The scene I pick from The Blue Angel is the
scene at the cabaret where Lola is performing and Rath is watching her from up
in the balcony. As she sings this song about love she continues to look at (a
very happy/grinning) Rath. This scene shows the other side of Rath, not the
strict professor but the guy falling in love with the same cabaret woman that
he punished his students for having pictures of her. This to me is the turning
point of the film and the beginning of Rath’s down fall, it also shows that he
was really a hypocrite.
1. How
would you compare Rath/Lola to Siddhartha/Kamala?
Rath and Lola are very similar to
Siddhartha and Kamala in the sense of the negative effect that both women had
on the men. When Rath got with Lola he went from a respectable professor to a
clown with no self respect. While when Siddahartha got with Kamala he picked up
bad habits such as drinking and gambling. Both men in a way lost themselves
after meeting these women.
2. Is Lola an emancipated woman or "totally impassive?"
In my opinion Lola (the character)
is totally impassive; the character she plays is one without emotions, I say
this because of her body language and profession in the movie (working in the cabaret), also the
fact that she’s with different men in the movie.
3. What is the significance of the clown?
The significance of the clown is to
show how low Rath has come to get. The clown basically signifies the lowest
point someone can get to.
4. How is chaos thematically represented in the film?
Chaos is thematically represented
in the film when Rath goes crazy after seeing Lola kissing another man and
attempting to strangle her. He is then put in a straightjacket. After being
released he goes back to his old class where after dealing with all the
humiliation he dies.
5. How would you interpret the overall meaning of the film?
The overall meaning I get from this
film is what can happen when you fall in love with the wrong person. Rath went
from what seemed to be a very serious/high morals professor to a clown at a
cabaret all because he fell in love with the wrong woman. The film shows his
self destruction. Another meaning I get from the film is that you can’t be a
hypocrite, Rath is a hypocrite because he punished the students for having
pictures of Lola but when he goes to the club he ends up falling in love with Lola.
6. Why did I compare Rath to the
Haussmann painting/montage? Would you suggest a better comparison?
You compared Rath to the Haussmann
painting/montage because Rath is the perfect example of someone not being able
to share the pleasures in the world because of their bookish and scholarly
lifestyle. He would act as this disciplinary/strict figure (which he was as a
professor) but deep down he had similar fantasies to the same kids he would
punish for having pictures of (what became his wife) Lola.
Hector,
ReplyDeleteI definatly laugh when I read your post. You were very blunt about the professor being a hypocrite. I sensed in the post no sympathy for professor Rath, and I think he deserved some. This might not be the best analogy but this is what I see that happened to professor Rath: when some one is in a burning house and some one runs in to save them there is a great possiblity that in doing that they too might get caught in the fire. But I think being that that her occupation required some of it she took pleasure in suduceing professor Rath it might even been seen as a challenge because he was a man of respectable social standing. Lola was a bitter sweet experience many people face in life and you picking that sene showed just that.
your answers for the questions interesting especially on the mean of the movie and Lola's impassiveness. I want you to think about the fact that she was not trying to kiss the man she must had draw back her head three times. I think she just wanted attention and also to encourage her husband through Jealousy to become who she first married.
I quite agree with your explanation on the scene u choose. The showed his other side of life, looking and smiling at Lola when singing
ReplyDeleteI can really say that, no matter how tough one individual might act they all have a soft spot in their heart.
ReplyDelete