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    <title>Berlin Alexanderplatz's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
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      <title>Berlin Alexanderplatz's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
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      <title>Film:Berlin Alexanderplatz</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/films/Berlin_Alexanderplatz/2842/default.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<table width='100%' style='font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><tr><td><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u46268rvzkc.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' /></td>
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<strong>Title:</strong> Berlin Alexanderplatz<br/>
<strong>Year:</strong> 1980<br/>
<strong>Director:</strong> Rainer Werner Fassbinder<br/>
<strong>Plot:</strong> <a href="/players/P____89436/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Rainer Werner Fassbinder</a>'s sweeping 16-hour-long drama Berlin Alexanderplatz is an adaptation of the novel by Alfred Doblin. Franz Biberkopf (<a href="/players/P____40204/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Günter Lamprecht</a>) is released from prison as the film opens; he had been jailed for four years after killing his girlfriend Ida. Franz becomes involved with Lina (<a href="/players/P____71820/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Elisabeth Trissenaar</a>) and promises to no longer break the law. The 1920s German economy is horrible, and Franz has difficulty providing for himself and his partner. He goes into business with Lina's uncle, who eventually betrays Franz, sending him into a serious downward spiral. Franz becomes involved with a criminal named Reinhold (Gottfried John), a womanizer who convinces Franz to get rid of the woman Reinhold himself has discarded. After a botched robbery, Franz loses his arm in a car accident. With assistance from his ex-girlfriend Eva (Fassbinder regular <a href="/players/P____63980/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Hanna Schygulla</a>) and her pimp, Franz recovers and returns to the city. He starts to make some money by acting as a pimp for a prostitute named Mieze (<a href="/players/P____68966/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Barbara Sukowa</a>), but Reinhold returns and kills her. The authorities arrest Franz for the murder. The film ends with Franz in a mental hospital, a prime candidate to join the ranks of the upstart National Socialist party. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide<br/>
<strong>Times Tagged:</strong> 2<br/>
<strong>Number of Lists:</strong> 6<br/>
<strong>Number of blog posts:</strong> 2<br/>
<strong>Number of discussion threads:</strong> 3<br/>
<strong>SpoutRating:</strong> 4<br/>
</td></tr></table>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:47:18 GMT</pubDate><spout:Title>Berlin Alexanderplatz</spout:Title><spout:Year>1980</spout:Year><spout:Director>Rainer Werner Fassbinder</spout:Director><spout:Plot>&lt;a href="/players/P____89436/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Rainer Werner Fassbinder&lt;/a&gt;'s sweeping 16-hour-long drama Berlin Alexanderplatz is an adaptation of the novel by Alfred Doblin. Franz Biberkopf (&lt;a href="/players/P____40204/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Günter Lamprecht&lt;/a&gt;) is released from prison as the film opens; he had been jailed for four years after killing his girlfriend Ida. Franz becomes involved with Lina (&lt;a href="/players/P____71820/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Elisabeth Trissenaar&lt;/a&gt;) and promises to no longer break the law. The 1920s German economy is horrible, and Franz has difficulty providing for himself and his partner. He goes into business with Lina's uncle, who eventually betrays Franz, sending him into a serious downward spiral. Franz becomes involved with a criminal named Reinhold (Gottfried John), a womanizer who convinces Franz to get rid of the woman Reinhold himself has discarded. After a botched robbery, Franz loses his arm in a car accident. With assistance from his ex-girlfriend Eva (Fassbinder regular &lt;a href="/players/P____63980/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Hanna Schygulla&lt;/a&gt;) and her pimp, Franz recovers and returns to the city. He starts to make some money by acting as a pimp for a prostitute named Mieze (&lt;a href="/players/P____68966/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Barbara Sukowa&lt;/a&gt;), but Reinhold returns and kills her. The authorities arrest Franz for the murder. The film ends with Franz in a mental hospital, a prime candidate to join the ranks of the upstart National Socialist party. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide</spout:Plot><spout:TimesTagged>2</spout:TimesTagged><spout:taglevel>Slightly Tagged (1-5)</spout:taglevel><spout:Numberoflists>6</spout:Numberoflists><spout:NumberOfBlogPosts>2</spout:NumberOfBlogPosts><spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads>3</spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads><spout:SpoutRating>4</spout:SpoutRating><spout:FilmCoverURL>http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u46268rvzkc.jpg</spout:FilmCoverURL><spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL>http://www.spout.com/films/Berlin_Alexanderplatz/2842/default.aspx</spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL><spout:type>Film</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Re:Weekly Theme for April 27: 3+ Hours</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_April_27_3_Hours/625/41906/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u46268rvzkc.