GRMN 2301 EXAM STUDY GUIDE
Interpret Nazi films using the concepts introduced in this unit in the texts by Jünger. -
Answers - Jünger stated that society exists in pain, expressed through boredom. The
films highlight the war effort of the Nazis before and during world war two, and also the
boredom that characters face in their daily lives. For example, Hitler Youth Quex
illustrates the young boy's boredom and eagerness to help the war effort, and for those
reasons chooses to join the Hitler Youth. The movie also shows poverty and social
issues that arise due to the war effort, mostly depicted through the familial relationship
of the main character and his parents. In order for a great undertaking to occur, there
must be pain and suffering, according to Jünger.
Interpret Nazi films using the concepts introduced in this unit in the texts by Rentschler.
- Answers - Cinema of the 3rd Reich is to be seen as a totalitarian state's conscious
attempt to create a new culture via mass deception
Entertainment is crucial
Nazi film and propaganda needs to be understood as an "orchestra culture" that is, the
buildup of many different moving pieces that all accomplish the same goal with little to
no room for personal critical thought or action.
Nazi aesthetics and the way that mass culture as a whole was monitored and influenced
Nazi films aren't all propaganda, there is a fair amount of substance and material
adapted from Hollywood and other sources. Not propaganda, but a natural progression
of film anyway, with Nazi ideals and government tactics mixed in.
Rentschler's Premises and Hitler Youth Quex: The movie was everything that the Nazi
regime wanted it to be. It simplified the world, heightened the experience to provide
emotional frisson, and stressed immediate and authentic existence. However, it
previewed a nation's way to war, and collective self-destruction.
Main Points of Rentschler's interpretation of HYQ:
He viewed it as more nuanced that earlier interpretations suggested. He thought that it
created an experience in the theater for germans and was entertaining for them. He saw
the film as creating simple dichotomies (communist v. Nazi, direct/slang v. high
German, dark vs. light, disorientation v order, etc) both thematically and formally. He
saw this film as aiming to train a new kind of man and present self sacrifice as
pleasurable.
Thematically, the film was about sacrifice, and formally, the establishing shot, the
identification w/ disembodied camera perspective and the music for a rousing ending
were all used to present scenes.
,La Habenera:
There are racial types in the film that are different, but not immediately hierarchal
Astree employs self sacrifice for her
Explain the basic steps in the historical development of the Shoah. - Answers - April
1933: "civil servants not of Aryan race are to retire" first racial law in Germany
July 14th, 1933: De-Naturalization law removes Jews from having citizenship
Summarize Jünger's theory of pain. - Answers - Our current society does it's best to
avoid pain at all costs but we are failing at it
Pain is something that should be, embraced, tolerated and accepted
Our society is incapable of avoiding pain because modern society has so little risk that
the people are bored in their day to day lives
Boredom is "pain distilled over time"
No racial theory - relevant only to the betterment of the state, not the race.
Pain is a necessary struggle for great undertakings
The strongest will survive, those who aren't fit to reproduce will have to suffer
How does Junger's Theory of Pain relate to Nazi Ideology? - Answers - Nazis were the
ones who applied his theory to both state AND race
We choose to ignore pain in our society because to do so is beneficial: if you aren't
dead you should still move to the greater goal (self sacrifice of individual for the whole)
Pain is a necessary struggle for greater undertakings
Social darwinism: the strongest will survive, those who aren't fit to reproduce will have to
suffer
Alienation: separation of your true self/being, includes disconnect of modern germans
from the struggle of life, form of pain Nazism wanted to overcome
How could you use Junger's Theory of Pain to interpret the films we've watched so far?
- Answers -
Be able to explain the key concepts - second consciousness - Answers - The ability to
disconnect oneself from their consciousness.
, Critical concept to Jungers last man: they must focus only on the advancement of the
state and not on themselves
Able to view the world around them with a disconnected and unaffected manner
Able to see more clearly what needs to be done to further their nation and race
Able to act without the inhibitions of pain, fear, empathy, or any of the other annoying
traits associated with consciousness.
Be able to explain the key concepts - The Last Man - Answers - The last man is lazy,
fearful, unmotivated
Values comfort, security, safety, shelter, predictability, and individuality
Become dulled by the boredom of modern life, the pain of which is slowly killing him
without him realizing it
Values his individuality to the point that it interferes with the progression of his state and
race
Last man = complacent
Junger's critique of bourgeois society - what he wants to change
We are the last form of man before an individual man becomes a "type" as the worker
Be able to explain the key concepts - The Worker - Answers - Transformation of how
pain is used-embodied in the worker who will replace the last man
The Worker is more of a type than an individual and believes that the key driving force
behind all of the
Worker's motivations will be the betterment of the society and race to which he belongs
The Worker will not avoid pain like the modern man but will embrace it if it is beneficial
to his cause
The Worker will only be able to come about once modern liberties are essentially
destroyed
New "species" of the worker
Worker is not an individual - don't have control over life and no goal of self realization
Worker must sacrifice individually for greater goals set by someone else
Interpret Nazi films using the concepts introduced in this unit in the texts by Jünger. -
Answers - Jünger stated that society exists in pain, expressed through boredom. The
films highlight the war effort of the Nazis before and during world war two, and also the
boredom that characters face in their daily lives. For example, Hitler Youth Quex
illustrates the young boy's boredom and eagerness to help the war effort, and for those
reasons chooses to join the Hitler Youth. The movie also shows poverty and social
issues that arise due to the war effort, mostly depicted through the familial relationship
of the main character and his parents. In order for a great undertaking to occur, there
must be pain and suffering, according to Jünger.
