power- in ordertofurnish theory social action is so sorely that in own analytical frameof lacking Foucault's work? Woulditnotbe fruitful understand capacity socialactors to the of to resist instrumentalization colonization thevarious the and of spheres in of social lifeprimarily termsof the theory the life-world of that thelead ofHusserland Schutz, used as a basis has Habermas, following forunderstanding "new social movements" thathave contemporary traditional forms socialstruggle? of on largely replaced Onlybyfocusing thelogics socialization arespecific advanced that to industrial societies can of one simultaneously uncoverthe existing for capacities social contestation.Onlybyfollowing approach an that also thematizes socialconstithe tution in these societies one unearth very "pocan the real ofintersubjectivity for in tentials negation" that contained the(universalistic) are normative of structures latecapitalism aboutwhich to of Foucault, thedetriment hisowntheory, so In remains cynical. suchterms alonecan one develop a social theory thatis non-monological,in whichthe constitution one of selvesis understood merely the foregone not as of result an modern as autonomously acting"biopower"but simultaneously a productof intersubjective activity. To be sure, extent which aforementioned the to the normative structures
20. "Powerand Sex," Telos (1977): 158. 32 21. As Axel Honneth'sdiscussion Foucaultin Kritik Macht of der a. (Frankfurt M.: to to Suhrkamp,1984) attempts show (albeitwithreference Foucault'sHobbesian of characterization society a bellum as contra no of omnium omnes), possibletheory social cohesionor political could emerge from sucha perspective. wouldthen We obligation indeed tumbleback intoa Hobbesian "stateof nature."

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role social playa constitutive in thevariousspheresof contemporary is an empirical to dismisssuch criteria a existence question.However, of and as priori "rationalist" "dogmatic"is to depriveoneself a potenand critique does, moreover, valuablebasis of social analysis (as tially thattheclaimsof a theorist withwhom one thead hominem argument insofar they as theinflexible decan be dismissed represent disagrees mands of a "liberalrationalist superego"[164]). claimsthatit is onlyby avoidingthe normative baggage Rajchman socialtheory byundertaking, itwere,an "other"inas oftraditional out perspecquiry- thatFoucaultis able to ferret unique analytical be tivesand gains(172ff.) a pointthatshould unquestionably conto ceded. But then,it should also be constructive expose thevarious cul-de-sacsthat Foucault entersinto as a resultof this theoretical intellectual traditions. can agreewith One studiedavoidanceofcertain And thatfromFoucault's"blindness"stemshis "insight." Rajchman thisconclusionshould not implythatthe blindnessis something yet and thusdeservesto remainuncured. sacrosanct is and Butmutualunderstanding nota one-way street; thusitis likely from a framework couldequally benefit closer contact that Habermasian of power.TheTheory Communicative Action witha Foucaultian analytic of on is primarily a us essentially a discourse justice. with provides Justice of affair. questions socialpowerarebroached Consequently, procedural of their inin terms thecapacities socialactors articulate of to primarily The of and demandsfreely. specific content thisarticulaterests, wants, To thereframework. claim, tionis in no waypre-judged Habermas's by actionrepresents relapseinto a thatthetheory communicative of fore, is or of dogmatism a newversion "foundationalism" thus philosophical and The asymmetrical systematic interference misleading. essentially is for with thiscapacity intersubjective agreement deemedthesourceof In in socialdomination Habermas'sframework. latecapitalist societies, takeson a particular of interests therepression generalizable dynamic. from economicand administrative that the Steering imperatives derive theautonomous ofsociety encroach decision-making upon sub-systems of in of situated thelife-world. Spheres socialaccapacities socialactors are and communicatively wereheretofore tionthat informally governed an ever-expanding nowincorporated within organizational-bureaucratic and of network instrumental Thus,contradictions disequilibrationality.
riumsthatwere once endemic to the economic systemunder capitalism have been increasingly absorbed, withvarying degrees of success,by the to sphere of state administration.In its efforts neutralize and defuse

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of the reason penetrate more crisistendencies, tentacles bureaucratic of and moredeeplyintothe heart civilsociety. It is not hardto see from thiscursory accountthatHabermas'scriof instrumental reason and Foucault'sanalysisof disciplinary tique schools, (in prisons, technologies themilitary, hospitals, are potenetc.) Both perspectives is of courseless truein (this tially complementary. Foucault's in case)wouldseemto havetheir origins a Weberian critique of the reifying of effects anonymous, bureaucratic power. Habermas this from high, itwere, on as at traces process level beginning theabstract of the "purposive-rational of economy and state adminissubsystems" that tration are governed themedia ofmoneyand power.Foucault, by with thick of normalizaconversely, his genial, descriptions bio-power, of and this from below. tion, historical "techniques self," analyzes process And yet, ofthemicro-physicspowerseem Foucault's of investigations a of in to capture dimension domination contemporary societies is that absentin Habermas'sapproach.Foucault's methodallowshim to acin countfordomination itsphenomenological, immediacy. is lived He able to portray as poweras an "individualizing" phenomenon, a constiin tutive Habermas's aspectof the modernself, a waythattranscends hisconceptualization socialaction of as i.e., paradigm, "intersubjective" orientedprimarily toward"reachingan agreement." Habermas has criticized certain "vitalistic" residuesof Foucault'sanalytical forcefully And framework. whereas mayindeedbe advisable viewan unqualiit to of fiedendorsement "thebodyand itspleasures" at with suspicion, the same time this somatic-existential dimensionof Foucault'sthought seemsto havesensitized himto thenon-ideological, side physiological of the of transcends Habermasian powerin a waythat effectively paradigm of communication. Perhapsone of the limitations Habermas'sframeworkis thatbyattempting understand to of questions domination prein terms theproblematic "justice," is unableto apof of he dominantly and the intricacies dynamics powerin advanced of industriprehend full al societies. Foucault shown domination, addition its As has in to jurius, dical component, itsphysiological as well.It has thepowerto has side makepeople "sayyes"to certain in habits, values,and norms, addition to depriving them systematically "rights." is in this sense that of It Foucault's of of descriptions the"productive" capacities power,as well oftheso-called as hisrelated inremain critique "repressive hypothesis,"
For it is uncertainwhetherthisarrayof considerationscan be structive. adequatelytheorizedin termsof the paradigmof communicationalone.

to Wolin Rejoinder Richard

JohnRajchman
In his responseto myessay,Richard Wolinremarks therecent that over reason and unreasonin contemporary controversy philosophy one. I wouldagree.Butin myviewitis has provedto be a rather sterile Habermas's complaint- the chargesof aestheticism, cryptonormaof wholesalerejection reasonand modern infantilism, tivism, nihilism, been relevelledagainst society poststructuralismwhichhas largely in Wolin reiterates Habermas's complaint forthissterility. sponsible of wherehe writes a "diabolical" pact consome of his earlier essays, of Foucaultto NiklasLuhmann, Foucault's defective Miindigkeit necting decisionor immaturity, of his dangerousand empty"aesthetic and towards attitude ism." Wolin also adopts an even more dismissive Haberme of psychologizing Derridain theseessays.After accusing his complaint, whichseemsto me to commas,Wolinsimply repeats to to pound theverysterility whichhe objects.Wolinis willing allow in Habermas's thought discussion:he to only "specificlimitations"
countenances no real questioning of it.'
of Wolinhas in mindis thelimitation Habermas'strict limitation" 1. The "specific difocuson "formal justice."This focuswould allow no place forthe"physiological is "formal mensionof power"studiedby Foucault.But sinceWolinthinks justicejust justice,"he seemsto leave no "rational"wayofdealingwiththequestionof thebody or raised by Foucault; he thus seems to court the verydangers of aestheticism to whichhe also objects.And yet,Foucault'sstudyof discipline cryptonormativism, within viewofcriminality of of was a study theemergence a "normalizing" penaljusto debateaboutlegaltheory, whichbothFoucault tice.As suchitforms partofa larger of in interested a critical Foucaultwas very and Derridahave contributed. history the that it was law. His assumption that isjurisprudence makesthelaw,and notthelawjuand of the therefore One might thought, of study history jurisprudential risprudence. all wouldnotseekto dissolve "formal" of This history reasoning styles legalreasoning.

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to Rejoinder Wolin

one that Givenwhathe has written, cannothelp thinking Wolin's of disowning thewholeissueofreasonand unreasonis disingenuous. is of Butthere also a simpleconceptual consideration. "paradigm The action"is a theory rationality proposesan exof and communicative of haustiveclassification its types.(A minor"aporia" in Wolin's reis thatthistheory as the transcendental, rejects, insufficiently sponse Whatstandsoutsidethis"paradigm," idea ofparadigms.) whatit very bound to seem to itto be cannotclassify, what"limits"it,is therefore This is certainly case forFoucaultand Derridawhose the "irrational." intoHabermas'sclassification reasonor of "comof workdoes notfit and munication."In theirwork he sees only "cryptonormativism" These are notrational "aesthetic decisionism." indeed,they positions; there thus"irrationaliOutside"communication," is are self-refuting. about communication or to ty."We are entitled askwhatassumptions of them reasonlead Habermasto thisperception irrationality. Among is normaI think these.Habermasassumesthat critique either are all or tive or cryptonormative, justifying hiding norms of judgment. without procedure judgment. of a can Nothing be critically questioned is about He also assumesthat there nothing significant philosophically or frames whicharguments made. are the contexts, forms, through from criticalargument- it is "Aesthetics"is somethingdistinct in preference and thereis thusno "aesthetics" and unsupported or as thereis no argucritical philosophical argument, just through I theseassumptions not are mentin and through "aesthetics." think
into a relativistic of "substance." It would be about "problematizations"; sea one wouldstudy law whereitsapplications cause conceptual One wouldexthe problems. in of amine legal thinking terms the kindsof problemsit was designedto solve,and to confronted thetransformationswhichsuchtechniques weresubmitted they as new sorts experience. of Thus very one of roughly might a certain say: "problematization" would lead to a constitutional formulation the of sovereignty royalor aristocratic of of would be in turnconfronted withnew sorts probRights Man, and thoserights and theriseof thewelfarefrom labor disputes state. The resultlems arising warfare withnew critical and queswould thenbe confronted ingjurisprudence experiences war tionsabout women, minorities, environment, - in shortabout "power." the is (One example of thissortof history to be foundin FrancoisEwald's book, L'Etat a It this which Providence, defends kindofcritical legalnominalism.) is clearthat kindof wouldyieldresults from critical different one based on thedichotomy belegalhistory administrative reasonand "thelife-world" is advancedin Habermas'stheothat tween these to action.It is myviewthatitwouldbe a mistake represent ryofcommunicative in of thoseproblems can solveby "formal differences terms a distinction between we direction thatwould lie an uncritical justice" and thosewe cannot.For it is in that irrationalism. antilegal