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/119628/default.aspx'>mercurial</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/625/discussions.aspx'>Weekly Theme</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 4/30/2009 4:47:18 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Has anyone seen Greed? I know that a semi-restored version of the film running about four hours has played a couple times around the country at film festivals and such, but haven't heard from anyone that has actually seen it. I once got into a drunken debate with a guy who had reportedly seen the original ten hour film that was never released but I know it must have been the booze talking. It must be the masochist in me because I've wanted to try and sit through some of those monstrosities of film like Greed, Hitler: A Film From Germany, Berlin Alexanderplatz and The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple. <br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:47:18 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>mercurial</spout:postby><spout:postto>Weekly Theme</spout:postto><spout:postdate>4/30/2009 4:47:18 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Has anyone seen Greed? I know that a semi-restored version of the film running about four hours has played a couple times around the country at film festivals and such, but haven't heard from anyone that has actually seen it. I once got into a drunken debate with a guy who had reportedly seen the original ten hour film that was never released but I know it must have been the booze talking. It must be the masochist in me because I've wanted to try and sit through some of those monstrosities of film like Greed, Hitler: A Film From Germany, Berlin Alexanderplatz and The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple. </spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Re:Which of these film movments have produced films that you enjoy the most?</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Re_Which_of_these_film_movments_have_produced_film/657/40557/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u46268rvzkc.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/5353/default.aspx'>Risselada</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/657/discussions.aspx'>Movie Polls</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 2/19/2009 3:15:26 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> [quote user="pippin06"] This is out of my league too.  I consider myself an average to above average filmgoer/viewer but am not sure if I've seen anything in any category (maybe I have and I didn't know it...but maybe not).  Like I said, I saw a lot of French films in college, but who knows if they fall under New Wave or something like that... ...but maybe we could somehow start a discussion somewhere where people schooled in these film schools could make recommendations for beginners.  That would be cool, right?  Or, maybe it's already somewhere...anyone know? [/quote] Ok, well I'll try to give some insight on what I know about them and any recommendations I may have. Czechoslovakian New Wave may be one of the lesser movements listed here.  It kind of started in the 60s. A discription from wikipedia says "Trademarks of the movement contain long unscripted dialogues, dark and absurd humour, and the casting of nonactors."  I don't know if I've actually seen any, but some of the more popular ones are available from the Criterion Collection like The Shop on Main Street (which people have mentioned on Spout before), Closely Watched Trains, and lots of Milos Forman's (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Man on the Moon, Amadeus) early work like Loves of a Blonde and The Fireman's Ball. Dogme 95 was an official movement started by Lars Von Trier and a few other Danish filmmakers that had specific rules about it.  You could actually submit your film to them to be labeled as an official Dogma 95 film.  You can probably find the rules online somewhere, but it involved using only digital film and found locations, props, and costumes.  You aren't supposed to add any special effects.  The full rules are of course available at good old wikipedia.  The most famous of the films would probably The Celebration, The Idiots, and my favorite, Julien Donkey-Boy. The French New Wave is a pretty broad movement usually referring to the iconoclastic filmmakers from France.  I think the tail end of the 50s is really when this started to get into full swing.  Like Tennenbaums mentioned earlier, Jean Luc-Godard and Fran&ccedil;ois Truffaut are often the most identifiable filmmakers with the movement, although there are probably dozens if not more who have been lumped into this movement.  SkyPilot mentioned Jean-Pierre Melville's Bob le Flambeur.  I have seen that one and was disappointed.  I've also seen Godard's Breathless and Truffaut's Jules and Jim both of which I did not enjoy.  Truffaut's The 400 Blows I appreciated a bit more, but still not a favorite.  Some people throw &Eacute;ric Rohmer into this category as well, although some argue his style is considerably different and stems from somewhere other than many other of the French New Wave filmmakers.  