The Lisbon Story Film Analysis - Movie Review Example

Film Analysis: The Lisbon Story Student’s Name Professor Course Date Introduction Film analysts argue that European movies are very different from America movies. While Hollywood films are mainly aimed at entertainment the viewers, European movies in addition aim to address various political, economical, and socio-cultural issues in the European and other countries. Research shows that many European film producers and directors integrate various themes on politics, and socio-cultural factors to educate the viewers and hence positively influence their lifestyles. These themes plus other features is what attract an audience to a film or is makes up a film. Therefore, this essay aims at analyzing one of the European movies, ‘The Lisbon Story’ and elaborate the various political, socio-cultural, and economical issues and trends presented. In addition, the paper will examine the impact the producer of the movie aims to have on the viewers. To explain briefly, the film Lisbon Story by Wim is a European film of 1995. The film, which was inspired by a lovely city, sweet and lilting music depicts a dreamy idealistic travelogue composed in tolerantly poetic style. The term ‘story’ in the film’s title refers to a misnomer because this weightless movie is more calm reflection than absolute tale. The gently drifting film is better positioned, as a companion piece to the Wim’s other work than an agnostic invention. It achieves this as a compendium of Wenders’ aesthetic as well as emotional predilections. Wenders Wim regards the film as his most entertaining because of its admiration for the cinema magic. Main Issues addressed in the Film, the Lisbon Story Socio-cultural Issues According to Gansera (1995, p. 39), Lisbon story is a movie produced in the year 1995 and directed by Wim Wenders. It mainly focuses on its protagonist, Philip Winter, who is a German traveler. Wenders uses Philip as he travels from Europe to the geographical margins of Europe, Lisbon to demonstrate the various economical, political, and socio-cultural issues and trends in Europe. As Kolker and Beicken (1993, p. 89) explain, using this movie, Wenders aims to illustrate a united Europe and the strength of European identity, possessed by the movie’s protagonist, Philip. He is the centre of most of the social and cultural events in the film threby playing a major role in enriching this theme. Winter is presented as a sound engineer, who is travelling from Frankfurt to Portugal’s capital city. Here, the movie clearly portrays one of its main themes on social factors, peace vs. wars. Winter deliberates throughout his journey on how Europe is to become more untied contrarily with the old Europe that was fragmented by conflicts and wars. Wim aims to educate his viewers on the positive changes taking place in Europe, in terms of peace and harmony. According to Bauman (1996, p. 23), this theme is also evident in the movie, ‘Trains and Roses: Becoming Finnish’ produced in 1977 and directed by Peter Lichtefeld. The theme is shown in the manner Hannes, speaks out his desire of developing a unified railway network to replace the fragmented one, which was in use back then. Through development of a standardized and a uniform railway network, Europeans would be brought closer together and hence become united. It can be suggested that the two producers aimed at influencing positively on their viewers in terms of social issues. According to Baudrillard (1988, p. 122), many European film producers aim to emphasize on the importance of peace as a social factor, a trend that is in disparity with America. Lisbon story paints a serene environment with no wars as compared to the old Europe to make the viewers desire and embrace peace and on the other hand, dislike war and conflicts. The main cultural issue addressed in this film is identity (Eleftheriotis 2000, p. 95). Wenders want to demonstrate how strongly Philip holds his cultural identity by making him repeat the word, homeland in several languages. The strength of European identity is also depicted when Philip answers that he is a European when asked in Lisbon whether he is an American. In Trains and Rosses, Hannes is portrayed as a person who does not embrace anything to do with German’s cultural Identity. Instead of listening to German music, Hannes listens to Italian music, does not like football, and sometimes avoids taking beer as opposed to Germans. In addressing European identity, it can be argued that Wim aimed at illustrating and educating his viewers on the importance of cultural identity (Corrigan 1991, p. 58). Wender was successful in differentiating a European and an American identity in his film. It is important to note that Philip does not want to get associated with an American because America has been painted as a nation, which is highly segregated in terms of race and tribes. According to Gilroy (1997, p. 317), many European movies aim at revealing the insignificance of cultural differences among the various European cultures as opposed to the American cultures. In Lisbon story, uncontaminated European culture is depicted as being a culture, which embraces unity, peace, morality, and love. This is shown by the kind of lifestyle that people of Lisbon live. The inhabitants of Lisbon are shown to live in a safe environment with no fear of crimes such as drug abuse, burglary, and kidnap among many others. Philip and Friedrich who leave their apartment and their editing studio wide open with no fear of robbery emphasize the serenity of this culture. Lisbon inhabitants live in harmony, and they even stop the tram drivers to ask for direction without the fear of being misdirected. Children approach strangers without fear of being kidnapped. In Trains and Roses, the same culture is depicted in Inari, where people treasure love, closeness, and a balanced life more than they desire to become economically