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or ones onlyfalsebut are also limiting restrictive forcritical thought. in a critical senseis neither reject outright it to To questionsomething that willsettle It is thusnot it. norto possessin advancetheprocedure forthere exista critical to or "irrational" logically questionimpossible or ingin advanceofnormsor rulesofdecision, in whichthoserulesor normsare themselves open to question.In such cases how to judge these forms critically partof thecritical questionofjudgment.I think ones forphilosophical reflection argumentation. and cases are central and In my essay I tryto show how Derrida's"deconstructions" of be regarded instances sucha critical as Foucault's may "genealogies" and which willing askwhowe are historically "aesthetiis to questioning, of Kantian and post-Kantian cally"whenwe judge. Theirquestioning a sort to but is it thought notan attempt reject outright involves different of than one whichwould lay down the "criteria of critical argument Thus they newlinesof intojudge modem societies. open rationality" and discover new sorts connections of of and vestigation styles analysis Frankfurt the with earlier School,whichHabermas'saccountof rationis ality designedto surpass.Habermaswantsnone of this.He saysthe to He twohave contributed nothing thetradition. cannotsee absolutely or can onlysee themas "irrationalism." their kinds critical of argument, on whatis excluded placing "limits" the Forhe does notevenconsider by - what, not"irrationality"? if that reasonand communication he does have a "dogmatic" For Wolin,it is not possiblethatHabermasmight one. viewofreason, sincehe has a "pluralistic" Butis theonly"dogma" In of reasonitsunity? Can therebe no "dogmatic pluralism"? his rein one Wolinexplains that orderto be a "pluralist" has to be a sponse, "formalist" think whatyouwillas longas youfollow "universal" my or Whatdoes this meanin practice? of procedures argument reasoning. Habermasis also a "tranWhileofficially empirical an "fallibalist," trinitarian." Reason dividesintothree and onlythree scendental kinds, Interest the Human of witha "quasi-transcendental" each matching of classification. Species.The "plurality" reasonthusreducesto a fixed That is That the"plurality" is thatis to be "respected"or "tolerated." in is to setout itsformal limits a "universal to respect why "plurality" pragmatics." division Habermastries roothistripartite to "quasi-transcendental" in the historical thatwould distinguish of Reason "value-spheres" ones. He thus arrives at modernsocietiesfromancientor primitive
something more than an empiricallyfallible historicalthesis. At the

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about modernity there a sortof is heartof Habermas'sown discourse doublet."To questionhisdivision reason of "historico-transcendental modernsociety; and to questionhis division is to wishto escape from of is of thevalue-spheres modernsociety to giveup reasonitself. ButforFoucault "reason"was notrelated "society" "history" to or in this Foucault had no use for doctrine theunity reason, of manner. the of northerefore that society. wasthusa "pluralist," ofa differof for He but of ent sort.He thought thatthe aims or interests knowledge werenot fixedby quasi-transcendental and corresponding historical categories but rather a contingent to "value-spheres," through history specific the A variouskindsof knowledge. discourseis "rational"or "objective" an whenitputsforth objectaboutwhich there be a "reasoning," a can or true As of wayofdetermining and falsestatements. theforms reasoning of are various, history "rationality" a pluralone, and there no the is is suchthing Objectivity Rationality general. or in as Thispluralhistory is in partsocialand political. ofcourse, that does notmeanthat validiBut, of (as tyis decidedonlyby considerations bruteforce Habermasoften is assumes).On thecontrary, "knowledge power"forFoucault precisely it and autonomous. because,in a specific manner, is objective relatively for was division we that "Plurality" Foucault thusnota transcendental at mustrespect thecostofirrationality. a positive It was of principle diand We whatnewforms of versity proliferation. can never in advance say or reasoning, whatnew "division"in reason,we mayyethave. Thus Foucaultadmiredin Max Weber his attempt distinguish to various of rationality modem society, he said they in but werenotthe "types" to "In he I Raulet, declared: fact do not onlyones. In response Gerard ofbifurcation reason[as Habermasimagines]. of I Rather speakof speak I bifurcations.speakof an endlessprolific division. am not I multiple of the momentwhen reason became bureaucratic."2 Here speaking thereis a persistent nexus of misunderstanding, dutifully repeatedby Wolin.Habermasassimilates Foucaultsaysabout theworkeverything forms knowledge powerto Instrumental of and Reason, ingsofspecific and thencomplains that fails distinguish from he to it Practical Reason. He does notsee that Foucault does notstart thisdivision reason, with of thathe neednot, thathe is a pluralist anotherkind.One limitof of Habermas'stheory communication the "dogmatism" of is thatasserts
(Semiotext(e), 1989) 243.

2. "How Much Does It Cost For Reason to Tell the Truth?" in Foucault Live

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in there onlya single is kindofplurality reason, in that one grounded a of thewaywe mustspeakor argue. "pragmatics" from puredesire a that to Wolinthinks Habermas'scomplaint springs fromthe place in his tolerant heartwherepure reason communicate, to morehistorical view.In relation to speaks.I am inclined a somewhat I which- to thedeof the"limits" Habermas'thought,speakofa fear, and wellbe it rigidifying uncontrollable might greethat is misplaced, the to a that termed "phobia." I offer conjecture thisfearis connected of the historical experience NationalSocialism.In his responseWolin this in I misunderstands misrepresents conjecture twoways.First do or or or historical notimpugn disqualify Habermas's arguments interpretaon it to his tions reference this with fear; thecontrary,is theproblems by of that the and readings with assumptions hisarguments leadsme to ask them.Secondly, conjecture nota psychopathologiis whatmotivates my I cal but a historical one: in makingthe conjecture relyon nothing I The Habermashas notsaid ofhimself. onlything sayabouthisyouth and about with known facts hisdisillusionment Heidegger, hisworries as of of movements. the"fascism theleft" the60s protest and is not about Habermas'spsychopathology, I do not My essay that wouldinfer itis. I suspect that what think evena Ph.D. in literature him.It to distresses Wolinis thecontext reference whichI historicize by is a context Wolin has no qualms about using thatis hard to ignore. in material discussionof anotherGermanphilosopher: biographical
- thatitwas a Hider youth- I try put together to withsuch otherwell-

of indeed for mean fora critical philosopher Habermas'sgeneration, of modernity" notto be concerned withthis today, any "philosopher thatthereis more historical claim is simply experience. complex My in to is all thanone way.The postwar attitude Heidegger Germany after from different thatin Franceor in America. rather Thus,whenWolin "in German in historical to underscores, reference LukAcs, a specifically but about he seemsto me notto eliminate, to open,a question context," what the (predominantly "philosophicaldisGerman-language) just has courseof modernity" to do withthis"context." That,and not his childhoodcomplex,is thequestionI wantedto raiseabout Habermas and about his complaint. to In particular raise thisquestionin relation the considerations I to have raised whichDerrida,and those sympathetic his philosophy,
concerningnationalism,and more preciselywhat Lacoue-Labarthe has

die Ende. One wants to ask Wolin what it would Heidegger, Nazis, undkein

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to Rejoinder Wolin

in nationalism" thephilosophical called"aesthetic of discourse moderofwhichHabermasis proposing reconstruction. hisresponse, a In nity, Wolinsimply dismisses entire discussion Derrida, ofthe"aesof and my in thetic discourse modernity," a footnote whichhe simply of in asserts that Wolin,is notconvinced it - something is notvery that surhe, by It is a shamethat Wolinis unwilling discuss to sinceinthese this, prising. to in of pagesI try exposea difficultyHabermas's story modernigeneral be tyand showone wayin whichit might "deconstructed." Habermas'scomplaint served has to mostly getin thewayofdiscussion. In particular has inhibited more genuineor fruitful it a debate abouthisownwork.I do notthink thatHabermas'swork reduces his to Here I would takeissuewithWolin'sown objection an in complaint. earlier to mankind hyper-rathe essaythatHabermas"purports offer tionalist communicative It utopiaoftotal transparency.mustbe admitthat a intellectuated,however, thisremains thoroughly disenchanted, listutopia.The problem that idealrecognizes is this humanbeings only ble from rationalizing, the tendencies themodemage of homogenizing
in theircapacityas 'rational animals' . . (it is) at points indistinguisha..,"3 Wolin's point is that,at least forothersless capable of Miindigkeit,

therewillalwaysremaina little "enchantment" withtheir connected bodies and their senses.This resembles Wolin'sremark theend of at his responseto me, wherehe saysthatHabermascannotunderstand the in that bodyis irrational thestrong sensethat it through is induced an acceptance domination, is morethan of that "distorted commujust nication." me this an "irrationalist" For is forituncritically acposition, thedichotomy between bodily the and therational, takes and our cepts being as rational animals as a single thing,connectedwith the tendencies the modem age." To the degreethat of "homogenizing Habermasis advancing such a "'hyper-rationalist utopiaof totalcommunicative itseemsto me thathe is offering mankind a transparency," rather idea ofthevarious ofitsreason, their and relations poor capacities with"aesthetics," "power" or thebody. or On my reading, thereis anothersortof difficulty. Habermas'satto a face tempt givepluralism transcendental (and transcendental phia mixedmotivations. theone hand, On losophy pluralistic betrays one) he wants preserve to from philosophical the discourse modernity of the
3. Richard and theDialectic Rationalism," German of New Wolin,"Critical Theory 41 Critique (Spring-Summer, 1987): 51-2.

John Rajchman 161 task of providing criterion distinguish a to rationalfromirrational or societies socialarrangements. theother On to hand,he wants connect thiscriterion a pluralism to thatwould allow fordifferent, even and views aboutmodem societies, socialrelations, thesorts and of changing, of that them. Whenhe finds criticism socialarrangea rationality govern or or otherthanthe ments, of discourse, ofthepost-Kantian tradition, he in a intol"rational," feels onlyone he finds justified adopting rather erant it Thus he can findin Derridaand view,castigating as irrational. of and of Foucault onlya version theearlier "one-sided" critique Instruof mentalReason,withitsrelated dialectic the Enlightenment. I do not recognizethis as a centralthemein the workof either Foucault Derrida.Foucault or and Derrida werenottrying opt outof to a "modernity" wouldbe defined a classification Reason.They that of by in weretrying, different to question and to complicate senseof our ways, what "modernity" are. Thus, for example,Foucault (and "reason") a of of wanted showthat history thetreatment themad forms integto an that what think we ralpartofthespecific of"rationality" determines sort one individual and thuswith of our noofas a normal well-adjusted a he to tionsofwhatis "reasonable." Similarly wanted showthat certain kindof architectural to the "rationality" allowsus that belongs regime kindsand In thesespecific contingent speakof criminality. questioning in of to conceptions reason,he tried create publicspacesof discussion and themselves havea say- spaces whichprisoners mad people might in would not wouldbe "democratic" thesensethat intellectual the that his be their he discussion with "criterithat wouldnotdominate master, the For Derridahas sought question basic to on ofrationality." hispart, the of schemethatrunsthroughout assumptions thekindof historical discourse modernity," of down to Heidegger's concep"philosophical kind of tionof"epochalregimes Being."His pointis to open up another for in which that wouldprovide events of"historicity" critical judgment, and us and open us againto invention, whichone mayplausiquestion Idea. In both inwithKantand witha certain democratic blyconnect is and I that stances think whatis challenging interesting nottheir supin the aboutreasonand unreason society. is rather meta-views It posed and critical of whatrelation our philosophical thought may question in Here itseems it the havetoday with complexhistory which finds itself. to me that there are grounds for a more useful discussionwith
Habermas. Habermas's complaint stands in the way.