I have enjoyed what little I've seen of his work. Expressionism was a movement in Europe in the early 20th century.  It stressed intense emotion conveyed through exaggerated and distorted style and forms.  The Germans took this movement and put it in film.  I'm sure you recognize famous directors like F. W. Murnau and Fritz Lang.  Some of these films had extremely expressionistic and highly unrealistic visuals like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.  Some like The Last Laugh were just more more distorted versions of reality.  With all the Dracula talk that has happend on Spout at times I'm guessing you've also heard of Nosferatu.  Some of Lang's works that came a bit later that are well known might also count like M and Metropolis. When I looked into it, I can't really define Iranian New Wave any better than just saying it's basically films that were made in Iran.  I guess the most popular filmmaker is Abbas Kiarostami.  Look him up and you may recognize a lot of his films.  Maybe not.  I have seen two films from Majid Majidi and would recommend The Color of Paradise. It's kind of recent though so I don't really know if it's a good representation of the first wave of the Iranian New Wave. Italian neorealism is what it probably sounds like.  Italian films that stressed trying to give a realistic depiction of every day working class people.  They did this by shootings things on location and often with non-actors.  And a lot of the the "boring" action of normal life that might not find it's way into other films is here.  Although I sure don't find it boring.  The time frame we are looking at is the later forties.  The most famous example is Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief which I would highly recommend, although De Sica's Shoeshine and Umberto D are also amazing.  Other big name directors are Luchino Visconti and Roberto Rossellini. The Japanese New Wave like the French New Wave were a bunch of iconoclastic filmmakers that started with works being released around the end of the 50s through the 70s.  You could put Seijun Suzuki in this category who is one of my favorite directors.  Tokyo Drifter, Fighting Elegy, Branded to Kill, and Youth of the Beast are all fims of his that I love and are available on the Criterion Collection.  Hiroshi Teshigahara also has some of his movies released through Criterion, one of which, Woman in the Dunes, I just saw recently and is amazing.  Shohei Imamura also has some of his movies available through Criterion (this is basically just a big Criterion ad).  Nagisa Oshima is probably the biggest name from this moment in my mind and I'm rather embarassed to say I still haven't seen any of his films. Mumblecore core is the newest term on this list and has gotten a lot of press on Spout, so maybe you've heard of it.  I don't know if I've really seen any movies that would fit this category hardcore, but you probably recognize the trend in independent cinema.  I think it has a lot to do with young adults living in big cities.  Very low budget.  Lots of slang and hip music and culture references with a realistic style.  Correct me if I'm wrong on this.  Joe Swanberg had a short film series on Spout for a while I think. New French Extremity is the other really new term here.  I just came across the name recently to refer to a recent wave of confrontational French films ove the past decade or so.  You know how we had a group here on spout called "extreme films"?  Well a lot of these would probably fit in nice there.  They show you the extreme fifth, cruelty, and violence of humanity often in graphic detail.  You may recognize a lot of these names.  Gaspar No&eacute;'s Irreversible is one of the most well known state side I think.  It's the one that runs backwards.  I've seen his I Stand Alone and let me say it's pretty striking and depression, very confrontational to the dark and depressing side of the human condition.  Other examples are some of Claire Denis' and Leos Carax's recent work, Bruno Dumont (The Life of Jesus, Humanit&eacute;), Catherine Breillat (Fat Girl).  Maybe you have also heard of the infamous Baise-moi (Fuck Me).  If you listen to a lot of the horror fans we have on the site too you may hear them rave about many of the violent horror films comming out of France recently.  These could probably fit in well too.  The most well known now being High Tension. As for New German Cinema, you've heard of Werner Herzog right??  He's one of my favorites (check out The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser, Aguirre: The Wrath of God, Stroszek, Fitzcarraldo).    Well he and some other German folks such as R. W. Fassbinder (Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, The Marriage of Maria Braun, The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant (the guy made well over fourty films in a span of sixteen years including the fifteen hour long Berlin Alexanderplatz)), Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire, Paris, Texas), Volker Schl&ouml;ndorff (The Tin Drum) and several others started making the first original movies starting in the late 60s since before the rise of the Nazis (Werner Herzog even made a remake of the classic German film Nosferatu).  Finally Germany was a force in the world of Cinema making original and revolutionary films again. Anyone have anything to add?<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:15:26 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Risselada</spout:postby><spout:postto>Movie Polls</spout:postto><spout:postdate>2/19/2009 3:15:26 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>[quote user="pippin06"] This is out of my league too.  