Fox and his friends terms

viewership
spectator
objectification/object
gaze
male
desire

Tim Corrigan, New German Film:The Displaced Image

lsaesser,"PrimaryIdentificationandtheHistoricalSubject,"5152.
Historicalfinancialfailings,economicmotivationdriveshimtobecomeaspectacle
tobeginwith
Misenscenemusic?
Props
Soundorlackofitatkeymoments

Backdrop/historicalsettingup(book)
Foxandhisfriendsgeneralthemes
whatIwilldiscussinitasreflectedinvisualfeatures(3parts)
1945:threemonthslaterthethirdreichcametoanend.Germanywasnowunderthe
controlofthefouralliesthesovietunion,theunitedstates,theunitedkingdom,and
franceeachresponsibleforadministeringoneofthefourzonesofoccupationintowhich
thecountryhadbeendivided.Alltookimmediatestepstocontrolthemediaof
informationandentertainment,includingthecinema.Thedevestationofproductionand
distributionfacilitiesthatthewarhadcaused,nottomentionthedestructionofmostof
thecountryscinemas,renderedthealliesintiailblackoutofthemediavirtually
superfluous.Theoccupyingpowersweredeterminedthatthegermansshouldbesealed
offfromeverythingthatcouldberemotelyconstruedasbelongingtothenazipast.
Thismeantfirstlyprovidingthegermanswithmaterialthatthey,theallies,had
produced(9)
itwasanaxiomoftheAmericanreeducationprogrammethatifGermanywereflooded
withtheproductsofAmericanculture,thegermanswouldbysomemysteriousprocessof

osmosis,betransformedintoshiningexemplarsoftruth,justice,andtheAmericanway.
(9)
theamericansalsosetaboutdismemberingthecentralizedandcloselycoordinated
structureofthefilindustrythattheNazishadleftbehindthesplittingupofthefilm
industrysimplyweakenedit,particularlyattheprimarylevelofproduction.The
producersweretoosmalltobeviable,fewsurvivedbeyondtheirfirstorsecondfilm,and
allwereinthralltothedistributors.(10)
thefilmsoftheseoccupationyearsdidtheirbesttopresentanappraisalofwhathadjust
happenedtoGermany,thoughnonereallymanagedtoexplainjusthowithappened.
(10)
between1955and1957,anewvariantwasaddedthemarketwasfloodedwith
shallowentertainmentthesewerefilmsthat,intheiravoidanceofallcontemporary
relevance,letalonepoliticalstatementsorawkwardquestioning,reflectedthemoodof
the1950sinwestGermany.Theirprotagonistswereesseniallypassiveanddecent,and
wererewardedaccordingly.(11)
1950sGermany:inquantitativeterms,however,theseweretheboomyears.Feature
filmproductionreachedapeakof128in1955;thefollowingyearaudienceattendance
tooreachedapeakof817millioncinmavisitstheboominfilmproductionhadbeen
partlyinspiredbythecreditguaranteesthatthegovernmentprovidedbetween1950and
1956,initiallytodistributersandthenfrom1952toproducers.Thesehaddonenothingto
improvethequalityofthewestgermancinema,theymerelyinflatedoutofallproportion
thenumberoffilmsmade(12)
theboomofthemidfiftiesdidnotlastlong,andbytheendofthedecadethebottom
hadfallenoutofthefilmmarket.Manyfactorsweretobame,butoneinparticularstood
out:television.Cinemaattendancefiguresdroppedsharply,cinemasbecanclosing,
andfilmproductionshrank.(12)
in1961camewhatlookedlikeanofficialproclamationoftheartisticbankruptcyofthe
westgermancinema.Attheberlinfilmfestivalthefederalministeroftheinterior
announcedthatnofederalfilmprizewouldbeawardedthatyearasnofilmhadbeen
madethatwasworthyofit.theoldfilmmakershadfailedtodeliverthegoods,butthere
wasnowanewgenerationcomingupwhowereconvivcedthattheycouldifonlythey
hadthemoney.//attheeightyOberhausenfestivalinFebruary1962,twentysixofthem
gavevoicetotheirfrustration,aswellastotheirambition,inadocumentthathasgone
downinfilmhistoryastheoberhausenmanifesto.(13)