The Konrad History: Filmmaker Remembering Wolf1

Marc Silberman
1944. A youngRed Armysoldier- Germanby birthbut whose had emigrated withtheir to parents youngchildren the SovietUnion to forpolitical reasons- returns Germany. comes home withthe He SovietArmy, a conquerorin his defeatedhomeland. as triumphant What Now beginsthe processof self-discovery self-questioning: and does "home" mean in thisunknown, nativecountry? KonradWolfs to Ich This is the background the film warneunzehn, in of to contribution the fiftieth anniversary the October Revolution to self-awarethe 1968.The struggle findoneself, difficult toward path in fromthe grandtradition theBildungsroman of ness,recallspatterns of and frompopularworking class literature theWeimarRegeneral this are films but describe process, they less Wolf's publicin particular. the concerned withtheend pointofthatdifficult thanwith strugpath For "Each person gle itself. thiswasWolf'sown formative experience: musttakethe first on the oftencontradictory in searchof path steps his for home,in discovering place in thestruggle theonlypossiblefuthat and tureof his people. After emigration return, has been and rein mainsthecrucialexperience mydevelopment" (Wolf1984,p. 900). is In Wolf'scase, consciousness one's own place in history notsimof of German a personalproblem;it also impliesthelarger question ply
for to 1. I am grateful the AmericanPhilosophical Society itsgenerousfinancial in assistance screenFilmarchiv DDR foritsfriendly der and to theStaatliches support von Humboldt-Stiftung of films. Withthefinancial support theAlexander ingseveral a condensed, earlierversionof this articlewas presentedat the Congressof the in ffir Internationale Vereinigung germanische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft This short was version publishedin Germanin theCongress G6ttingen (August1985). (Silberman1986). Proceedings

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History Remembering

nationalidentity, dilemmawhichhas not diminished a sincetheend ofthewar.Wolf'sfilms a Gerpresent unique windowon thepostwar and man experience, itis regrettable up to now they that have notenin In joyed a broaderpublic reception the UnitedStates.2 addition, as Wolfs status one of,perhapseventhe mosttalented to film director in come from GDR merits the attention considering spethe particular of cific conditions and strategies filmmaking a socialist in Ficountry.

authorFriedrich well-known he Wolf, grewup until1933 in WiirttemWithhis entire he livedthrough rupture Gerthe in berg. generation, of man history the Third Reich,not as acquiescentbystander as but outsider.His family, ended up in the Soviet Jewishand communist,

continuous critical and examination German of Wolf's nally, history andtheformal in he means which hasengaged this by highly personal examination a to counter-modelthephenomerepresentproductive nonofthehistorical in theFederal film the Republic during lastten Sanders-Brahms, etc.). Reitz, (e.g.,Syberberg, Kluge, years is Whothen Konrad Wolf? Bornin 1925,sonofthephysician and

Unionin 1934and becamepartoftheGerman-speaking anti-fascist in Moscow. a naturalized As Konrad Soviet Wolf citizen, community in wasdrafted theRedArmy 1942andplacedinthepropaganda into in of This with as duty lieutenant theBattle Berlin. corps, hislastactive oftheGerman as a victory theGermans over catastrophe experience - notwithoutfeeling satisfaction Wolf's - separates him on a of part and shapedhis senseof of his German from contemporaries many after capitulation the German 1980).Fortwoyears history (Sylvester in as officer various to Wolf continued work a Red Army capacities in Administration occupiedGermany, within the SovietMilitary of as other daily newspapositions oneofthefounders a major among in and attache theatre film the for andas a cultural Zeitung) per(Berliner hewasresponsiIn thelatter of state Sachsen-Anhalt (Halle). position, of twelve thoseUFA film ble forselecting productions theprevious a in In assumed which wouldbe shown thecinemas. 1947Wolf years and Soviet "House for in theBerlin Culture" begana shortposition for lived career, newspapers. writing Berlin journalistic
2. KonradWolfvisitedthe UnitedStatesonlyonce, in April 1975 (Washington, in are and Fairbanks, Los DC, New York, Angeles, Alaska).His comments recorded an in filmsare distributed interview currently the United (Wolf 1975). The following Filmat BrandeisUniversity),Was I States: Stars and Lissy (NationalCenterfor Jewish
19 and Solo Sunny(GDR Embassy).

MarcSilberman 165 of The decision pursuefilm to studies appearsto havebeen theresult In rather thanconviction. the SovietUnion Wolfhad alcoincidence in von with as been involved filming a childactor Gustav ready practical his film anti-fascist Kidmpfer Moreover, father's (1936). Wangenheim's of of with notorious difficulties filmadaptations several his playswere knownto him(Kasjanowa1974,p. 143).Yetwhenhe appliedforfilm in a studies during vacation Moscowin 1949,itwas as mucha conveniIn of career "home" as thestart professional entwayto return training. himin for Institute Cinematography the All-Union fact, State accepted who class.Alexandrov, made hisrepudirectorial Alexandrov's Grigori musicalcomediesand satires eccentric tationproducing (JazzComedy, intermeWolfa direct 1936;Volga 1934;Circus, Volga, 1938),becamefor as to legacy, he had been a close collaborator diary SergeiEisenstein's In collective. addition,Wolf studiedwith in Eisenstein'sProletkult of the who influenced wholemiddlegeneration SoGerassimov, Sergei would and whose laconic style vietdirectors SergeiBondarchuk) (i.e. MikhailRomm also Wolfs films.Finally, influence also increasingly Nine and at DaysinOneYear taught theFilmAcademy, itwas hislatefilm on Wolf'sdevelopthatwould have an extraordinary impact (1961) in the with in remained contact ment.Duringhisstudies Moscow,Wolf his Ivens in film studios theGDR (DEFA), assistingJoris with docState in Festival Youthand Student film umentary on theThirdInternational of with film his Berlin portrait Maetzig siegt, (Freundschaft 1951)and Kurt Communist the martyred leader,Ernst Thiilmann Sohnseiner Klasse ist film withthefeature-length Einmal (1954). He concludedhis studies two television films in a seriesof thirteen keinmal (and (1955),thefirst he features) producedat the DEFA studios. in and unexpectedly 1982,Wolfwas one of Whenhe died suddenly in the best knownfilmmakers the GDR, honoredwithseveralof the highestStateawards and medals and recognizedas one of the few in to GDR directors enjoyan international reputation theEast as well Germandihimto be themostimportant as theWest.Some consider Othersregardhis workas not uninteresting of rector his generation. the GDR, citinghis within his but acknowledge primarily influence and political in leveloffices variouscultural organizations: manyhigh of Chair of the Artists' Union; President the prestigious Academyof of Arts(1965-82);and memberof the CentralCommittee the ruling Such prestige Socialist whysome who explains (1981-82). Party Unity
consider themselves to be in the opposition treated Wolf with

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History Remembering

as of skepticism, a representative state power(Brasch1982,p. 13). Othersharbored of becausehislong-standing ofcollabteam feelings envy orators seemedto enjoyspecialprivileges, such as reducedpressure to In on deadline.3 anyevent, films havealways been surWolf's produce roundedby controversy, as is often case in such situations, and the he was frequently and criticized thevery for same reasons.4 praised Itwouldbe a mistake characterize to Wolf a film Konrad as that auteur, be with or visual is,he cannot identified exclusively a single idiosyncratic or an If thematic interest. there a Wolf"sigis style, evenwith exclusive it of of first nature," is theproduct a collective, a groupconsisting and foremost cameraman of Werner filmed butthelast all (who Bergmann twofeatures) wellas thesetdesigner as Alfred the Hirschmeier, composer Hans-Dieter Hosalla and thescriptwriters GeorgEgel and Paul Karl Wiens(for early the and or Kohlfilms) later Angel Wagenstein Wolfgang haase (cf.thefilmography theend of thisarticle). was theachieveat It mentofthis of grouptoreorganize againand againthevisualexperience in orderto undermine the cinema conventions habitsof seeing. and Wolfdid not regardhis workas an isolatedundertaking rather but as ofthemoregeneral ofraising aesthetic the standards exand part activity of his with film teamhe was always seekpectations thepublic.Together newways present to life experimenting newtechniwith ing everyday by cal processes modifying and filmic structure. introducing works the of In I KonradWolf, wantto examinethevariety potential suchcineand of maticinnovations a wayof evaluating successand reception. as his oeuvredoes manifest remarkable a Wolf's Thematically continuity in its preoccupationwith the German past, with the quest for a whichone might of Gerpositionfrom explainthevicissitudes recent man history. There is in his films practical, not even didactic, a if atto pursuethetraces thepastin thepresent of to and, conversely, tempt show how the presentis partof the past. From thisperspective one into maydividehis filmwork fourcategories:
3. Thiswas thecase especially the for film during preparations Wolf's Goya project, several films everproducedbythe lasting years.It became one of themostexpensive DEFA studios(cf.R. Herlinghaus1971). 4. There is as yetno adequate biography KonradWolf.Konrad of 1985a, a Wolf besidesnumerousphotographs hagiographic a book, contains largepicture essayby KlausWischnewski,chronology a complete a and Konrad 1985bconfilmography. Wolf tainsa selectionof Wolf'swritings, on speechesand interviews cultureand cultural in in as of of Othpolitics theGDR, especially hiscapacity President theAcademy Arts. er usefulstudiesfromthe GDR includeTok 1972 and Richter 1983.

MarcSilberman 167 and about the thirties the riseof fascism: 1) films Lissy (1956),Leute Mamlock mit of (1960), Professor (1961), Wolf'stwo installments Fliigeln seriesBusch the six-part television (1981/82); singt 2) filmsabout the war and the immediate postwar years:Genesung (1956),Sterne (1959),Ichwarneunzehn (1968),Mama,ichlebe(1977); ist about contemporary GDR society: Einmal keinmal 3) films (1955), Himmel Mannaufdem Sonnensucher (1958),Dergeteilte (1964),Der nackte (1980); (1974),SoloSunny Sportplatz filmDer kleine the television Prinz(1966) and the historical 4) epic Goya (1971).5 formed the Germansociety been so decisively That postwar has by "Bepast is forWolfthe consequenceof a peculiarset of conditions: on cause our people did not liberate themselves theirown initiative, on theliberation 1945had to be realizedmainly theintelprocessafter lectuallevel,a processwhichwas especially intensive duringthefirst decade but which,in myview,mustcontinuestilltodayand postwar on into the future" to (Wolf1965, p. 380). This conviction, referring all even the "today" of 1965, typifies of Wolf'swork.Thus his films, are those concernedwithcontemporary GDR reality, addressedto a inGermanborders.Moreover, lifelong his public beyond national offers fascist a development pastand itspostwar quiryintoGermany's model than the popular "Year Zero" equation different completely the whichunderlies discussionin WestGermany.6 I in Forthepurposesofthisoverview willintroduce films chronthe in order to make visibletheir ological order by year of production A innovative formal diversity. clearchangeocqualitiesand thematic in curred Wolf'soeuvre, shift a from pathosand pretentiousness the of
an of tale was notavail5. Derkleine fairy foradults, Prinz, adaptation St.Exupery's able to me and appearsto have had little impact.Although producedin 1966,itwas until 1972. A briefdescription the plot can be of not broadcaston GDR television foundin Dalichow 1983, p. 27. in 6. The reception Wolf'sfilms WestGermany of deserves study itsown. In a of thereare isolatedGDR productions enjoyrunswithmoderate that successin general, WestGermancinemasor on television, by and largetheGDR filmscene is combut and a negligible unknown (unlikeGDR literapletely presence amongthedistributors As has are classesto ilLissy been used forhistory ture). faras Wolf'sfilms concerned, and hislastfeaof to lustrate relationship thepetty the bourgeoisie NationalSocialism, a SoloSunny, turefilm, even achievedthe rankof a box office success after winning FilmFestival Berlinale workon Wolfhas also been (1980). Scholarly prizeat the(West) rare;otherthanan essayby Gregor1977, and sectionsin a doctoraldissertation by of Blunk 1984,therehas been nothing consequence.

