The Blue Angel takes place in Weimer Republic Germany between WWI and II. Berlin, where the film is set, was a haven of liberalism and sexual freedom in the 1920s-30s, esp. in the cabaret culture dramatized in the film.
Some questions that I have:
- Lola Lola is one of the classic femme fatales of cinema. In what ways does Angela Argo seem similar to her?
- In the film, the professor gets into a scuffle w/ a ship captain over Lola Lola. What is the purpose of this scene? Why does Lola seem to be attracted to the professor, esp. since she's so much younger? At what point does she fall out of love w/ him? How would you connect their relationship to Swenson and Angela's?
- What do you make of the relationships that Swenson has w/ other women in his life: his wife, his daughter, Magda? In that lunch scene w/ Magda (pp. 76-84) why do neither seem to be hungry? In what ways are those relationships different than the one he is developing w/ Angela?
- What did you think about the fact that Ted reads Angela's "dirty" poems and then immediately goes and has sex w/ his wife?
- What questions do you have about the film or the novel?
lola lola and Angela Argo is similar in the way they are both mischievous on the inside but looks innocent on the outside. They both are out to use someone in this case the professors. I think the important of that scene it to give the audience a scene that shows romance forming between the two. Lola also becomes attracted to the professor because he is probably the only person that has stuck up for her and also protect her. Her job at the blue angel is to entertain the guest mostly men. During her times at her job she probably doesn't get treated well by the guest so she was probably surprised that someone would stick up for her.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that was very intriguing for me in the movie The Blue Angel is that Lola Lola seems to be attracted to Professor Rath as he seemed so much older than her. Personally that would never be my case but as the professor defends her from the sailor wanting to touch her it seemed like Lola Lola never had that kind of affection and care from a man especially from a College Professor with respected reputation. Which brings me back to point that if she decided to marry him why later on her affection and love start fading away. In my opinion I think that she believed he would take her out of that life of cabaret and would give her a good life.
ReplyDeleteLola Lola and Angela Argo are both similar because they are both sex symbols. In the movie, the director would make shots that would focus mainly on Lola Lola's legs. At that period of time, a woman's legs were sexually provocative and a major sex symbol that attracted the male species. Also, Dietrich's character would also wear revealing outfits showcasing her underwear. Similarly, in the book, Angela Argo is an imaginative sex symbol to Prof. Swenson. Throughout the book, Swenson has gained lots of interest in Angela. For example, while at the faculty party, Swenson couldn't help but think about Angela the whole time and how the party would be out of her norm and how she wouldn't have answered the Dean's phone call in the first place. Swenson's imaginative desires towards Angela hitchhiked when he found out that Angela actually is a sex symbol. After being referred to Angela's book of dirty poems, he rushed to the library to find them. Her book consisted of poems regarding phone sex and incest. Nonetheless, while reading her book, he got a hard on in the library and went home to have sex with his wife, most likely with Angela on his mind.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of the professor getting into a scuffle with the ship captain over Lola Lola was to show how in love with her he is. He has just met her and is already hooked on her and can't stand the fact that loads of men throw themselves at her drooling all over her sexual assets. Meanwhile, Lola seems to be attracted to the Professor as well most likely because he's a well known figure in their town. Prof Rath is viewed as an intelligent and prestigious man holding a rank as high as the president. Everyone looks up to the Professor and treats him as a popular. Lola is attracted to the Professor for who he is not what he is. Towards the end of the movie, where the Prof and Lola go out of town for a show, we begin to notice that Lola is now falling out of love with the professor. He has left his job and now no source of income and is basically living off Lola. In addition to him having no money, he also shows traits of jealousy and dominance which Lola doesn't like. For example, while their on the road he insists on Lola not selling postcards of her in provocative clothing but she declines by saying thats how they make a living. When they return back to hometown, Lola says that the professor never wants her to have fun most likely because he wants her to act as a wife but instead she wants to drink and perform and enjoy her younger years. Prof Rath and Lola's relationship is similar to Prof Ted and Angela's because there's a sense of jealousy going on in bot situations. Prof. Rath is jealous that Lola is flaunting her body attracting other men. And Prof. Swenson is jealous when he finds out that Angela has an alleged boyfriend, reconfirming both with Angela and his colleague Magda.
Very nice response, Andrea!
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ReplyDeleteTed has an up and down relationship with the women in his life. He barely speaks to his daughter, he seems to be losing interest in his wife although he claims to love her so much, and he portrays this friends with benefits relationship with Magda. In the lunch scene, neither one of them seem to be hungry primarily because Swenson is trying to get the inside scoop on Angela and Magda is focused on her attraction to Swenson while questioning his relationship with Angela. The relationships he has with his wife, daughter and Magda are different from the one he is developing with Angela cause this is one he actually wants to pursue. This developing relationship gets him excited as he's a middle aged man thats been teaching for quite some years and is used to the same old boring lifestyle. Angela gets him excited and makes him want more and more every time.
ReplyDeleteI think its kind of pathetic and sad how Swenson goes to have sex with his wife after reading Angela's dirty poems. Mostly because sex is something passionate that's supposed to happen between two people in love with each other, and if your partner is thinking about someone else while making love to you it's heartbreaking. Swenson was focused more on his selfish needs of trying to please himself using his wife as a ploy because he can't get to Angela in that way quite as yet.