I consider myself an average to above average filmgoer/viewer but am not sure if I've seen anything in any category (maybe I have and I didn't know it...but maybe not).  Like I said, I saw a lot of French films in college, but who knows if they fall under New Wave or something like that... ...but maybe we could somehow start a discussion somewhere where people schooled in these film schools could make recommendations for beginners.  That would be cool, right?  Or, maybe it's already somewhere...anyone know? [/quote] Ok, well I'll try to give some insight on what I know about them and any recommendations I may have. Czechoslovakian New Wave may be one of the lesser movements listed here.  It kind of started in the 60s. A discription from wikipedia says "Trademarks of the movement contain long unscripted dialogues, dark and absurd humour, and the casting of nonactors."  I don't know if I've actually seen any, but some of the more popular ones are available from the Criterion Collection like The Shop on Main Street (which people have mentioned on Spout before), Closely Watched Trains, and lots of Milos Forman's (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Man on the Moon, Amadeus) early work like Loves of a Blonde and The Fireman's Ball. Dogme 95 was an official movement started by Lars Von Trier and a few other Danish filmmakers that had specific rules about it.  You could actually submit your film to them to be labeled as an official Dogma 95 film.  You can probably find the rules online somewhere, but it involved using only digital film and found locations, props, and costumes.  You aren't supposed to add any special effects.  The full rules are of course available at good old wikipedia.  The most famous of the films would probably The Celebration, The Idiots, and my favorite, Julien Donkey-Boy. The French New Wave is a pretty broad movement usually referring to the iconoclastic filmmakers from France.  I think the tail end of the 50s is really when this started to get into full swing.  Like Tennenbaums mentioned earlier, Jean Luc-Godard and Fran&amp;ccedil;ois Truffaut are often the most identifiable filmmakers with the movement, although there are probably dozens if not more who have been lumped into this movement.  SkyPilot mentioned Jean-Pierre Melville's Bob le Flambeur.  I have seen that one and was disappointed.  I've also seen Godard's Breathless and Truffaut's Jules and Jim both of which I did not enjoy.  Truffaut's The 400 Blows I appreciated a bit more, but still not a favorite.  Some people throw &amp;Eacute;ric Rohmer into this category as well, although some argue his style is considerably different and stems from somewhere other than many other of the French New Wave filmmakers.  I have enjoyed what little I've seen of his work. Expressionism was a movement in Europe in the early 20th century.  It stressed intense emotion conveyed through exaggerated and distorted style and forms.  The Germans took this movement and put it in film.  I'm sure you recognize famous directors like F. W. Murnau and Fritz Lang.  Some of these films had extremely expressionistic and highly unrealistic visuals like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.  Some like The Last Laugh were just more more distorted versions of reality.  With all the Dracula talk that has happend on Spout at times I'm guessing you've also heard of Nosferatu.  Some of Lang's works that came a bit later that are well known might also count like M and Metropolis. When I looked into it, I can't really define Iranian New Wave any better than just saying it's basically films that were made in Iran.  I guess the most popular filmmaker is Abbas Kiarostami.  Look him up and you may recognize a lot of his films.  Maybe not.  I have seen two films from Majid Majidi and would recommend The Color of Paradise. It's kind of recent though so I don't really know if it's a good representation of the first wave of the Iranian New Wave. Italian neorealism is what it probably sounds like.  Italian films that stressed trying to give a realistic depiction of every day working class people.  They did this by shootings things on location and often with non-actors.  And a lot of the the "boring" action of normal life that might not find it's way into other films is here.  Although I sure don't find it boring.  The time frame we are looking at is the later forties.  The most famous example is Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief which I would highly recommend, although De Sica's Shoeshine and Umberto D are also amazing.  Other big name directors are Luchino Visconti and Roberto Rossellini. The Japanese New Wave like the French New Wave were a bunch of iconoclastic filmmakers that started with works being released around the end of the 50s through the 70s.  You could put Seijun Suzuki in this category who is one of my favorite directors.  Tokyo Drifter, Fighting Elegy, Branded to Kill, and Youth of the Beast are all fims of his that I love and are available on the Criterion Collection.  Hiroshi Teshigahara also has some of his movies released through Criterion, one of which, Woman in the Dunes, I just saw recently and is amazing.  Shohei Imamura also has some of his movies available through Criterion (this is basically just a big Criterion ad).  