A Narration of the Cultural and Political Life in Germany in the Film “Cabaret”
The film cabaret shows the extremes of cultural and political life in Germany up to 1933 by the representation of Jews, women, the clubs, goals of life, as well as the representation of the communists, the Nazis, and general Hindenburg suggests that Weimar Germanys hedonism and indulgence by its society led to an acceptance of Nazi Germany.
The film cabaret depicts the culture of Germany up to 1933 quite accurately. Its representation of the Jewish was one that they were rich, with power, which in Germany at the time was true, for instance, the writer of the German constitution was Jewish. Women were depicted true to life, having many more rights than what would be expected of pre 1933. Women could smoke in the street, wear whatever clothes they wanted, there were women in parliament, and in the movie Cabaret, an important thing to note is that Sally had control over herself, and could decide for herself about her matters, for example, having an abortion. At the club where Sally works, The Kit Kat Club, there are transvestites, demonstrating an extremist social group.
These extremists made people become uneasy, and swayed them to believe that democracy provided too much freedom, that democracy meant decadence. The kit Kat club is a prime example of the immoral behaviour in Weimar Germany where anything and everything, all sorts of nastiness can happen and is allowed under decadence. Prior to 1933 is when German expressionist art became big and quite influential on many other art types. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, a German expressionist, his paintings are very representational of the state of Weimar Germany. They are highly emotional, and unstable. Kirchner painted scenes of people, and added unnatural colour to experiment with reality because the reality he saw was not one he liked. In Cabaret, the song money shows a loss of value or quality of life. It demonstrates how money, in Germany, equalled pleasure, and pleasure being mankinds proper aim/ highest good, the hedonistic way of life. An analogy used in reference to Brian and The Weimar republic is about Brians sexual orientation. He is a confused man, not sure which way he is going, whether is straight, or not, he changes his mind several times before he packs his bags to leave for London. He is confused, and the Weimar republic was confused, and did not know where they were going.
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The political depiction in cabaret is very symbolic and similar to that of the time. Posters of General Hindenburg which had been vandalised by the communist party, with the letters KPD scrawled across them in red paint are the backdrop to Brian and Sally walking down the street. This symbolises their indifference to such vandalism, as this sort of occurrence was everyday. It also shows the normality of the political parties, such as the communist party and the Nazi party, battling it out with each other. Political parties are constantly fighting and killing one another and the Nazis violence is emphasised in the Cabaret. Under a title of decadence, through entertainment legitimate facts of pre-1933 Berlin are displayed while colourful images of the cabaret contrast with the outside political evolution, for example the slap dance inside the cabaret, and the Nazis violent murder in the streets.
Many people believed that the Nazis and communists would cancel each other out. In the movie cabaret, as maxamillion, sally and Brian are driving home; they drive past a dead communist in the middle of the road. Max says the Nazis are just a bunch of stupid hooligans but they a useful purpose. Let them get rid of the communists and then well get rid of them. Many people underestimated the force and power of the Nazis. Many people did not enjoy the Weimar Republic, and in Cabaret, a passing comment made by one of the ladies staying in Sallys apartment was I wish the Kaiser was back. People felt a want for old Germany back, they wanted the leadership, the control and the conservatism which Weimar took away and replaced with freedoms.
The Hedonism (hedonism meaning the behaviour of the belief in pleasure as the highest good and mankinds proper aim) and indulgence of Weimar Germany led to an acceptance of Nazi Germany, as suggested in the film Cabaret. Cabaret depicts the rising influence and power of the Nazis. Cabaret has much symbolism, such as the opening credits and singular Nazi appears, and at closing credits there are many Nazis. In the beginning of Cabaret, the Nazis are kicked out of the kit Kat club, while near the end, when Brian challenges the Nazis, he returns barely able to walk.
A very accurate depiction of the Nazi influence is when Sally Brian and Max are sitting in the beer garden and a Nazi youth stands, all decked out in uniform, to sing the song tomorrow belongs to me and he is gradually joined by everyone sitting in the gardens, excepting Sally, Brian and Max and an old man, who shakes his head the people who follow the Nazis blindly. He understands how nave it was to follow. The ruling classes underestimate Nazi power, symbolised by Brian getting beaten up by the Nazis. The decadence that became Weimar Germany also led slightly towards the acceptance of Nazi Germany, because people wanted to return to old Germany, to old conservatives, to old dictatorships. The film cabaret depicts cultural and political life in Weimar up to 1933 by the Jewish, women, and the decadence of the city, the political parties, and the treatment of political parties. It suggests that hedonism and indulgence in Weimar Germany led to an acceptance of Nazi Germany.
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A Narration of the Cultural and Political Life in Germany in the Film “Cabaret”. (2023, Feb 16). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/a-narration-of-the-cultural-and-political-life-in-germany-in-the-film-cabaret/
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