Rosa Luxemburg

What do you consider the main political obstacles that Rosa Luxemburg had to contend with during her
life?

The Film addresses many of the difficulties that haunted Social Democracy during the Weimar
Republic. Please discuss the party's development from a late nineteenth century working-class
movement to an established political party before, during, and after WWI as it is portrayed in the
film.

The figure of Rosa Luxemburg undergoes some changes during the course of her life. How do Rosa's
love relationships affect her political attitudes? How is Rosa's private life is germane for the
understanding of the political issues addressed in the movie?

Rosa is an avid letter writer. The film quotes many of her letters to her intimate friends. What do
these letters add to the presentation of Rosa's character?

Class distinctions made up the fabric of German society until after WWI. How do these class
distinctions affect the behavior of the characters presented in the movie?

Rosa's relationships to some of the minor characters illustrate her political point of view. How would you characterize her relationships to a) August Bebel, b) Karl Kautzky, c) Clara Zetkin, d) Eduard Bernstein, and e) Karl Liebknecht?
 
 
 

A Love in Germany
 

The film is directed by Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda (1984). Based on a story by German playwritght Rolf Hochhuth, the film explores the trials and tribulations of a  love relationship between a Polish prisoner of war and a German woman during World War II. The film has a very small cast and is tightly structured almost like a play on stage. The plot is told as a frame narrative.
  Herbert and his son visit the village where he grew up during the war in south west Germany. The plot then develops as a flashback to the time when Herbert was a child and his mother Pauline became involved with a Polish prisoner of war. We are told a story that shows the impact of a totalitarian society on people's private lives. The film is not concerned with the big events in history but with their effects on people's behavior. The action unfolds in parallel scenes and vacillates between Pauline's and Maria's houses. On a different level the plot is interrupted by the frame narration's ongoing actions.

Questions:

Address at least three of the following questions!
The film's treatment of the Nazi period is very different from that of most other movies about this time.
a) How does the film contribute to our understanding of the Third Reich in ways that documentaries cannot?
b) What do we learn about German society?
c) Which significance does the film's structure (frame narration, parallel action) have?
d) Do you find the flashback technique successful? Please explain your opinion.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Legend of Paul and Paula