Nagisa Oshima is probably the biggest name from this moment in my mind and I'm rather embarassed to say I still haven't seen any of his films. Mumblecore core is the newest term on this list and has gotten a lot of press on Spout, so maybe you've heard of it.  I don't know if I've really seen any movies that would fit this category hardcore, but you probably recognize the trend in independent cinema.  I think it has a lot to do with young adults living in big cities.  Very low budget.  Lots of slang and hip music and culture references with a realistic style.  Correct me if I'm wrong on this.  Joe Swanberg had a short film series on Spout for a while I think. New French Extremity is the other really new term here.  I just came across the name recently to refer to a recent wave of confrontational French films ove the past decade or so.  You know how we had a group here on spout called "extreme films"?  Well a lot of these would probably fit in nice there.  They show you the extreme fifth, cruelty, and violence of humanity often in graphic detail.  You may recognize a lot of these names.  Gaspar No&amp;eacute;'s Irreversible is one of the most well known state side I think.  It's the one that runs backwards.  I've seen his I Stand Alone and let me say it's pretty striking and depression, very confrontational to the dark and depressing side of the human condition.  Other examples are some of Claire Denis' and Leos Carax's recent work, Bruno Dumont (The Life of Jesus, Humanit&amp;eacute;), Catherine Breillat (Fat Girl).  Maybe you have also heard of the infamous Baise-moi (Fuck Me).  If you listen to a lot of the horror fans we have on the site too you may hear them rave about many of the violent horror films comming out of France recently.  These could probably fit in well too.  The most well known now being High Tension. As for New German Cinema, you've heard of Werner Herzog right??  He's one of my favorites (check out The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser, Aguirre: The Wrath of God, Stroszek, Fitzcarraldo).    Well he and some other German folks such as R. W. Fassbinder (Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, The Marriage of Maria Braun, The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant (the guy made well over fourty films in a span of sixteen years including the fifteen hour long Berlin Alexanderplatz)), Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire, Paris, Texas), Volker Schl&amp;ouml;ndorff (The Tin Drum) and several others started making the first original movies starting in the late 60s since before the rise of the Nazis (Werner Herzog even made a remake of the classic German film Nosferatu).  Finally Germany was a force in the world of Cinema making original and revolutionary films again. Anyone have anything to add?</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: hard on the heart</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/quint/archive/2008/9/11/35038.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u46268rvzkc.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/2143/default.aspx'>quint</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/quint/default.aspx'>An inordinate number of peppers</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 9/11/2008 5:04:31 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> This took me a while to process. It's long of course, has many technical challenges for the viewer, but I sort of knew the range of what to expect from Fassbinder and rode with it all just fine. Wow. This is an intense portrait of a strangely likable dupe. The acting is fantastic. G&uuml;nter Lamprecht is amazing. There were technical complaints about the production, but I think Fassbinder got what he was after. I can't bring myself to say I loved it, although it affected me profoundly. The epilogue was mind blowing. The cascade of dream images succeeded in feeling appropriate and deeply revealing of the character's descent. Weird and disturbing, but true somehow. A modernist tragedy is bitterer than the classic sort. The one is a culmination of a life's unfortunate meaning, resolving destiny with death. Franz's destiny is surely spent, but in our day and age a life devoid of meaning is still lived. A pimp, a thief, a murderer, sure, but Franz is somehow a sympathetic character. I wanted him to find the happiness he seemed nearly capable of. Something is broken in him. The implication would seem to be some psychological disorder, perhaps a remnant from WWI. There are lots of avenues to rationalize him. I liked Franz. He creeped me out, but I liked him. And I liked Mieze too though she had some off things about her. They are both a little crazy in a way that makes them seem innocent of their lives. Unlike Reinhold who is irredeemable in my book. A bad man. Living in a bad time increases the pressure towards an inhuman decay of society. But that does not excuse bad behavior, it just makes it all the harder to live up to. Germany in the twenties feels a little post-apocalyptic and some of those classic scenarios play out. Franz is the perpetual optimist, believing in the basic humanity of others until experience can break him of it. It's hard on the heart to watch it happen. <br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:04:31 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>quint</spout:postby><spout:postto>An inordinate number of peppers</spout:postto><spout:postdate>9/11/2008 5:04:31 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>This took me a while to process. It's long of course, has many technical challenges