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films thesuppleness to of ones. Severtheearly and discretion thelater I al exampleswilldemonstrate,hope, that maturation Wolf'saesthetic twoqualities.First, withKarlGeorgEgel,Paul Wiens usuallytogether receives for and credit thescripts whichexplainsto Lissy Sterne), (except some extentthe melodramatic elementand formulaic dramaturgy. in Forexample, Einmal keinmal,musicalcomedy whicha WestGerist a man composervisits smallvillagein the GDR and promptly in falls a intoa mediocre love (a kindofsocialist turns farce because Heimatfilm), of theweak dialogue and poor acting.Second,Wolfand his cameraman Bergmann meansto comsearchforand findeffective cinematic forthe theatrics. withunusuallenses,withfilmpensate Experiments shotswith ing in availablelightand a handheldcamerain Genesung, two synchronized zoom lens in Lissy camerasor withan improvised are onlya fewofthe"discoveries" whichadd spontaneity novelty and to theearly films. thesame timethey At problem:the pointto a further and abstractness arbitrariness theseforms A-vis content. of visthe in based upon F. C. Weiskopfsnovelwritten thethirties, Lissy, Lissy oder Versuchung, Wolf'sfirst die was tells popularsuccess.The narrative of a woman caughtbetweenthe demands of her husband who, demoralizedbyunemployment, becomesmoreand moreinvolved with the Nazis, and of her own traditional class values. Together working AlexWedding, with Wolfwrotea script widow, Weiskopf's adaptation thatremainsclose to the novel.More important thanthepsychologiof callyconvincing portrait fascism's appeal to the petty bourgeoisie of was the carefultreatment milieu and atmosphere.Both Walter called Germanproletarian filmsof the earlythirties were important models. Althoughthishistorical was not entirely connection formal (as submerged among DEFA directors was the case in theWestGerman film industry the fifties), of Wolf's mediationis particularly in markedby his training theSovietUnion. In thisrespect, formal his workshowsa recuperation the aesthetic of the especially techniques, of Eisenstein, thatinformed politicalavant-garde the filmmontage before1933. makingin Germany Thisis especially inLissy, true where variety montage striking. the of is and dialogue,fadesand dissolves, means of the femalevoice-over By
music and contrastivecuts using image and sound, Wolf constructs Ruttmann's filmBerlin. Symphonie GrofJstadt Die der (1927) as well as soshows a constant - if uneven - patternof progression. The earliest films(fromEinmalistkeinmal Professor to share Mamlock)

MarcSilberman 169 transitions montagesequences.The frustrating of and imaginative job husbandas an unsuccessful for door-to-door salesman, examLissy's in edited sequence. The accelerating ple, is portrayed a masterfully of images and dissolves,accompaniedby faster and louder rhythm chordsand doorbells, recalls well-known searchmotif the of piano job in thebikeriders theDudow/Brecht Kuhle film Another (1932). Wampe scene "quotes" the earlierfilm:Lissyis standing the kitchen at table about theworking class family peelingpotatoes,lost in her thoughts she hadjust witnessed shot beingevicted (wonderfully as a newsdocuwhileher husband sitsat the table readingaloud fromthe mentary), NationalSocialist how theParty "clean up" theeconowill newspaper Mata Hari sequencein Kuhle the my.As in thesimilar Wampe, collision of image and sound, shotand dialogue,laysbare the reality petty of illusionsbyjuxtaposingcontradictory elements. bourgeois achieves straightforward its Lissy documentary by quality composing injust such an expressive thathintsatWolf'sfaimages way,a quality withthe Italian Neo-Realismof a director de like Vittorio miliarity in Sica. This is all the more surprising the context whatotherwise of the films emergedfromthe DEFA studiosdurifig mid-fifties, characterizedby the socialistromanticism the proletarian of positivehero of historical and the veritable contradictions. Wolf,on the levelling otherhand,avoidsin Lissy tendency instrumentalize to a imagesas illustration hence continues creative and the of tradition the bestfilms as producedin the earlyyearsof the DEFA studiosby such directors KurtMaetzig,SlatanDudow, Wolfgang and ErichEngel. Staudte, WhereasWeiskopf's novelends on an optimistic notewiththe Lissy Wolf resistance, protagonist joining the ranks of the anti-fascist chooses a somewhatless confident stillheroic resolution.Lissy yet turnsaway fromthe Nazi movementwhich is responsiblefor her murder and towhichherhusbandand hisfriends brother's belong.In thelastshotwe followheras she leavesthecemetary her chapel after - "alone but notabandoned,"thefemale brothers funeral voice-over assures- and thoughtfully downa tree-lined as thecamera walks path tilts Professor Mamlockis likewise to forced accepttheineviskywards. intothehistorical table,but herehis insight consequencesof National Socialismleads to his tragicdownfall. The filmis an adaptationof Konrad'sfather Friedrich before Wolf's playofthesame name,written had emigratedfrom Germany.Classicallyconstructed, filledwith
Schillerian pathos in long, declamatory monologues, the play is still

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low angle, point of view shots of dancing couples, a record turningon

It today in its logic and consistency. had alreadybeen impressive filmedin 1938 in the Soviet Union by German emigrant Herbert and director AdolfMinkin. is The early version striking for Rappaport itsexcellent and theunusually static camera.In contrast both to acting the playand thelateradaptation, filmfocuseson the son's comthis and on Nazi brutality. a departure munist In from playthe agitation and probably to ideologicalconditions theday - Mamlock of owing ratherthan committing suicide,while a completely injureshimself new plot emergesaround the son's resistance in activities the underin KonradWolfconcentrates his versionon Mamlock'sattiground. tudes and behaviorrather than on the son's convictions. Chiefsurgeon, politicalliberal,and assimilated Jew,Mamlockbelievesin the state.Indeed, he even supportsin some justice of the constitutional but pointsthedemandsof theNationalSocialists; above all he insists thatpoliticshave no place in his professional as a doctor.At the life end of thefilm, after has been fired he fromhis positionon political after daughter been chasedfrom school,after his has the he grounds, is himself marched the a through streets, signaroundhisneckidentifying him as a Jew,Mamlockhas lost all sense of value in his life.He shootshimself his surgery in ward. Wolf transfers stage plot fairly the to Although directly the film he muchfreedom thetransposition in from one script, allowshimself medium to the other.The camera revealssuch visual opulence that thereis a riskof overwhelming story the 1974,p. 28). For (Bergmann the filmopens witha long New Year's eve sequence at the example, Mamlockhome contrapunctually intercut withthe street celebrations and with a confrontation betweenMamlock's son, his communist and Nazi hooligans. ofthemaincharacters their All and friends several socialpretensions introduced are and precisely. Even morererapidly is of markable, however, theballet-like mobility thecamerawhichnever seemsto cease itsmovements: shotsin all directions, at tilts tracking extreme shotswithmoving angles,paralleltracking figues, quickcuts from all chords close-upsto long shots, accompaniedby theuplifting of Beethoven's NinthSymphony. sequence'sclimaxis reachedin The a seriesofshots, each lasting onlya fewseconds,whichare dominated and patterns: round of champagneglasses circular a movements by held highin a toastfroma bird's-eye of view,the sudden reflection froma lightfroma swiftly opened switchblade, explodingfireworks

MarcSilberman 171 a turntable froma highangle,etc. The frenetic of fluctuation images intensifies motif circling the of value. and endowsit withmetaphoric The film'sspectacular indicatesthe tense atintroductory sequence mosphereat theonsetofthenewyear1933; at thesame timeitanticiof figure thecircletheconsequenceof Mamlock's patesin theformal in illusions- the turning on oneself. showsthe Another but sequence,notas complicated equallyeffective, of her the from school.The spectator follows flight Mamlock's daughter the pointof view shotswitha movement through fugitive's dizzying cameraas sherunsdownthestaircase, the handheld through schoolyard Here we finda typical and finally thestreets. into strategy by employed to with into the Wolf drawhisspectator a reflective relationship thefilm: or of etc. details, objects, dialogue, The iteration duplirepetition shots, in thefilmon all cationof thesame element a new context permeates the levels.When Mamlock'sson arguesagainst Communists' guiltfor his father of myfintheReichstag "I fire, replies: can feelit to the tips later whenhiscolgers."His wordscome backto haunthimsomewhat in to He Dr. Ruoffimplicates Jews thefire. is shocked hearhis the league him.Similarly, of womanwhoturns wordsinthemouth this against very a thedramaturgy iterates arrival thesurgical at ward, ritMamlock's daily the and each timeironically ual entry times three performed during film powerrelacharged at Mamlock's expense- becauseoftheshifting in Mamlock's on The repeated focus a picture tions. office, deep hanging of likewise becomesa threata representation themedieval reaper, grim omen.The repetition a passagefrom of Beethoven's ening, foreboding for it Ninth renders a kindofmusical vehicle hope and a reSymphony toward minderof humanistic values. Finally, Mamlock'sconversation the end of thefilm withhis youngcolleagueDr. Ruoff on the one in son on hand,a Nazi sympathizer, theother, lovewith Mamlock's herin a symbolically doubled mirror frames image. of of not Suchformal structures iteration onlyexposetheillusions the and but the irony doubling also prepare through distancing, protagonist - who for suicideofthis man - theultimate the circular logic spectator As film Wolfends here dies becauseofhisblindness. in hisearlier Lissy, his on a noteofheroic resistance. Mamlock passeson to Dr. Ruoff tragi"You musttakethe other, new road [ofrethe callyacquiredinsight: ... and greet son on this thereroad."The film endsshortly my sistance] after "Thereis no greater thannotwanting with warning the crime tide: to fight whenyou must."

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Wolf'sotherfilmsin thisfirst less period are formally ambitious in visualsolutions for and, in myopinion,also less imaginative finding devices.Genesung seems to have the plots' ratherobvious structural morein commonwiththeUFA entertainment producedduring films theThirdReichthanwiththefilm ofsocially critical films of language theearly thirties. exaggerated The ofthefemale repathos antagonist's of nunciation -in a story postwar reconciliation rebuilding well and as as symbolically laden, clichedmotifs (e.g., the themesong of sailing intotheharboroffreedom, endlessshotsof sea waves)- addresthe ses existing audienceexpectations without the questioning constructed A ofreality from monwhichthey derive. carefully short edited, image reinforced beating drumsis theonlyreally tageofwarphotographs by an effective or better, summary war a of striking sequence, portrayal, and itssenselessness. thefirst For timeWolfdemonstrates hisidihere for talent dynamic whichwillcontinue osyncratic imagecompositions to evolve. Sonnensucher is the director's to first film attempt make a realistic about contemporary GDR society contrast the earlier to ist Einmal (in The filmshowsa panoramaof GDR working class lifefilled keinmal). withcontradictions one ofthemostimportant in largeindustrial projectsof thereconstruction the in years, uraniumminesin Wismut the of class hero,constructed Wolf'sportrait "the" working earlyfifties. fromseveralcharacters, less in common withPabst'sgenerically has relatedKameradschaft of (1932) than with Soviet documentaries the or twenties withSlatanDudow's Unser Brot The highly tigliches (1949). which consistsmore of individualshotsthan of episodic narrative, scenes,is notableforitsnaturalistic edge. This is all themore surprisin because DEFA films thefifties if touchedon controing rarely, ever, versialissues such as sexual coercionof women workers, black the market themutualdislike or and distrust between Soviet officers the of undertheir direction. preYet occupationarmyand Germanworkers and honesty showingpeople who particiin ciselyWolf'sdirectness in moments Germanhistory thenhad and patedin some oftheworst to livewiththisburden- fascism, brutal crimes, expulsionand flight from countries makethesecharacters believable under war-ravaged their difficult labor conditions and place thefilm themostimamong documentsfromthisperiod in GDR history.7 Nevertheless, portant
7. Producedin 1958, the filmwas not screenedpublicly until1972 when it was

