The sector of production of cinema in respective countries is what defines such cinemas as National Cinema. This can be described as a term used to introduce a film or theatre productions in relating them to their country of origin and production. Several theatrical productions in the have been associated with their country of origins and their origins sometimes influence how their production and setting will be portrayed. The cinema industry in German like any other national cinemas have been characterized by a distinct revolutionary change as compared to the cinema industry before the World War II and the end of the Nazi era. The new cinema in German after these historic events is the currently described national cinema of German as it has taken a different perspective in the theatre industry. This paper therefore addresses some of the factors that support the new cinema in Germany as a form of the national cinema that represent Germany movies, music, arts and other theatre arts in the global cinema industry.
The German national cinema had undergone an abrupt change after the collapse of the early cinema industry during the World War II, a decline that had led to several actors and directors flee from the country with an aim of building or sustaining their professional careers in other countries such as the famous Hollywood. The previous industry had been faced with political propaganda that was characterized with a division of Western and Eastern Germany cinemas as they had different ideas of cinema production. The differences that characterized the films production whereby the West supported Nazism documentaries whereas the East Germany’s movies involved socially critical films had seen a unified film production in the early 1980s after the collapse of the earlier film productions. This unified and a more oriented cinema production is the commonly known ‘New German Cinema’ that focuses more on producing competitive films in the cinema market.
The emergence of New German Cinema which was started after the signing of The Oberhausen Manifesto which was signed by several European film makers had seen a new era of film making in German which not only cover the sector of entertainment but also address the issue of professionalism. The beginning of the New German Cinema era is characterized by the establishment of film making professional schools which were started by the early producers and script writers in an effort to create an opportunity where the actors and anticipating cinema professions can gain a wider scope of ideas and knowledge in film making. This way, the industry in German has been shaped in such a way the country’s cinemas and films match those films produced in other European countries and even the most praised Hollywood films.
The New German Cinema can be characterized as the German national cinema as a result of its modernity of film making techniques which recognizes the audience as the main player in the way a film is made. This is in contrary to the earlier version of film making where the content of the films was rather manipulative to the audience. The global setting of the cinema contents such as the films and videos has the primary purpose of entertaining and educating the audience and it through considering their reactions that the success of the cinema can be determined. This factor has been put into consideration in the New German cinema era and this makes it qualify to represent the Germany film making sector to the global cinema sector.
Also the New German Cinema can be termed as a National Cinema as it was the initial era that received both moral and financial support from the political and national state broadcasts with an aim of attaining national identity in film making which had been dominated by the cheap Hollywood movies after the war. These helped in financing and distributing locally made films with an aim of attaining national identity in the film making industry.
The film The Marriage of Maria Braun that was produced in 1979 under Rainer-Werner Fassbinder is a perfect masterpiece produced during the new German cinema era which signifies the revolution of the political reforms of Germany right from the post era to the modern era. The main character Maria Braun has been used to signify the post war political agendas whose aims were to accumulate their own benefits without thinking of the consequence of their actions to the citizens. The film brings out the reforms that the German political and social status had to go through to finally obtain a stable and independent national wealth of which the New German Cinema era forms a part. The setting of the movie from the beginning to the end gives a symbolic turn of events in the process of German civilization to achieve their current stable identity as well as bringing out the iconic figures who have contributed to this tremendous revolution in the German economic and social status including the cinema industry.
The New German Cinema can be regarded as the National cinema as a result of the renovated measures that have been made in the film industry that have enabled Germany films be presented in the global market. Through the New German cinema, Germany as a country can now be proud of the successful film makers and actors that have been nurtured by this program. Hence it is evident from these facts that the New German Cinema can be termed as the Germany national cinema in the global national cinemas representation.
Works Cited
Adam Lowenstein, Shocking Representations: Historical Trauma, National Cinema, and the Modern Horror Film, New York: Columbia University Press, 2005.
Flinn, Caryl. The New German Cinema: Music, History, and the Matter of Style. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004.
Hake, Sabine. German National Cinema,. London and New York: Routledge, 2002. Available at http://www.brightlightsfilm.com.