for the viewer, but I sort of knew the range of what to expect from Fassbinder and rode with it all just fine. Wow. This is an intense portrait of a strangely likable dupe. The acting is fantastic. G&amp;uuml;nter Lamprecht is amazing. There were technical complaints about the production, but I think Fassbinder got what he was after. I can't bring myself to say I loved it, although it affected me profoundly. The epilogue was mind blowing. The cascade of dream images succeeded in feeling appropriate and deeply revealing of the character's descent. Weird and disturbing, but true somehow. A modernist tragedy is bitterer than the classic sort. The one is a culmination of a life's unfortunate meaning, resolving destiny with death. Franz's destiny is surely spent, but in our day and age a life devoid of meaning is still lived. A pimp, a thief, a murderer, sure, but Franz is somehow a sympathetic character. I wanted him to find the happiness he seemed nearly capable of. Something is broken in him. The implication would seem to be some psychological disorder, perhaps a remnant from WWI. There are lots of avenues to rationalize him. I liked Franz. He creeped me out, but I liked him. And I liked Mieze too though she had some off things about her. They are both a little crazy in a way that makes them seem innocent of their lives. Unlike Reinhold who is irredeemable in my book. A bad man. Living in a bad time increases the pressure towards an inhuman decay of society. But that does not excuse bad behavior, it just makes it all the harder to live up to. Germany in the twenties feels a little post-apocalyptic and some of those classic scenarios play out. Franz is the perpetual optimist, believing in the basic humanity of others until experience can break him of it. It's hard on the heart to watch it happen. </spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: cross eyed and amazing....</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/hensdill/archive/2007/10/2/20326.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u46268rvzkc.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/96865/default.aspx'>hensdill</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/hensdill/default.aspx'>hensdill Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 10/2/2007 11:06:44 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> watched this film in 1981 at my college. i saw it in two nights, with each night&#39;s viewing lasting 7 1/2 hours. all subtitles. at the end of the second night i was cross eyed and mumbling in German. it took time to process it all-but i would remember it as one of the most amazing film experiences i have ever had. akin to building a shrine...lots of hard work followed by profound enlightenment...a must EXPERIENCE for anyone who considers themselves a movie lover...<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 03 Oct 2007 03:06:44 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>hensdill</spout:postby><spout:postto>hensdill Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>10/2/2007 11:06:44 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>watched this film in 1981 at my college. i saw it in two nights, with each night&amp;#39;s viewing lasting 7 1/2 hours. all subtitles. at the end of the second night i was cross eyed and mumbling in German. it took time to process it all-but i would remember it as one of the most amazing film experiences i have ever had. akin to building a shrine...lots of hard work followed by profound enlightenment...a must EXPERIENCE for anyone who considers themselves a movie lover...</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Re: Berlin Alexanderplatz and Kurosawa coming in November!</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Criterion_Collection/Re_Berlin_Alexanderplatz_and_Kurosawa_coming_in_N/115/18221/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u46268rvzkc.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/5353/default.aspx'>Risselada</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Criterion_Collection/115/discussions.aspx'>Criterion Collection</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 8/16/2007 12:02:54 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Hehe, Alexanderplatz is a LOOOOOONG movie.  Do you even consider it a movie or is it a mini-series?Has anyone actually watched all of it before.  I guess it&#39;s supposed to be one of the greatest film creations of all tiem if you can get through it.I think Fassbinder may also have the record for one of the longest film titles too: Fontane - Effi Briest oder: Viele, die eine Ahnung haben von ihren M&ouml;glichkeiten und Bed&uuml;rfnissen und dennoch das herrschende System in ihrem Kopf akzeptieren durch ihre Taten und es somit festigen und durchaus best&auml;tigen (1974)<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 2007 16:02:54 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Risselada</spout:postby><spout:postto>Criterion Collection</spout:postto><spout:postdate>8/16/2007 12:02:54 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Hehe, Alexanderplatz is a LOOOOOONG movie.  Do you even consider it a movie or is it a mini-series?Has anyone actually watched all of it before.  