MarcSilberman 173 the unmotivated melodramatic ending cannot be overlooked.The Lutz loses her husband in a mining film'syoungfemaleprotagonist she accident just after is once againable to laugh,thatis, to overcome her distrust and embracethe future. Then she walkswithher young of orchestral musicswellin childintothesunsetas strains triumphant the background. to Leute Fliigeln attempts portray working mit a class heroin the also This time,however, presentas the consequence of personalhistory. in the filmstresses "typical"insteadof the contradictory the life the Wolfemploystheconof a single an aerospaceengineer. figure, story of of stock scenes(memories the trast black-and-white forthehistorical in mecolor stockforscenesin the present a somewhat and thirties) whereasin thelaterGoya filmhe learnsto manipuchanicalmanner, as much morecreatively a visual late colortonesand black-and-white the which to changesin mood. I would attribute successofSterne, key to the emotional launched Wolf into the international limelight, rather thanto itsformal realization.8 Angel chargeofitssubjectmatter of takesup thestory three Wagenstein's script youngadultsin 1943: a to to woman in a refugee camp waiting be transported a death Jewish the a Germannon-comguarding compound,who beginsto fall camp, for in love withher,and theGermanofficer responsible theprisoners, the the face who presents "friendly" offascism. Mamlock, Justas with for the man recognizes natureof his sympathy thewomantoo young In late. He could have saved her but missesthe opportunity. closing, of the filmsuggests thathe may stilljoin the struggle the partisans. unusualcameramovements contrasting and Once againWolfemploys almostarbitrary as use their shotsand anglesbutwithout exaggerated, tendsto Mamlock. theotherhand,thefilm's On in Professor dramaturgy be dominatedby dialogue and obvious symbolism. Wolfhimself laterdescribed In a discussionwithSovietdirectors
the and in cinemas.It was completedat exactly timewhen shownboth on television to werebeginning discussatomicweapon contheSovietUnion and theUnitedStates in to trols.Apparently filmabout the struggle increaseproductivity the GDR uraa later the Fourteen niumminesdid notfit intotheimageofpeaceful years negotiations. the film was releasedwithan additional, prologuewhichrepresents film historicizing bewith refrain-like and text conflict finished now overcome(a filmed as explanations enwas as 8. Sterne,GDR-Bulgaria a Bulgarian co-production, screened theofficial tieswith because the GDR had no diplomatic at try the 1959 Cannes Film Festival France.The filmwon the "Prix specialedu Jury."
ginning "Damals ..." ["in those days ..."]) (cf. Egel 1974).

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film's end does she actindependently, these"advisors"no longer after

in whoarecaught typical existentially and circumstances, demanding their butheavoids individual Thefilmmaker leaves fates. harmonizing no doubtas to his understandingthehistorically of "correct" path, evenin sometimes unreflected Nonetheless, Wolf's amazingly ways. in films aimsatchallenging spectathe partisanshipthese early always torto drawconclusions. are noteworthy in There two textual First, patterns this strategy. Wolf oritschangeability, theyounger identifies with future, always society's of to but Friedel, generation twenty thirty-year-olds. thecommitted in in shamphysician Genesung, Lutz, non-com the officer Sterne, Lissy, in mit thesonoftheCommunist Leute Fliigeln, Mamlock's bear and son thehopeofthefuture as suchareinvested great and with responsibili"fathers." the echoesof tybytheir Beyond possible autobiographical this itpoints an otherwise to socialissuein the structure, submerged GDR - thegenerational conflict theproblem hierarchy all and of for ofchange connected it.Wolf to tribute the to patterns certainly pays and of achievements sacrificestheolder ofpartisans, he but generation their doesnotoverlook weaknesses. thephysically Max, handicapped in anddemoralized former will conresistance fighter Genesung regain trol hislegsand willevenbegin study theuniversity. the of to at Yet and for comeexclusively the from strength imagination his"healing" Friedel. is almost on her friends young Lissy entirely dependent young in herstruggle find wayoutofherhusband's to a Nazi activities. The is a Social onlyelderto whomshe can turn herfather, disillusioned Democrat union and who throws outofhishome. her member, infact Lutzisprotected older friends fellow and the but workers, notuntil by

this stylistic naiveteas the resultof uncertainty about his audience: films sometimes I "When making earlier my consciously stoppedbein thespectator, hisability comprehend stories are in to the that lieving takenfrom reallife.I beganto construct likea reflection of something the truth.' That was an enormousmistake"(Kasjanowa life,'skirting here to a problemwidespreadin the 1974, pp. 175-76).Wolfrefers GDR during fifties, notonlyin thecinema.1960was thepeak and the but at theDEFA studios, thefilms weretypically production year light entertainment thatavoidedanybutthemostoblique reference fare to in his earlyfilms, In real conditions. contrast, takesup highly Wolf, and the emotions, chargedconflicts callson strong abandoning "haphis film.His plotsintroduce after first characters py ending"formula

MarcSilberman 175 exerciseinfluence. Sterne youngadults(victims, In the officers, partithe or sans)are practically onlyactive oppressors rebpeople,whether els. LeutemitFliigeln the combinestwo "young generations": model memberofthethirties in Communist becomesinvolved political Party in activities hisfather's and twenty will later theGDR conyears against fronts own son's politicalcommitment a conflict his whichseems more anecdotalthan political.Finally, Professor Mamlock becomes thevictim thelimitations hispolitical in of liberalism, recognizing only is just beforehe dies thathis son's courageousresistance theonlyanswerto NationalSocialism.For theyoungpeople theeldersmayrepa resent sourceof solidarity, they but also symbolize need forperthe as manentstruggle, often theverynegationof thatbond. In hislaterfilms Wolfreturns againand againto thisyounggeneraevento theyounger while tion, twenty-year-olds, theroleofthefathers The demographic ofeveryounger diminishes. audiencesdetendency whichtreated their mandingfilms problemshad begun to make itself feltin the GDR, as was the case internationally the 1960s. Socioin thisoldergeneration's in decision-making GDR sociein role logically, was waning(whichis not to claim thata new generation fathers of ty did not establishitself its place!). More important, in though,is the newfilm dramaturgy developedbyWolfin thecourseofthesixties. By and traditional forms audiof structure relinquishing dispersing plot ence addressbased on emotionalidentification, can abandon the he narrative which presents the spectator witha "reflection of strategy one whichstrives contain itself ready-made to in a life," interpretation of reality. A second significant elementin theseearlyfilms the role of the is women characters. Wolfextendsthe themeof women'semancipation embarkedupon by Dudow (Frauenschicksale, VerwirrungLiebe, der 1952; and theunfinished witha seriesoffemale 1959; Christine, 1963) figures: Irene (Genesung), Lutz (Sonnensucher), (theJewish Ruth woman in Lissy, and Dr. in films, (twoothers later Sterne) Mamlock's colleague IngeRuoff in RitainDer Himmel Sunny Solo and mustbe considered, as geteilte Sunny, I arguebelow,in another On theone hand,these womenfunction light). as important for vehicles therespective resolution: either emplot they or for of body a coming-to-consciousnessact as a catalyst the insights another On hand,each ofthefemale (male)character. theother figures
incorporatesthe stereotypical image of women as victim,that is, she finds her fulfillment renunciation,her social satisfaction serving in in

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others'needs. In contrast Wolf'smale protagonists womenbeto the an emotional encome active, characters through socially responsible love relationships. More interesting, and however, through gagement, in is of more exceptional theseearly films a characteristic thewomen whichall themale figures lack:theability livein and liveout contrato situations Irene, the wifeof the handicapped resistance dictory and loveroftheshamdoctor;Lissy, wife a petty of bourfighter former and class womanwithan intact tradition proof geois fascist working commitment; woman, motherand Lutz, working gressivepolitical and in concentration widow;Ruth, camp prisoner mentor thebroadest as doctor and Nazi sympathizer wellas possible sense; Inge Ruoff, and rescuerof Mamlock'scommunist son. Wolftakesnote of guide exclusivedewomen's social role withitsdiverseand often mutually mands. Consequently multiplies identificatory he the for possibilities the spectator thusawakensmore sympathy themthanforthe and for That Wolfresorts to harmonizing still male figures. such conflicts by of renunciation his heroinesrather than showingthe "triumphant" further confirms suspicion his thathe was "skirtprobing dialectically, the truth." His laterfilms longerdo so. no ing The filmingof ChristaWolf's novel Der geteilte Himmel remains consistent withWolf'searlierworkyet marksa breakthematically in If formal Wolf's through thefilmmaker's development. we consider films be a socially to in of mediatedstructuring reality whicha process of coming-to-consciousnesssetin motionby his characters' is experience and reflection, it follows then thathe is trying make thisproto cess accessibleto his audience.Such accessis, however, also mediated of national film as bytheevolution theparticular industry wellas cinematictradition with and, in thecase oftheGDR in thefifties itscultural program defined thenarrow strictures socialist of it realism, was by difficult createnew modes of address.This dilemmaaccountsfor to the gap betweenintention in and formalrealization the earlyfilms, where a tendencytoward declamatory thematicexplicationoften works the formal Der Himmel against reflective, strategies. geteilte signals thebeginning an attempt overcomethisdilemmabyinsisting to of on a radically newnarrative As structure style. a result, and Wolfmanages to avoid thegeneralizations platitudes theearlier and of films, relying on associational whichassume the participaincreasingly techniques
tion of the spectatorin the constructionof conflicts. This breakthroughcannot be credited to Wolf alone. It is symptomatic that his scriptis adapted from a contemporaryliterarysource,

MarcSilberman 177 scene knownas the forsince about 1960 a new trendin the literary on issues which focused everyday "Bitterfelder had begun,a trend Weg" later series whatare a of didacticism. Somewhat whileeschewing vulgar films"("AUtagsfilme") began to appear,among also called "everyday eines Sommers themRolfKirsten's Beschreibung (1962,also theadaptation Lots novel by Karl-Heinz of a contemporary Egon Giinther's Jakobs), Die Weib (1965).Withthestress (1965)and Giinther Riicker's bestenJahre and diminishes interest, by acin material on current issues,historical and actions of characters' nature conflicts, film the theeveryday centing Yet tend motivations to becomeimpoverished. atthesametimea formal of enriches visualexperience thefilm the beginsto evolvethat language of in and enhancesthe spectator's participation the construction story At timesthisinnovative formalism thefilm characters' gets subjectivity. a a Der Himmel: out ofcontrol, in Wolf's as film geteilte hardly shotfrom an shotto a close-up, cutsfrom extreme normal long angle,unexpected to attention itself itsunusualcomposition, frame almostevery by calling his withdemonstrating imaginative were as ifthefilmmaker concerned I his text. thisis theproduct, beYet ideas morethanstructuring filmic sothe of a genuinedesireto overcome clichesofrun-of-the-mill lieve, cialist-realist filmmaking. to his thatKonradWolfdiscovered impetus reIt can be no accident of new thevisuallanguageof the GDR filmin an adaptation Christa the The concerns to Wolf'snovel(she is notrelated thedirector). story to whenforced choosebewho collapsesphysically womanRita, young after loverleavestheGDR her her and herconvictions tween emotions for WestBerlin- thedividedheavenofthetide.For Rita,theprocess of on entails reflection thenature language.Her final ofconvalescence of to is from Manfred theresult their inability communicate, separation the whenspeaking same words.To the to assumethe same meanings of extentthat she rejectsthe oppressivefunction languagewhen it of Rita or absolutizes renders harmless, is able to escapethestrait-jacket betweenher to and finally recognizethe discrepancy her thoughts That this understanding worldview and her experience. alwaysinno unproblemathat of thedanger failure, thenarrative dudes presents is that as of ticaffirmation socialist society itexists, thestory dominated onerather thanideological and by a toneofresignation despondency and upmanship- all thiswas new to GDR literature, all thistakes the in Wolfs film.The challengeof transforming novel into a shape
film involved representingmultiple narrativeperspectiveswhich are

