Week 1 Flashcards
Culture/Kulture - Johann Gottfried
‘Kulture’, as theorised by Gottfried, is:
1. The way of life and traditions of ‘the tribe’.
2. The character and manners of ‘das Volk’.
3. The idiosyncratic, individual character of a nation.
Behind this lies the impetus for much of the folklore and philological study in the 19th and early 20th century, as well as such phenomena as folk song collecting.
The difference between ‘Kultur’ and ‘Zivilisation’
Culture is particular and local and shared only by one nation and language group.
Civilisation is international, acquired, a ‘veneer of manners’.
Culture as ‘high culture’ - Wilhelm von Humboldt
Culture as something that can be attained by study and experience, so that we can talk of a ‘cultured person’ or of being ‘cultivated’. Culture as the best that has been thought and said - especially in music, art and literature: a notion dependent on canons of good taste.
Culture as ‘popular culture’ or ‘mass culture’
All those manifestations of modernity, and the modern entertainment industries: pop music, television, social media, cinema, bestsellers and genre prose fiction: but beyond this, any cultural product can be read as though it were a text - something imbued with meanings and purposes, an interpretable thing and set of relations.
Barbie (2023), MCU, Taylor Swift, Netflix, Tiktok, Fortnight, #MeToo, #BLM.
Pulp fiction
Expansion of literacy (mandated schooling) led to a massive expansive in book, as well as genres: romance, detective stories, sci-fi, etc.
Notable writers who also wrote for film
Angela Carter, Agatha Christie, Joan Didion, William Faulkner, Stephen King, John Steinbeck, Tennessee Williams.
Dutch angles
Tilted shot used in film, point of view positioned low.
Distinction between pop, high and folk culture
Pop culture is mainstream and trendy, often consumed by a mass-audience, it is easily accessible and consumable, changes rapidly.
High culture is sophisticated and refined, elite and intellectuals as its audience, often requires broader knowledge (of classical, lit) or education, is stable, probably resistant to change.
Folk culture is traditional and community-based, rooted in heritage, passed down through generations, preserved and traditional.
Modernism (19th century, ~1840)
- A split in the arts: mass art and “elite art”.
- Modern art attempts to distinguish itself from the sentimentality of mass art, trying to make itself ugly, unique, special, etc.
- Fear of the “masses”: due to tech developments such as the radio and the news, suddenly the masses grew exponentially I all sorts of fields -> politics (equal voting).
Bildung and culturedness
Improving yourself (to be more intelligent, elegant, etc.)
Facts about The Third Man
The Third Man (1949) by Carol Reed.
How do the concepts of high culture and folk culture differ?
High culture typically refers to the artistic, intellectual, and refined achievements of society, such as classical music, fine arts, and literature. It’s often associated with the elite, educated classes.
Folk culture, on the other hand, includes traditions, customs, and practices passed down through generations, often associated with the working class or rural populations.
How does The Third Man reflect the distinctions between high culture and folk culture?
High culture is represented by British writer Holly Martins, who is somewhat disconnected from the more “authentic” aspects of the world around him.
The setting of postwar Vienna, with its mix of debris from war and street-level survivalism, represents a space where high culture and folk culture intermingle.
The city’s broken, decayed nature reflects the tension between the cultural ideal and the grim reality of life after the war.
What is the relationship between mass culture and popular culture?
Mass culture is often associated with the commercialisation of culture for a broad audience, typically through mass media like television, movies, and advertising.
Popular culture refers to cultural products and practices that are widely accepted by the public, which can overlap with mass culture but may also include elements that are more grassroots and locally driven.
Define “elite art”
Elite art is typically considered the highest form of art, often created for and appreciated by a select, educated audience. It tends to emphasize innovation, sophistication, and intellectual depth, in contrast to more commercially driven, accessible forms of entertainment (i.e., mass or popular culture).
How does The Third Man incorporate elements of modernism, and what role does this play in its representation of post-WWII Europe?
The Third Man incorporates elements of modernism through its fragmented narrative, morally ambiguous characters, and existential themes. The film reflects the disillusionment and uncertainty of post-WWII Europe, where traditional structures (such as the established morality and order) have broken down. The film’s use of shadowy, disorienting visuals, such as the famous use of Venetian blinds and stark contrasts between light and dark, mirrors the fractured state of Europe after the war.
Characters like Holly Martins, caught in a web of confusion, embody the modernist theme of alienation, and the film’s open-ended conclusion reflects the modernist rejection of clear moral answers.
Bildung
Cultivated character or intellectual development.
In what ways does The Third Man engage with or critique the concept of Bildung?
The concept of Bildung refers to the idea of self-cultivation and intellectual development, often associated with personal growth and moral maturity. In The Third Man, Holly Martins’ journey can be seen as an exploration of this idea, albeit a complicated one. Initially, Martins is an idealistic, naive American writer who thinks of himself as morally superior. However, as the film progresses, his idealism is challenged by the murky ethics of his friend Harry Lime and the world around him. Martins does not experience a full intellectual development or moral “Bildung” in a traditional sense, but his character is forced to confront his naïve ideas of right and wrong, suggesting a more complicated, cynical view of personal growth in the postwar context.
How does The Third Man reflect the tension between Kultur (culture) and Zivilisation (civilization), particularly in the context of postwar Vienna?
Kultur and Zivilisation are German terms that describe a distinction between cultural sophistication (Kultur) and the more superficial or technical aspects of civilisation (Zivilisation).
In The Third Man, postwar Vienna, divided into sectors controlled by the Allies, serves as a physical representation of this tension. The city, once a center of high culture, now teeters on the brink of collapse, embodying the failure of Zivilisation (the societal structures of order and morality) in the wake of war. The film’s characters navigate this world, balancing their desires for Kultur (personal integrity, loyalty) with the realities of survival and corruption.
How does the film critique the ideals of high culture through its setting, characters, and plot?
The film critiques high culture by showing how it can be disconnected from the realities of everyday life. The contrast between the cultural landmarks of Vienna (such as the opera and the architecture) and the morally corrupt actions of figures like Harry Lime exposes the emptiness of idealized cultural values when they are not grounded in human reality. Holly Martins’ struggle to understand the complexity of the world around him, where betrayal and corruption are common, highlights the failure of high culture ideals to address the moral and existential dilemmas faced by individuals in the postwar era.
Examples of folk culture
Scottish traditional Highland games, kilts, and bagpipe music.
Native American Cultures: storytelling, dance rituals, and traditional crafts such as beadwork and pottery.
Mexico’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations.