I guess it&amp;#39;s supposed to be one of the greatest film creations of all tiem if you can get through it.I think Fassbinder may also have the record for one of the longest film titles too: Fontane - Effi Briest oder: Viele, die eine Ahnung haben von ihren M&amp;ouml;glichkeiten und Bed&amp;uuml;rfnissen und dennoch das herrschende System in ihrem Kopf akzeptieren durch ihre Taten und es somit festigen und durchaus best&amp;auml;tigen (1974)</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:betrayal</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/betrayal/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/betrayal/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>betrayal</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1035</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 62</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 154</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:28:04 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1035</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>62</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>154</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:prison</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/prison/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/prison/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>prison</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 2437</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 62</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 167</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:02:27 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>2437</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>62</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>167</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:germany</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/germany/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/germany/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>germany</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 873</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 31</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 53</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:51:44 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>873</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>31</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>53</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:foreign</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/foreign/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/foreign/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>foreign</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 491</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 30</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 421</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:41:30 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>491</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>30</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>421</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:nazism</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/nazism/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/nazism/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>nazism</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 894</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 9</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 10</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:02:21 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>894</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>9</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>10</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:rage</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/rage/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/rage/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>rage</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 140</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 7</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 8</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:43:48 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>140</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>7</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>8</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:fassbinder</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fassbinder/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/fassbinder/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>fassbinder</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 5</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 2</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 5</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 04 Jul 2007 18:38:03 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>5</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>2</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>5</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:mistress</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/mistress/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/mistress/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>mistress</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 623</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 1</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 3</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2009 13:04:03 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>623</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>1</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>3</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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