Class Relations
(Klassenverhaltnisse)
Screening on Film
Directed by Jean-Marie Straub, Danièle Huillet.
With Christian Heinisch, Laura Betti, Mario Adorf.
France/West Germany, 1984, 35mm, black & white, 126 min.
German with English subtitles.
With Christian Heinisch, Laura Betti, Mario Adorf.
France/West Germany, 1984, 35mm, black & white, 126 min.
German with English subtitles.
Amerika, Kafka's unfinished novel about corruption and moral bankruptcy in the United States, provides the basis for one of Straub and Huillet's most critically acclaimed works. Karl Rossmann, a middle class German, accepts his uncle's offer to come to New York. Upon his arrival, he is immediately presumed guilty until proven innocent, yet proceeds on a journey throughout the country. Straub and Huillet's trademark minimalism is particularly evident in the subdued performances of their actors, which, in themselves, provide an interesting commentary on American enthusiasm.