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interwoven threeplanes: the first-person on narration the present, in the protagonist's internalized and narrareflections, the third-person of The dispersal thenarrative ontothree tionoftheprotagonist's past. the roleand demandsan active planesdefines reader's processofreadThe director's was to findcinematic task whichwould ing. techniques in the engagethespectator theprocessofconstructing narrative so plot as to stimulate similar a self-reflective For five activity. that, scriptwritWolfand KonradWolf) ers(including Christa worked to together find a satisfactory solution(Dergeteilte Himmel As Christa 1964, p. 569ff.) Wolfconfirmed, film's the successis theresult thescriptwriters' of refusalsimply illustrate epic work:"Thatthefilm .] is a successto the [... ful'adaptation'mustbe attributed thefact to that film from the differs thestory: as remarkable interesting itmayseem,nobodynoor and as ticedthat; leastthedifference at the that appearsto create impression it is a successful 'adaptation"'(C. Wolf1964,p. 51). As I have triedto demonstrate, Wolfwas able in his earlyfilms to take the first The narrative beyond classicalfilmdramaturgy. steps in and the use framing Genesung Sterne anticipates consistent oftwonarrativelevels in Der geteilte where they are necessaryfor Himmel, The and analyzing feelings thoughts. complicated montagesequences inLissy Professor and Mamlock in thelater lead film a muchfreer, to associativehandlingof timeand space in orderto definethe logicof the emotions.The short and visionary sequencesin Sonnensucher the contrast betweencolor and black-and-white stockin Leute Fliigeln mit are antecedents thereconstructive of memory, to the acts unsophisticated interior is monologuesofRita.The goal ofall theseexperiments notto a narrate story to formulate but situations whichthespectator mustinvestwithmeaning.This is especially pronouncedin the film'sepic of structure complicated montagesequences.By means of foreshortened cameraangles, in of repeated interruptions theflow theplot,and symbolicimages such as the highway overpass or the river,Wolf establishesa fragmentary of representation functions that not style but in a Brechtian kindof dialectic. through suspense The three-part in conversation the middle of the filmexemplifies themeans bywhichthefilmmaker combinesa central thematic motif withsubtleformal The interchange takesplace at a bantechniques. An worker quet organizedby Rita's factory. older,highly respected tellsRitaabout his proletarian the background, warand hisyearsas a
prisonerof war in Siberia. Cut parallel to and framedwiththe first pair

MarcSilberman 179 in a wall mirror behindthemare Rita'sshop foreman and Manfred, who are arguing viewsof history. neither radically opposed Although is awareof theother, are directly connected thecamera's pair they by careful is the Rita,who listens framing. silently, from spectator's point ofviewfilmically with confronted thesevariously articulated philosophicalpositions historical on The shot necessity. following - in Manfred's atticroom - leads into a dialogue betweenhim and Rita about his dream of a sinking of boat, the metaphorical anticipation theirshipwrecked as well as a symbolic of relationship representation theiropA socialexpectations. later marks turning which the scene, posing point in the love story, in revealssuch an overlapping meanings another of inwithhis university who are sarcastically way.At a party colleagues, troduced a series close-ups of and a longtracking a shot, disappointby ed and cynical Manfred learnsfroma friend thathis research project has been rejected. This socialgathering, whichthecameraclearly presentsas composedoftwogroups- thesensitive thearrogant and ones to between lovers. a pointwhereRita the At - corresponds thetension withthefirst identifies herself group,Manfred agreeswiththe simpleminded self-righteousnessthe other.The shotthenfreezes long of (a shotof thegroup),the background noise and the dance musiccease, and the scene dissolves intothe present Ritaremembers as when she first read Manfred's from letter WestBerlin. A poeticquality of growsout of thefilm's rhythmic punctuation rewhichalso serves guidethespectator to theshifts peatedshots, through one narrative from The wide-angle shotof a poplarplane to another. linedroad,theintersection front Rita'sfactory in of a from highangle, in theclose-upof Ritaconvalescing bed, thehighway outside overpass herwindowwhichis linked with moreand morefrequently herrecovthe to shotfrom extreme angle: an low ery, footbridge theriver always shot theseare only a fewexamplesof the many strategically frames whichcomplicate narrative the flowin orderto make it meaningful. Wolfuses music(a combination jazz quotes and popular of Similarly in or and noiseto comment imagesequences,often striking on songs) unusualways. The WestBerlin is sceneneartheend ofthefilm a good almostexaggeratedly comicencounter of example.The highly stylized, the twoloversis accompaniedby electric organchordswhichsound like the cacophonyof automobile horns. With such sober, astute Wolfis able to construct highly a compositional principles complexand contradiction-laden- image of socialist realities.Like the novel,

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thefilm was greeted withcriticism bewilderment some reviewand by ers and spectators because itwas deemed too intellectual too deand viewsstemfromthosewidespread, habitual manding.Such negative which Wolfwas trying counteract: positive to a hero reception patterns and a clearly In resolution. addition,critics susmarked,optimistic thatthedissolution spatio-temporal of relations intoparatactic pected and iterative of patterns pushed the filmin the direction "bourgeois modernism"(Felliniwas the red herring in mentioned thiscontext). Yetin retrospect, non-linear this structure, interrupted associatively by flashbacks flashforwards, and Rita's juxtaposed effectively reproduces ofcomingto herself represents turning and in Wolfs the process point directorial work. Ten yearslaterWolfcandidlystatedthathe no longerconsidered thisfilmto be among his successes.He came to the conclusionthat in in formal an "we gotstuck unresolved problems thesearchfor original and adequate filmstructure ChristaWolf'snovel structure" for this is 1975,p. 26). I think judgment too harshbecause it (Wischnewski overlooksthe factthatworking these formal on problems,even the unresolvedones, saved Wolffroma dead end. Without Der geteilte Himmel films suchas Ichwarneunzehn, nackte Mannaufdem Der Sportplatz, would be unthinkable. The director Mama,ichlebe,and Solo Sunny avoids visual distantiation sudden ruptures these laterfilms and in without his dialectical viewof reality. Wolfbecomes inabandoning comfortable withopen textualstructures emphasizes and creasingly more and more forthrightly unheroicqualityof everyday At the life. thesame timehe takesimagination notin a didactic seriously, waybut as rather a pointofdeparture careful for observation. These later films, inundramatic then,are characterized their form; by thoroughly they tendto makereality visiblebytracing whatseem to be thenon-essentialdetailsand achievein thiswayan authenticity.crucial A ingredient in these later filmswas Wolf's collaborationwith the scriptwriter a for Kohlhaase,who had alreadyestablished reputation Wolfgang successful scenariosabout the problemsof youth(e.g., EineBerliner 1956, and Berlin EckeSchiinhauser, both directedby Romanze, 1957, Gerhard the with cameraman Werner the Klein).Together Bergmann, triocoined a laconicnarrative thatno longerdependson theexstyle ternal of and negative betweenpositive plot motivation a struggle figures but rather restson a principle innerdramaturgy delving of for intothe intellectual affective and worldof themain character. this To

MarcSilberman 181 in end examplesof formalinnovation the Sovietcinema of the time to were especiallyimportant Wolf,for instance,GrigoriChukhrai's Ballad ofa Soldier and MikhailRomm's NineDays in One Year (1959) (1961) in the case ofIch warneunzehn (Wolf1964,p. 56). This filmholds a privileged place in Wolf's oeuvre and can be DEFA studio counted, in my opinion, among the most successful in productions general.Wolfhad leftbehind him the dimensionof or defeat Germany's questions- fascism resistance, grandexistential In his politicalthematic. Ich war and division- without forsaking he neunzehn is still with struggling theproblemofhowto pose political Whatdoes itmean to be a German by questionsmeaningfully asking: derivesfromhis inability a returnee as today?Gregor'sbasic conflict to recognizenot onlyrationally also emotionally but ("Heimkehrer") is and empirically Germany his home. Thus timeand timeagain that theSovietsoldierbornin Germany reacts and shyly onlyinvoluntarily the of to thequestionofnational is In identity. fact, film an elaboration the Wolfs own diariesfrom lastdaysoftheWar (Ruschin1968,pp. 5his of and 25). Here he describes feelings hate,powerlessness hope toThe film witha sensitivity allowsforno distance. that wardtheevents historicaldirectnessto the subjectivity memory. of opposes this who often reactsin a confused, or naive embarrassed simply Gregor, in his emotions manner,whether comic or tragic situations, exposes and innocence.Six independent by episodes,framed a prologueand an epilogue(their character underscored introductory by journal-like of informative tidesand the short, comments a voice-over narrator), this is questions present "hero." The taskofthespectator to construct and answers, thesesand countertheses of thejuxtaposition the out of withtheircontrapuntal motifs. episodes Cameraworkis, of course, indispensablein the film'sstructural and documenwithshortfilms composition. Bergmann's experience taries withthemain character's observant converge posture.Despitea of the detail, film script givesan impression implannedout in careful direction whichseemsparticularly forcapturing mathe provised apt of with and interial'sgesture authenticity seemingly uncomplicated A scene towardthe film'sbeginning means. is conspicuoustechnical in exemplary thewaythe camera,witha single, long,calm pan, feels womaroundtheroomand objectsofa deceasedelderly itswaygently archival of are intercut: an. In addition, sections documentary footage shotsof battles and ravagedlandscapesas well as a long scenefrom a

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Soviet documentary about the Sachsenhausenconcentration camp and with Sachsenhausen, in whicha camp guardquietly (Todeslager 1946) talks abouthowthedeathapparatus functioned. amazingcomplacency The fact thatthissequence(and a laterconversation thefourth in epiin sode between twoSS-officers the Spandau fortress) cannotpossibly be explainedfromGregor'spointof view - thatis, it introduces a - is symptomatic the film's break in the narrative of perspective This structure. very break intensifies uniqueness thehorror is of the that shownhereand guarantees shockon thepartofthemaincharacter the as wellas of the spectator. That the Sachsenhausen is footage furthermoreinterrupted byshort of twice shots Gregor undera shower creates a striking thatimmediately to mindtheassociative monimage brings Himmel. Here the techniqueservesto tage sequences in Der geteilte of ambivalence towardthe Germansin the heighten feeling Gregor's film anti-fascist resistance officers, (soldiers, refugees, fighters, and etc.) his sensitivity toward questionof self-identitya German. the as On another leveltoo thefilm in poses this question a subtle way.The of German is narrative whichGregor just barely conscious. The culiarly of a peacefulOderbruch in theprologue, images landscape disrupted a raft deserter bya slowly turning with German by hanging a noose;the scenewith landscapearchitect in the of of sitting front a largepainting a to his durgardenas he tries justify philosophically "inneremigration" after the suningthepreceding years; immediately that shotofa kitsch downwithcroaking in thebackground whileGregor's refriend frogs "Ich hatte citesHeine's famous schdnes .. Vaterland ."; einstein poem the for finally, penultimate sequencewhereGregor's grief hissenselesscomradeturns intodespairand thecamerablendsintoan endlykilled lesspull-back shot whichtheframe tracking during expandsto include first thenthepond,thentheroad,thenthewholecountryside: Gregor, theinterweaving thesenatural of motifs of producesresonances an inherited tradition whichonce again is linkedto Gregor's basic conflict. the Similarly filmmusic: it consistsnot of an originalscore but of fromGermanmusic- from Bach's "Goldberg Variaquotes,notably the folksong "Ahnchenvon Tharau," the Prussian"Hohentions," March,"theSpanishCivilWarsong"Rio Guarama"sungby friedberg Ernst Busch.Wolfachieves extraordinary an textual in density thisfilm
consistentuse of nature - both in image and theme - suggestsa pe-

which invitesthe spectatorto share in the main character'scoming-toconsciousness so thatthe spectator'sown sensitivity mightin turnlead to self-reflection.

