“Never before and in no other country, were pictures and language in general treated with fewer consciences than here [in Germany].” Wim Wenders wrote in an article about Joachim Fest’s documentary Hitler- Eine Karriere (Hitler – A Career). “I don’t think, that anywhere else has been such a loss in terms of confidence in the own pictures, the own histories and the own myths, than with us.” (Novell-Smith, p.566)
These lines, which Wim Wenders wrote in the article, stand for the situation of the German film during at least 30 years. The heritage of the film of the Third Reich – the instinctively mistrust against all pictures and histories, which concern the German identity – was the main goal for the German directors of the 60s and 70s to work on. The new German cinema saw itself as part of the political public education system. After the Manifest of Oberhausen in 1962 several German filmmakers decided to make independent productions of film.
“[…]We declare that our ambition is to create the new German feature film. This new film requires new freedoms. Freedoms from commercial influences. Freedom from the dominance of interest groups.” […] (Excerpt of the Oberhausen Manifest in Pflaum, Hans Günther. Cinema in the Federal Republic of Germany. Trans. Timothy Nevill. Published by Inter Nationes. Bonn 1993, p.9)
Although not mentioning the question of financial support, the young enthusiastic filmmakers hoped to get money from the government in order to be able to work as “authors”. The government saw the cultural advantages of a strong national cinema and found 1965 the Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film (Board for the New German Film). “Debuts by directors such as Alexander Kluge, Peter Fleischmann and Werner Herzog were assisted by awards from the Board.”[…] Little was changed by the law regulating assistance for the German film which came into force in 1968. With the conditions of production prevailing in this country in the mid-Sixties, it was basically impossible to implement the “new language” postulated in the Oberhausen Manifesto.” (Pflaum, p.10) The state-funded German cinema seemed so to have a secret, special cultural order from the government to present Germany to the rest of the world as a cultural motivated and especially self-critique country. That's what the following lines are about and how it came to these years were simply named "New Sensibilismus".
Table of Contents
1. The 70’s in Germany - The “Author” against the “Issue”
2. The development of ”Sensibilismus” in Germany
3. ‘Sensibilismus’ in Wenders’ Alice in the Cities (1974) and Kings of the Road (1976)
4. Sensibilismus in Wenders’ “The American Friend” (1975/76)
Objectives & Core Topics
This work examines the “Sensibilismus” movement within the early films of Wim Wenders, specifically analyzing how his protagonists navigate identity crises and social isolation. It investigates the tension between narrative structure and the visual dominance of the “road movie” genre as a means of expressing deeper psychological states and the critique of institutionalized television and cinema culture.
- The intersection of "Sensibilismus" and New German Cinema
- Wim Wenders’ cinematic visual language and minimalist dialogue
- The role of the road movie as a vehicle for identity exploration
- The critique of television and commercial film industry influences
- Comparative analysis of Wenders' early vs. later genre-influenced films
Excerpt from the Book
‘Sensibilismus’ in Wenders’ Alice in the Cities (1974) and Kings of the Road (1976)
Wenders was “seen as the most important representative of ‘Munich sensibility’. […] Its standard elements included protracted takes, intensified concentration and exceptionally detailed use of lightning together with car journeys and rock music as accompanying features” (Pflaum, p.39)
In his early films Alice in the Cities (1974) and Kings of the Road (1976), Wenders mainly is concentrated on the images and not on the story. These two films have no beginning and no end and are therefore the result of the movement of time, which depends more on temporal and spatial logic, than on the narrative. His style of filming is nearly documentary-like. Sometimes it even seems that the star of his films is not the character but the camera. Both films are very typical sensibilist movies. Wenders is using his most preferred genre within these films: the road movie. “The road and the motor vehicle are Wenders’ ideal mode of transport for the task of documenting physical reality in moving images.” (Graf, p.76) In both films the plot is following a straight linearity without anything like overlapping or crossing plots. But nevertheless Wenders, through the simple observation in his films, makes the reality transparent and mediates a sense of freedom and with that the essence of life. “This evaluation of the cinema as an instrument capable of catching unique moments, such as the flight of a bird through Manhattan, seems like it has more to do with some magical property than with plain physical reality.” (Graf, p.82)
Summary of Chapters
1. The 70’s in Germany - The “Author” against the “Issue”: Discusses the historical context of the New German Cinema, emphasizing the struggle for artistic autonomy against government funding and commercial pressures.
2. The development of ”Sensibilismus” in Germany: Explores the shift in the German film audience and the emergence of "sensibilist" cinema as a subjective response to the failures of political protest movements.
3. ‘Sensibilismus’ in Wenders’ Alice in the Cities (1974) and Kings of the Road (1976): Analyzes Wenders' early road movies, focusing on how minimalist dialogue and documentary-style cinematography highlight the search for identity.
4. Sensibilismus in Wenders’ “The American Friend” (1975/76): Examines how Wenders adopts classical genre elements like film noir and gangster narratives to explore identity and isolation in a more structured framework.
Keywords
Wim Wenders, Sensibilismus, New German Cinema, Road Movie, Identity, Film Noir, Minimalism, Narrative, German Cinema, Visual Language, Institutional Critique, 1970s, Psychology, Media Landscape, Authorial Cinema
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work focuses on the “Sensibilismus” movement within the early films of Wim Wenders, particularly how his stylistic choices reflect deep psychological themes and identity formation.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include the impact of institutional funding on German directors, the search for identity through the road movie genre, and the complex relationship between character, space, and the gaze of the camera.
What is the ultimate goal of this study?
The study aims to demonstrate how Wenders utilized his unique visual language and the “sensibilist” aesthetic to challenge standard narrative structures and express the alienation of his characters.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author employs a film-theoretical approach, incorporating historical documentation, critical essays (such as those by Elsaesser and Pflaum), and textual analysis of specific film sequences.
What content does the main part of the book cover?
The main part covers the historical landscape of 1970s German film, defines the "sensibilist" spectator, and provides a comparative analysis of three iconic Wenders films.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Wim Wenders, Sensibilismus, New German Cinema, Road Movie, and Identity.
How does Wenders handle dialogue in his films?
Wenders often uses rare and minimalist dialogue, favoring environmental sounds and long camera takes to allow the visual space and the viewer's reflection to carry the narrative.
What is the significance of the road movie genre for Wenders?
The road movie serves as an ideal framework for Wenders to document physical reality in motion while mirroring the internal search for identity of his characters.
- Quote paper
- Oliver Schill (Author), 2003, The 'Sensibilismus' movement in Wim Wenders' Alice in the Cities (1974) and Kings of the Road (1976) compared to The American Friend (1975/76), Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/20710