itstartedfromtehremisethatheoldorderhadfinallycollapsed,andproclaimedthe
determinationandconvictionthatthosewhoeinterestsithadifnoredwouldnowbuild
somethingenwandbetter.(13)
freedomfromthecustomaryconventionsofthetrade.Freedomfromtheinvluenceof
commercialpartners.Freedomfromtheinfluenceofcommercialpartners.Freedomfrom
thetutelageofestedinterests.(13)quotefromOM
despiteitsresoundingproclamations,nothingmuchhappenedintheyearsthat
followedtoalterthedesolatefaceofwestgermanfilmproduction.Onethingwas
achievedthough,andthatwasthesettingupin1965ifabodytohelpsubsidizenewfilms
byyoungdirectors.Thiswasthekuratoriumjungerdeutscherfilm,whichcameinto
beingasadirectresultoftheoebrhausenmanifestoandsubsequentlobbyingbyits
signatoriesandsupporters.(13)
theoptimismandeuphoriaweretobeshortlived.theestablishedfilmindustryopas
kinoorgrandadscinemahadnottakenkindlytothekuratoriumjungerdeutscherfilm
whosesponsorshipofnofewerthantwentyfilmsinitsfirstthreeyearslookedtothem
likeunfaircompetition.Nowtheybeganlobbyingparliament(14)
establishmentoffilmpromotionlawin1968
thebulkofFFAsincomewastobemadeavailableintheformofgrantstopromotethe
productionofnewfeaturefilms,butthecriteriabywhichthegrantswereallottedwere
decidedlyunfavorabletowarddirectorswhowereyoungandexperimental.(14)
television,originallythearchenemyofthecinema,oldsmuchofthecreditforthe
existenceofthenewgermancinemaasweknowittodayherethenwasthesourceof
fundingandtheoutletfortheirworkthattheyoungdirectorsturnedto.Acceptinghelp
fromtelevisiondidhowevermeanacceptingaestheticandpoliticallimitations;italso,
especiallyintheearlyyears,broughteconomicdrawbacks.Afilmpremiredontelevision
rarelydoeswellinthecinemas,forthepotentialaudienceahsalreadywatcheditfreeof
chargeathome.ItwasthissimplebutimportantlessonthatledinNovember1974tothe
signingofamajoragreementbetweenthetelevisioncomportationsandonbehalfof
filmmakersthefilmpromotionoffice.Thisfilm/televisiongreementallotmentof
productionsubsidiesinexchangeforbroadcastingright.Furthermore,thebroadcasting
authoritiesagreedtodonateamillionmarksaeyartotheFFAtobedistributedonano
stringsbasistosipporttherealizationofworthyfilmscripts.(15)

cameatthesametimeassomethingelse:animportantamendmenttothefilm
promotionlaw.Thisprovidedforthefirsttimefortheprovisionofgrantsforthe
realizationofprovisionofgrantsfortherealizationofpromisingfilmscripts.Thiswas
somethingtheyoungfilmmakershadbeenlobbyingforforsometime:asubsidysystem
that,likethatoftheKuratorium,didnotgavourestablisheddirectorsandproducers.(16)
nowoncemorethingswerebeginningtolookmorepromisingforthenewgerman
cinema.Themidseventiesalsosawtheconsolidationofitsreputationabroadin1976
and1977thenwgermancinemafinallyestablisheditselfassomethingworthyof
attentionintheoutsideworld(16)
interstfocusedinparticularonanumberofdirectors.Suchunfashionableauteurismis
uniquelyappropriateinthecaseofthenwgermancinema,whichahdfromtheoutset
beenpreeminentlyacinemadesaueterus,anautorenkinowhereeachfilm,incontent
andtechnique,bearsthedistinctivestapofitsdirector.Thishadbeentheinevitableresult
ofasystemwhereyoung,unestablishedfilmmakershavehadtobescriptwriter,director,
andproducerinone,realizingtheirvisionsonlowbudgets,withsmalteamsandtight
schedules,yetfreeofmanoftheconstraintsofcommericlaproductioncompanydemands
andtradudeunionregulationfamiliarinthemoredevelopdfilmindustriesofBritainand
theUSA(16)
thedestructionoftheunfortunate.FranzdividesFOXintotwodistinctparts.Initiallyhe
isaresilientcharacter,cocky,cheekyinthefaceofthesybariticfineryofhisnew
acquaintences.Eugensattemptstoeducatehim,howeverunderminehisself
confiddence.Foxbecomesapatheticfigure,tooatheticperhapsforhisguilelessnessand
passivitiyasheissystematicallyexploitedbyallaroundhimareonlyjustmadecredible
bytheinsecuritycausedbyhishumiliation,andbyhisdesperateloveforeugenhis
loveanddependenceseemtogrowininverserelationtothepossibilityoffulfillment.
(90)
evenindeathfoxisavictimfallingnowtothescavengerstobeexploitedtothefull
thesignificanceofhisnameisemphasizedinthefactthatthedenimjacket,nowseenin
closeup,bearstheinscriptionfoxinstudsontheback:thefilmhasshownusthe
wealthyclassesononeoftheirfoxhunts.(90)
foxisafilmabouttheruthlessnessofthiswealthy,exploitativesociety.Itsgermantitle,
faustrechtderfreiheit,literlalyfistlawoffreedom,isanonceconstructionthatis
roughlytheequivalentoftheEnglishoftheEnglishphraselawofthejungleorlawof
thegunthoughthementionoffreedompointstotheidealthatwestGermanylikesto
seeenshrinedinitsliberal,capitalistorder.(90)