MarcSilberman 183 Wolfand his teamessentially this perfect approachin his subsequent Rather thanproviding narrow of he films. interpretationsevents, treats or film thematerial therespective characters encounters sculptor as (the in Mann in the German soldiers Kemmel Dernackte aufdem Sportplatz, four in SoloSunny). concentrates He and thepop singer Mama, lebe, ich Sunny in his attention the nuanced shifts the figures' on and assumptions the of to whileleaving thespectator responsibility explaining behavior, in thecontradictions theprosaicrhythms dailylife. nackte of Der Mannis remarkable itsalmostunfinished more laconiceven for camerawork, thanin Ichwarneunzehn. filmaims at themostsensuous,non-abThe stract the creation constructing narraexperience possibleof artistic by of tivelogicaroundthedailyroutine thesculptor who strugKemmel, of in function society. the narrow, gleswith popularnotions art's Perhaps of understatement,banality, of dominant Wolfuses which atmosphere to humanizehis artist figure, explainsthecinemaaudience'sresistance its to thefilm It one with highly form. remained of demanding paratactic A DEFA films thebox office at theseventies. theleastsuccessful during of later WarII and as film, Mama, lebe, ich againtakes memories World up such continues of Four Wolf'sexamination Germanidentity. explicitly in theSoviet to particiof German Unionvoluntarily prisoners war agree Laterthreeof themare sent retraining pate in an anti-fascist program. behind Germanbattlelines as partisans and killed.This "betrayal" even stranger than it mightbecause the plot unfoldsin an appears Yet almostpeaceful of invisible atmosphere. thereality waris practically in in thiswarfilm that focuses theuncertainties inhibitions on and of it in Soviet thesefourGermans their environment. At first SoloSunny of seemsto return thepattern an action to glance suchas Lissy. theexposition a highly of film Yet dramatic and charplot loveaffair, suicideather the acter thesinger's performance, unhappy - barelyconcealsthe intrinsically the tempt, new beginning episodic of evolvedby Wolfoverthe preceding twenty quality the dramaturgy The quick-paced thefilm's and editing years. during montage sequences its and first the use half, energetic ofthecamerawith rapidmovements the lively all to textual musicalrhythms contribute the discontinuous Der and Kohlhaase1984).In thisrespect, recalls geteilte it structure (Wolf also and Himmel, because of thestylized photography thefemalelead. to his earlier femalefigures, thesewomenare not satisfied to Contrary
make a "correct"politicalchoice and join the men in the politicalstrugis to gle. What theyhave achieved politically self-evident them,and they

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History Remembering

littlein common with Wolfs previous practice. He himselfexpressed certaininhibitionsabout filminga scriptto which he had no director

to nowmakemoreradicaldemandson society liveas full-fledged peoIn emotionaland intellectual withall their capabilities. SoloSunny ple a Wolfonce again follows woman's difficult processof self-discovery In and to even hervulnerability distress. contrast thereflective, through in is She and assertive passivetendency Rita,Sunny insistent. is intense, of thoseof does notfeartheprovocations herenvironment, especially here the men around her.The claimforself-realization, carried a by to to was an attempt Wolf respond thecultural woman, by policy young in to and situation theseventies, retrospective deespecially thecritical Probatewhich tookplace at theThirdCongress Filmand Television of ThatWolfchose in thisfilm ducersin May, 1977 (Wischnewski 1980). earned as suchan uncompromising non-conformistthemaincharacter in but him sharpattacks, thishighly successful production represents of his entire and thematic aesthetic as facta summary development a filmmaker. films from late less for Two other Wolf's periodare somewhat typical is an oder arge der Der Erkenntnis historical this Goya Weg development. epic de Lion FeuchtFrancisco Goyaadaptedfrom abouttheSpanish painter on novelofthesame title focuses thear(1951).Feuchtwanger wanger's itself tist's as socialforces monamongopposing personality itasserts As revolution. such,the Goya figure sharesthe ethical church, archy, to forceof Brecht's Galileoin the struggle liveout therelationship bebetween radicalformal and revolutweenartand politics, experiment content. whenhe can WhenGoya's"demons"arematerialized, tionary the he conditrapthemon canvas, makesvisible reactionary, oppressive tionsof his belovedSpanishhomelandduring French the Revolution. for as to the takesthisfigure an opportunity investigate Wolf, his part, of historical psychological and limits thecreative an personality, yielding not densetext but that incredibly encompasses onlytheGoyastory also in as exileas wellas echoesFeuchtwanger's experience an artist political abouttheeffect constraints imaginaof on his own practical knowledge to tionin theGDR. In one sense,Goyais thehistorical counterpart the one could artist Kemmelin Dernackte but aesthetically Mann, speaking, the Not onlytheenorimaginea widergap between twofilms. hardly from mousproduction actors technicians and including eight apparatus, countries on-location and shooting spreadall overeastern Europe,but a in also thetendency toward mega-film theHollywood has studiostyle

Marc Silberman

185

film of filmed material, straightforward documentary consisting archival interviews a selection Buschsongswhichstress struggle the and of the of in artist thegrowing fascist threat Germany. V, Ein Toter Part against auf concerns Wolfas muchas itdoes Busch,forherethefilmmaker Urlaub, embarks a kindofarchaeological on the of journey, following traces the and liberation Busch exile, flight, folksinger's (cf. singt imprisonment the it 1982).At thesame time,however, is a self-presentation: counteranti-fascist on with reflections hisown arposingofthedirector's youth Without Wolfemploys a tistic or development. exaggeration false pathos broadrangeoffilmic to historical into techniques transform experience the artistic He succeedstoo in creating poignant a process. homageto Buschwhichgainscredibility from dialectical the of objective and play narratives about history. subjective films KonradWolf's call Historicizing memory, remembering history: forth processbyaddressing questionofhisown place in history this the as wellas thelarger in Thatthe problemof national identity Germany. in main characters his lastfilms almostall artists are (Goya,Kemmel, fromepochal political Wolf'sdiversion Sunny,ErnstBusch) indicates to of of questions an exploration experiences isolation, disappointment in and failure theprivate Yet all sphere. thesecharacters taketheir place within and and sufferings are socialstructures, their particular struggles of theconsequence everyday socialpressures. Wolf's especprotagonists, the all is and self-realization, ifthat only even ially artists, seekhappiness socialnorms.In thecritical possibledespiteand against representation
of the everyday, Wolfdiscovereda vehicle both forrevealingthe mechanisms of social change and forarticulating responsibility individof the uals to realize such change.

the segments. Part III, 1933 oderDas FaiJder Pandora,is a relatively

personal access, as had been the case in all previousfeatures (H. last 1971,p. 13).Thatmight Herlinghaus explainwhytheentire partof In thefilm fails. picture-book we the fashion, "page" through painter's latework intercut staged with scenesfrom SpanishRevolution. the Here is there none oftheauthenticity Wolf that so was able to formulate conin films. Instead introduces declamatory, he a folkloristic vincingly other thatis supposedto suggest latent of the quality powerand anguish the commonpeople.However, skill does surface theeloquent in muWolf's sic and thecareful of colornuancesfromGoya'spaintings. use last his was televiWolf's project, completed onlyafter death, a six-part sion serieson thefolksinger Ernst Busch.Wolfis credited with idea the and artistic for seriesas wellas directing of two responsibility theentire

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History Remembering

WorksCited Kurt.1964. "Dergeteilte Himmel Zur filmischen Barthel, Umsetzung." 5.3: 565-95. FilmwissenschafJtliche Mitteilungen Bergmann,Werner. 1974. "Gespraichmit WernerBergmannam 16.11.1973."AusTheorie Praxis Films "Filmmonographie und des 1. Dernackte Mannaufdem DEFA- Spielfilme): 24-37. (VEB Sportplatz" Profil. Blunk,Harry.1984. Die DDR in ihren Spielfilmen. Miinchen: Thomas. 1982. "Er drehtesich um und gingweg." Nachruf Brasch, auf KonradWolf.Filmfaust 28/29:13. Busch singt. (1982) Sechs Filme uiber die erst H~ilftedes 20. Eine Dokumentation. Akademieder Berlin/GDR: Jahrhunderts. der DDR. Kiinste Barbel(ed.). 1983.Regie: Konrad Potsdam: Filmmuseum. Dalichow, Wolf Egel, Karl Georg and Paul Wiens. 1974. Sonnensucher. Filmerzdihlung. Berlin:Henschel. Gregor,Ulrich. 1977. "Konrad Wolf:Aufder Suche nach Heimat." Filmin derDDR. Miinchen:Hanser. 77-98. Hermann.1971. "Gespraich KonradWolf."Weimarer mit Herlinghaus, 17:12: 10-27. Beitridge. Ruth(ed.). 1971.Goya. Roman Film. zum Vom Berlin/GDR: Herlinghaus, DeutscheAkademieder Kiinste. and Anatoli Ludmilla Karawaschkin (eds.).1974.Begegnungen Kasjanowa, mit Henschel. 133-86. Berlin/GDR: Regisseuren. Heinz. 1980. "Sunny politischSorgenherzungewisse. Zur Klunker, deutsche-deutschen Rezeption des DEFA-Films Solo Sunny." Film Pflaum.Munich/Vienna: Jahrbuch 80/81.Ed. Hans Guinter Hanser. Konrad Eds. 1985a.Selbstzeugnisse, Dokumente. BarbaraKoppe Fotos, Wolf. and Aune Rank. Berlin/GDR: Henschel. Konrad imDialog.1985b.Kiinste Politik. DieterHeinze and und Eds. Wolf Hoffmann. Dietz. Berlin/GDR: Ludwig Probleme sozialistischen des Realismus der darstellenden in Kunst. 1964. Behandelt Beispieldes DEFA-Films geteilte am Der Himmel. Berlin/ GDR: Akademieder Kuinste. und ihre Rolf. 1983. "Konrad Wolf." DEFA-Spielfdmregisseure Richter, Kritiker. RolfRichter. Ed. Henschel:250-87. Berlin/GDR: Intention und Thomas (ed.). 1968.DerFilm"Ichwarneunzehn". Ruschin, Akademieder Kuinste. Berlin/GDR: Wirkung.

