New German Cinema, social critique and active viewers
In her essay, An Anatomy of Racism, Shohini Chaudhuri concludes her section titled “Brechtian and Sirkian Interpretations” (Reader, 644 to 648) by stating: “Fassbinder allows us to have ‘Hollywood emotions’ and reflect on them at the same time” (648).
Inspired by Douglas Sirk and Bertolt Brecht, Rainer Werner Fassbinder created his own style to develop his cinematic social critiques and analyses.
With the support of Chaudhuri’s analysis (pages 644 to 648) explain what are the most significant film strategies and methods inspired by Sirk and Brecht, respectively, and implemented by Fassbinder in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974) to achieve his particular goals.
Where and how does Fassbinder depart or differ from these models and to what effects?
Present these strategies (particular uses of visual and sound techniques as well as narrative structure) and explain the effects they create and the meanings they convey. Be precise and analyze specific scenes or shots that best prove your claims and illustrate your points.
As usual, a re-telling or an explanation of the plot will not answer the question, and is not part of the assignment. The focus is on the way of filming and its effects and meanings.
21/2 to 3 pages maximum, double space.
Do not forget to give a title to your paper and to include a very short introduction and a conclusion. Be concise and proofread carefully.
