One of my favorite songs, and one that's always intrigued me, is "Mack the Knife." It's such a catchy, gleeful tune, and yet it's about a serial killer. How could it have gotten so famous, especially when it did, with such gruesome content?
Well, the song was originally "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer," from Bertholt Brecht's Dreigroschen Oper (Threepenny Opera), a huge success during the swinging Weimar Republic. How could I not know have known this?
22 January 2008
20 January 2008
Das Kinoprogramm in Berlin
I think I'm addicted to Berlin's film program. More than 300 movies have played here over the past two weeks, and I've only seen 4 of them! Can you imagine how far behind I'll be when Berlinale comes?
In Germany, virtually all movies are synchonisiert (dubbed). That means even though you're going to see I Am Legend (yes, that's the German title), you won't be hearing Will Smith, but rather some faceless German man with impeccable diction. So combing an issue of Zitty or Tip because slightly more complex; one has to navigate language and subtitle possibilities:
OF/OV: Originalfassung/Originalversion (not dubbed)
OmU: Original mit Untertiteln (original with subtitles)
DFmenglU: Deutsche Fassung mit englischen Untertiteln (in German with English subtitles)
OmeU: Original mit englischen Untertiteln (original with English subtitles)
Thus far I've seen a German movie as-is, a German movie with English subtitles, a French movie dubbed into German, and an Irish movie in English. Complicated, no?
Fortunately, I'll get some free shorts to slake my thirst before Berlinale with Going Underground 7, a film festival that's going to play on the S-Bahn at the end of this month.
In Germany, virtually all movies are synchonisiert (dubbed). That means even though you're going to see I Am Legend (yes, that's the German title), you won't be hearing Will Smith, but rather some faceless German man with impeccable diction. So combing an issue of Zitty or Tip because slightly more complex; one has to navigate language and subtitle possibilities:
OF/OV: Originalfassung/Originalversion (not dubbed)
OmU: Original mit Untertiteln (original with subtitles)
DFmenglU: Deutsche Fassung mit englischen Untertiteln (in German with English subtitles)
OmeU: Original mit englischen Untertiteln (original with English subtitles)
Thus far I've seen a German movie as-is, a German movie with English subtitles, a French movie dubbed into German, and an Irish movie in English. Complicated, no?
Fortunately, I'll get some free shorts to slake my thirst before Berlinale with Going Underground 7, a film festival that's going to play on the S-Bahn at the end of this month.
17 January 2008
Mauerspaziergang
Today I went on a brief tour of the Berlin Wall, from Potsdamer Platz to Checkpoint Charlie. I couldn't stop wondering why more art hasn't been created about life in divided Berlin*: scenes of people going to work on the U-Bahn passing closed stations with armed guards and 1950s advertisements; escape attempts via underground tunnel, zip-wire, or hot-air balloon;
the children who lost balls over the wall and maybe heard scattered gunshots at night. It's such a rich topic, and an astonishing bit of recent history.
Also good to learn that most of the Wall was recycled and now lives on as parking lots and streets in the city. Umweltschutz vor allem!
*And no, Das Leben der Anderen doesn't count. I need to see the Wall in a lead role.
the children who lost balls over the wall and maybe heard scattered gunshots at night. It's such a rich topic, and an astonishing bit of recent history.
Also good to learn that most of the Wall was recycled and now lives on as parking lots and streets in the city. Umweltschutz vor allem!
*And no, Das Leben der Anderen doesn't count. I need to see the Wall in a lead role.
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