MarcSilberman 187 Marc. 1986. "Erinnern Erzahlen- Filmen.Die Filmevon Silberman, alte KonradWolf."Albrecht Sch6ne (ed.). Kontroversen,undneue. Akten VII. Intemationalen des Germanisten-Kongresses. Tiibingen: 10: Niemeyer. 339-352. mit Sylvester, Regina. 1980. "Rot ist eine schone Farbe." Gespraich 18. KonradWolfund EberhardGeick.Sonntag Ed. Tok, Hans-Dieter.1972. "KonradWolf."Regiestiihle. Fred Gehler. Henschel. 111-28. Berlin/GDR: Klaus. 1975."Aufder Suchenachdem Lebenszentrum." Wischnewski, 4: mit Werkstattgespraich KonradWolf.FilmundFernsehen 18-26. "Was heilt denn 'Happy End' ... Ein Gespraich .1980. iiber Film und SoloSunny" Kohlhaase]. [mitKonradWolfund Wolfgang 1: Fernsehen 9-15. 1964. 51-4. Probleme Wolf,Christa.1964. "Diskussionsbeitrag." 1964. 55-61. Probleme Konrad. 1964. "Diskussionsbeitrag." Wolf, Film.Erforschung Unerforschten." des "Sozialistischer ----. .1965. 2: mit Mitteilungen Gespraich Heinz Baumert.Filmwissenschaftliche 366-83. 1975. ----. "In Amerika."Gesprachmit KonradWolf.Filmund 9. Fernsehen 36:5: 897-902. 1984. "Selbstaulerungen." SinnundForm. .----.Konrad and Wolfgang Ed. Lars Kohlhaase. 1984. SoloSunny. Wolf, Bardramand Bent Lantow.Copenhagen:Gjellerup& Gad.

188

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ist Einmal keinmal (1955) Paul Wiens,Dramaturgy: KarlGeorgEgel, Camera:Werner Script: AlexMusic: Guinter Kochan,Sets:Alfred Tolle, Producer: Bergmann, ander Ldsche, Cast: Horst Drinda (PeterWeselin),Brigitte Krause AnnemoneHaase (Anna Hunzele),Paul Schulz-Wernburg (Edeltanne), Friedrich Gnass (Hunzele), Georg (Elvira),Christoph Engel (Erwin), LotteLoebinger Niemann(Diidelit-Diidelat), (Muhme),HilmarThate (Buhlemann). Genesung (1956) Willi Briickner, Wiens, Dramaturgy: Script:Karl Georg Egel/Paul Camera: Werner Bergmann,Music: Joachim Werzlau, Sets: Willi Eduard Kubat,Cast: KarlaRunkehl Producer: Schiller, (IreneSchorn), Wolfgang Kieling (Friedel Walter), Wilhelm Koch-Hooge (Max Kerster), (ErnstMehlin),Eduard von Winterstein Langhoff Wolfgang ErikaDunkelmann (Professor Behaim), (head nurse), AngelaBrunner Hindemith (nurseHilda), Harry (publicprosecutor). Lissy (1956) Alex Wedding/Konrad CamWolf,Hans-Joachim Wallstein, Script: Music:Joachim era:Werner Sets: Werzlau, Heinrich, Bergmann/Hans GerhardHelwig,Producer:Eduard Kubat,Cast: Sonja Sutter (Lissy), Hans-Peter Minetti Kurt Horst Drinda (Fromeyer), (Paul Schroder), Gerhard Bienert Else (Kaczmierczik), father), Wolz (Lissy's Oligmiiller RaimundSchelcher Christa Gottschalk (Max Franke) (Lissy'smother), (Toni Franke). Sonnensucher (1958) Wiens, Camera: WernerBergmann, Script:Karl Georg Egel/Paul Music: Joachim Werzlau, Sets: Karl Schneider,Producer: HansSimon(Franz Germer (Lutz),Giinther Schoeppe,Cast:Ulrike Joachim ErwinGeschonneck Victor Beier), (Sergei Avdyushkho (JuppK6nig), Willi Schrade VladimirYemelyanov Melnikov), (Major Fedosseyev), NorbertChristian Hollek), Manja Behrens(EmmiJahnke), (Gtinter Stein),ErichFranz (Weihrauch). (Josef

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189

Willi BriAckner, Camera: Dramaturgy: Script:Angel Wagenstein, Music: Simeon Pironkhov, Sets: Maria Ivanovna/ WernerBergmann, AlfredDrosdek, Producer:Siegfried Draganov, Nuirnberger/Vyltsho Erik S. Cast: Sasha Khrusharskha (Ruth),Juirgen Frohriep(Walter), Naumov (Blashe), Klein (Kurt),StefanPeytshev (Bai Petko),Georgi Ivan Kondov (Ruth's father), MilkhaTuykhova(a femalepartisan), Kunev ("doc"). Stilyan
LeutemitFliigeln (1960)

Sterne (1959)

Willi Brickner, Wiens, Dramaturgy: Script:Karl Georg Egel/Paul Camera: Werner Bergmann, Music: Hans-Dieter Hosalla, Sets: Gerhard Helwig, Producer: SiegfriedNiirnberger,Cast: Erwin Geschonneck (Bartuschek),Wilhelm Koch-Hooge (Dr. Lamert), Hilmar Thate (Henne), Franz Kutschera(Dr. Dehringer),Rosita Fred Mahr (Friedrich), Fernandez(Ines),Otto Dietrichs (Dr. Klinger), Georg Gudzent (Max), Mathilde Danegger (Mother Friedrich), NorbertChristian AlbertHetterle (Alyosha). (Kneipack),

Willi Briickner, Wolf,Dramaturgy: Script:Karl Georg Egel/Konrad Camera:Werner Hosalla, Ost, Bergmann/Ginter Music: Hans-Dieter Sets: Harald Horn, Producer:Hans-Joachim Funk, Cast: Wolfgang Heinz (Professor Mamlock),Ursula Burg (Ellen Mamlock),Hilmar Thate (Rolf Mamlock), Lissy Tempelhof (Dr. Inge Ruoff),Doris Harald Halgardt(Dr. Abesser(RuthMamlock),UlrichThein (Ernst), Hellpach), HerwartGrosse (Dr. Carlsen),PeterSturm(Dr. Hirsch), Franz Kutschera (Dr. Werner Seidel).
Himmel(1964) Der geteilte

Mamlock (1961) Professor

and Gerhard Christa Bruckner/Kurt Wolf/Konrad Wolf/Willi Script: Willi Bruckner, Camera: WernerBergmann, Barthel,Dramaturgy: Producer: Music: Hans-Dieter Hosalla, Sets: Alfred Hirschmeier, Funk, Cast: Renate Blume (Rita Seidel), Eberhard Hans-Joachim Hans Hardt-Hardtloff Meternagel), Esche (Manfred (Rolf Herrfurth), Erika MartinFlorchinger HilmarThate (Wendland), (Mr. Herrfurth), (Mrs. Herrfurth), Pelikowsky GiintherGrabbert(Schwarzenbach), HorstJonischkan (Martin Jung),PetraKelling(Sigrid).

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History Remembering

Der kleine Prinz(1966) [Television film]

KlausWischnewski, Camera: AngelWagenstein, Script: Dramaturgy: Sets:Alfred Music: KirilCibulka, Hirschmeier, Giinter Marczinkowsky, Producer: Bodenstein Herbert Eberhard Ehler,Cast: Christel (Prince), Esche (Pilot), Anna-Katherina Keller(Snake),Klaus Piontek (Fox), Inge Matschat(Rose), Wolfgang Heinz (King),Horst Schulze (Vain man), Holtz (Businessman). Fred Diiren(Lantern lighter), Jorgen

Gerhard Wolf, Dramaturgy: Script:WolfgangKohlhaase/Konrad Camera:Werner Sets:Alfred Producer: Wolf, Hirschmeier, Bergmann, Herbert Schwarz(Gregor), VassiliLivanov(Vadim), Ehler,Cast:Jaecki Alexei Eibishenkho (Sasha), Galina Polskich (Soviet girl),Jenny MichailGlusski(general), AnatoliSolovyov (Germangirl), Gr6llmann KalmursaRachmanov(Dsingis), RolfHoppe (major), (policewoman), Greese(landscapearchitect). Wolfgang Walter Wolf,Dramaturgy: AngelWagenstein/Konrad Script: Janka/ Alexander Camera:Werner Dymschitz, Bergmann/Konstantin Ryshov, Music: Kara and Faradsh Karayev, Sets: AlfredHirschmeier/Valerie Producer: Herbert Cast:Donatas Ehler/Genrich Yurkevitsh, Chochlov, Banionis(Goya),OliveraKatarina FredDuren(Esteve), (Princess Alba), TatyanaLolova (Queen Maria Luisa), Rolf Hoppe (King Carlos IV), Voit (Grand Inquisitor), Gustav ErnstBusch (Jovellanos), Mieczyslaw Holoubeck (Bermudez), Wolfgang Kieling(Godoy),Michail Kasakov (Guillemardet). Gerhard Kohlhaase, Dramaturgy: Script: Konrad Wolf/Wolfgang Music:Karl-Ernst Camera:Werner Wolf, Sasse,Sets:Alfred Bergmann, Producer:HerbertEhler, Cast: KurtBowe (Kemmel), Hirschmeier, UrsulaKarusseit Trettau Schubert (Gisi),Martin (Hannes),Giinter (maElse Grube-Deister farm HelmutStrassburger son), (collective director), ErikaPelikowsky (manwith (Aunt glasses), Marie),DieterFranke (factoWerner St6tzer Walter Lendrich rydirector), (mayor), (cashier), Marga Ute Lubosch (Regine),Vera Oelschlegel (Miss Legal (apprentice), Katharina Thalbach(soldier's Fritze), wife).
Mann aufdem Sportplatz Der nackte (1974) GoyaoderDer arge WegderErkenntnis (1971)

Ich war neunzehn (1968)

MarcSilberman 191 Mama,ichlebe(1977) Wolf, Dramaturgy: Script:WolfgangKohlhaase/Konrad Wolfgang Klein/Klaus Wischnewski/Dieter Wolf,Camera: Werner Beck/Giunter Music: ReinerBohm, Sets:Alfred Producer: Hirschmeier, Bergmann, HerbertEhler, Cast: Peter Prager(Becker),Uwe Zerbe (Pankonin), Eberhard Kirchberg(Koralevski), Detlef Giess (Kuschke),Donatas Banionis(Mauris),Margarita Terechova(Svetlana), YevgeniKindinov MichailVasskov Ivan Lapitkov (Glunski), (Kolya), (general). SoloSunny (1980) Co-director:WolfgangKohlhaase, Script: WolfgangKohlhaase, Music: Wolf,Camera:EberhardGeick, Dramaturgy: Voigt/Dieter Jutta Sets:Alfred Producer: Herbert Cast: Fischer, Hirschmeier, Ehler, Giinter Alexander DieterMontag(HarRenateKr6ssner (Sunny), Lang(Ralph), Klaus Brach(Norbert), FredDuiren Heide Kipp (Christine), ry), (physi(Benno Bohne), Regine Doreen (Monike), cian), Harald Warmbrunn Klaus Hindel (Bernd). (Hubert), Hans-Jiirgen Huirig Busch singt (1981/1982) series] [Television Director:Konrad Wolf,Directors: Reiner Conceptionand Artistic Hoffmann/Peter Bredemeyer/Erwin Burkert/Ludwig Voigt/Konrad Keil/Ernst Wolf, Camera: EberhardGeick/Lothar Oeltze, Producer: Teschner(PartIII Holtz/Ulrich Funk,Narrator: Hans-Joachim Jiirgen and PartV directed KonradWolf). by

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