analogzombie Blog

With the release of Berlin Alexanderplatz I, like many others, have the chance to see Rainer Werner Fassbinder's magnum opus for the first time. While the talk of incorrect color correction by Juliane Lorenz and the Fassbinder Foundation has me skeptical about the authenticity of the release, it in no way mars the film as a whole. I can't wait to start getting into this 15 hour+ work. Fassbinder made this film (he has always declared it a 15 hour film and not a mini-series) for Bavarian Tv at the height of his powers. The entire production was shot a break neck pace with Fassbinder rarely giving his actors more than one take. Made only two years before his death, the film is a melding of his German Hollywood films (Lola, Veronika Voss), and his earlier melodramas (Fear Eats the Soul, Martha).

What I am going to do with this blog post is simple. As I watch Berlin Alexanderplatz I'm going to post my thoughts on each hour of the drama. Hopefully I'll be able to put it into the perspective of Fassbinder's entire body of work, as well as it's relation to post Nazi Germany's reestablishment of its culture. This film not only bridges the gulf between Fassbinder's Sirkian melodrama phase and his German Hollywood cinema, but also across the gulf of Weimar and West Germany. The exploration of this time period (the second Reich) was instrumental in Germany coming to terms with its past. Because of this, Berlin Alexanderplatz is uniquely important to film culture, as it was to Fassbinder himself.

Under discussion:

Sun Dogs  (2007)

Sun Dogs is the story of a rag tag group coming together to create Jamaica’s very first dog sled team. Does that sound familiar at all? Cool Runnings with dogs immediately comes to mind. While the basic concept of overcoming impossible odds to have the Caribbean islanders competing in snow sports is no different from that mediocre effort, the form is. Sun Dogs eschews the stoner comedy milieu in favor of heart warming documentary.

The film focuses on the batch of strays selected for the dog team, and the men who came together to make it happen, including Jimmy Buffet. After the initial investment from some enterprising locals, American trainers are brought down to seriously engage the animals. It’s basically the training sequence from Best of the Best sans montage.

The film spends a lot of time dealing with the plight of average Jamaicans and the wreckage of their economy. If you’ve ever been to the Caribbean and traveled inland from the beach resorts you have probably come across the utter poverty that plagues the region. The film makers attempt to draw a line between the street mutts and their streetwise trainers. Through the dog sled team everyone gets a second chance I suppose. Too bad this part of the film falls flat. It’s hard to know where the focus is exactly, and splitting between two species doesn’t really resonate the way it could have in more adept hands. Director Andrea Stewart attempts to play the heartstrings, but sudden shifts in tone just become annoying.

The strongest note in the film is without a doubt the dogs themselves. Coming from the streets or abused homes there is something gratifying in watching the wayward animals develop from confused and frightened shadows of themselves into working athletes. To this end Stewart spends time with the Jamaican Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and other animal enthusiasts. These sequences are very effective and feature some of the best interviews in the film.

Just as soon as she creates some sympathy for the animals though, she attempts to once again trade it in for human sympathy. Jamaica sucks, I get it. It has been in a downward spiral for decades with little hope of overcoming its wasted potential. I know, I read The Economist. It’s nice that through the dog sled team many under privileged participants like Oswald and Newton, the dog trainers, and received opportunities to travel the world and succeed. Honestly I just don’t care. I found myself just wanting to watch the dogs.

Sun Dogs tries very hard to be all things to all people. It’s as if while filming the director became increasingly distracted and decided to follow as many sub plots as possible. Unfortunately it doesn’t work. If you love dogs, or are interested in the plight of the crime ridden island, Sun Dogs may be worth a look, otherwise just skip it.