Interpret Nazi films using the concepts introduced in this unit in the texts by Rentschler.
- Answers - Cinema of the 3rd Reich is to be seen as a totalitarian state's conscious
attempt to create a new culture via mass deception
Entertainment is crucial
Nazi film and propaganda needs to be understood as an "orchestra culture" that is, the
buildup of many different moving pieces that all accomplish the same goal with little to
no room for personal critical thought or action.
Nazi aesthetics and the way that mass culture as a whole was monitored and influenced
Nazi films aren't all propaganda, there is a fair amount of substance and material
adapted from Hollywood and other sources. Not propaganda, but a natural progression
of film anyway, with Nazi ideals and government tactics mixed in.
Rentschler's Premises and Hitler Youth Quex: The movie was everything that the Nazi
regime wanted it to be. It simplified the world, heightened the experience to provide
emotional frisson, and stressed immediate and authentic existence. However, it
previewed a nation's way to war, and collective self-destruction.
Main Points of Rentschler's interpretation of HYQ:
He viewed it as more nuanced that earlier interpretations suggested. He thought that it
created an experience in the theater for germans and was entertaining for them. He saw
the film as creating simple dichotomies (communist v. Nazi, direct/slang v. high
German, dark vs. light, disorientation v order, etc) both thematically and formally. He
saw this film as aiming to train a new kind of man and present self sacrifice as
pleasurable.
Thematically, the film was about sacrifice, and formally, the establishing shot, the
identification w/ disembodied camera perspective and the music for a rousing ending
were all used to present scenes.
,La Habenera:
There are racial types in the film that are different, but not immediately hierarchal
Astree employs self sacrifice for her
Explain the basic steps in the historical development of the Shoah. - Answers - April
1933: "civil servants not of Aryan race are to retire" first racial law in Germany
July 14th, 1933: De-Naturalization law removes Jews from having citizenship
Summarize Jünger's theory of pain. - Answers - Our current society does it's best to
avoid pain at all costs but we are failing at it
Pain is something that should be, embraced, tolerated and accepted
Our society is incapable of avoiding pain because modern society has so little risk that
the people are bored in their day to day lives
Boredom is "pain distilled over time"
No racial theory - relevant only to the betterment of the state, not the race.
Pain is a necessary struggle for great undertakings
The strongest will survive, those who aren't fit to reproduce will have to suffer
How does Junger's Theory of Pain relate to Nazi Ideology? - Answers - Nazis were the
ones who applied his theory to both state AND race
We choose to ignore pain in our society because to do so is beneficial: if you aren't
dead you should still move to the greater goal (self sacrifice of individual for the whole)
Pain is a necessary struggle for greater undertakings
Social darwinism: the strongest will survive, those who aren't fit to reproduce will have to
suffer
Alienation: separation of your true self/being, includes disconnect of modern germans
from the struggle of life, form of pain Nazism wanted to overcome
How could you use Junger's Theory of Pain to interpret the films we've watched so far?
- Answers -
Be able to explain the key concepts - second consciousness - Answers - The ability to
disconnect oneself from their consciousness.
, Critical concept to Jungers last man: they must focus only on the advancement of the
state and not on themselves
Able to view the world around them with a disconnected and unaffected manner
Able to see more clearly what needs to be done to further their nation and race
Able to act without the inhibitions of pain, fear, empathy, or any of the other annoying
traits associated with consciousness.
Be able to explain the key concepts - The Last Man - Answers - The last man is lazy,
fearful, unmotivated
Values comfort, security, safety, shelter, predictability, and individuality
Become dulled by the boredom of modern life, the pain of which is slowly killing him
without him realizing it
Values his individuality to the point that it interferes with the progression of his state and
race
Last man = complacent
Junger's critique of bourgeois society - what he wants to change
We are the last form of man before an individual man becomes a "type" as the worker
Be able to explain the key concepts - The Worker - Answers - Transformation of how
pain is used-embodied in the worker who will replace the last man
The Worker is more of a type than an individual and believes that the key driving force
behind all of the
Worker's motivations will be the betterment of the society and race to which he belongs
The Worker will not avoid pain like the modern man but will embrace it if it is beneficial
to his cause
The Worker will only be able to come about once modern liberties are essentially
destroyed
New "species" of the worker
Worker is not an individual - don't have control over life and no goal of self realization
Worker must sacrifice individually for greater goals set by someone else