successful. Wenders portray this kind of a social setup in Lisbon society to make his viewers admire and desire it. He goes further and makes his film protagonist, Philip fall in love with Lisbon to show that such a social lifestyle is admirable contrasted with social lifestyles in busy, big cities of Europe, where people care about themselves and in which social evils such as drug abuse, burglary, rape, kidnaps among others have become rampant. It can also be argued that Litchefeld emphasizes the same serene social lifestyle in his movie, trains and roses by showing how Inari citizens choose love, friendship, and peace over economic success. According to the two directors, the desire in people to succeed economically brings along social evils such as robbery, drug abuse as a result of drug trafficking just to mention but a few. The films are aimed at educating Europeans on the importance of acquiring wealth and economic justice without being corrupted with social evils such as corruption, robbery just to mention but a few which characterize many of the current economically successful societies today (Hall 1992, p. 49). The other socio-cultural issue indirectly addressed in the film is cultural exchange (Eleftheriotis 2000, p. 98). Winter travels from his native land to Lisbon, a marginalized country, but centrally placed in terms of culture .In Lisbon, he becomes fascinated with its culture and falls in love with Teresa the singer in Friedrich’s movie. According to Colusso (1998, p. 149), Wim Wenders uses Teresa as a symbol of Lisbon and that is the main reason he makes Winter fall in love with her. However, it is evident that Winter’s love for Teresa is not natural. He is depicted to adore Teresa as an object and not as his wife or life companion to be. This love is symbolical for cultural exchange that takes place between the two actors. Despite Phillip admiring Lisbon, he tries to maintain his tourist identity and that is why he does not want to trade his European identity with Lisbon’s identity. This is also the main reason he does not accept Teresa and does not marry women from her culture. His unwillingness to get committed to his love for Teresa shows that he is not ready to compromise his European identity with any other regional or tribal identity (Ang 1992, p. 26). Wenders want to educate his viewers on the importance of a European identity, which represents a whole continent, because such a unified identity brings all Europeans together compared to a regional or cultural identity, which brings differentiation and prejudice among various tribes, regions, or countries. In Trains and Roses, Litchefeld makes Hannes fall in love with Sirpa, a woman who leaves her boyfriend on the basis that he cares more about economic success than love and friendship. In contrast with Lisbon story, Hannes falls in love with Sirpa truly and he is ready to change his cultural identity to become Finnish. He does that because from the starting of the film, he is shown to reject his Germany identity. According to Tomlinson (1999, p. 171), many films such as ‘King of the Road’ produced in 1976, ‘Alice in the cities’, 1974, have tried to depict how Germany has been colonized with the American social evils such as racism, wars, corruption among others. This can be argued to be the main reason as to why Hannes is ready to drop his German cultural identity and adopt Finnish identity, which has been shown to be socially right and morally upright. His determination to achieve this identity is shown in his desire to win Sirpa’s heart, by describing the longest route, which Sirpa had explained to him when asked in the contest the shortest route, a factor that makes him get defeated by few points in the contest. In Lisbon story, Wenders portray water to be a valued natural resource in Lisbon. The country is full of water bodies such as rivers, aqueducts and the Atlantic Ocean. All these features show fluidity in cultural exchange. Transport networks such as bridges, ships, trains and roads shown in the film emphasizes this factor. Wenders want to use Lisbon and water symbolically to show that all Europeans can acquire such a morally upright culture. He also shows that cultural exchange is important as it helps people to understand each other hence get rid of racial or tribal prejudices, which will lead to a more unified universe. Water is also used by Litchefeld as a means of cultural exchange in his movie, Trains and Roses. Hannes is so interested in learning and listening to stories associated with water bodies in Inari such as Lake Inari. It can be argued that the more he listens to these stories, the more the Finnish culture fascinates him, and this is the reason he finally changes his identity from Germany to Finnish. Political and Economic Issues According to Sibley, Lisbon has been presented as a country, which is marginalized geographically, economically, and politically. Wenders portray Lisbon as a country where many citizens resist factors associated with economic and political progress such as pursuit for money through establishment of big businesses, political conflicts, efficiency just to mention but a few. These elements are present in large political and economical European and American cities. Wenders portray Lisbon as a city that has undergone minimal if any economical changes since nineteenth century. In Lisbon, the main means of transport is the outdated tramways. Women are seen hand washing clothes in basins outside their small cottages. There is also a man wandering with his knife-grinder on a prehistoric tandem. Lisbon people embrace their history in the way they seem relevant with the functions of the old buildings. The buildings have undergone no renovations whatsoever, and the city looks prehistoric with no modernity. According to Shields (1991, p. 78), Wenders portrays Lisbon as a country, which is characterized with ancient economic and political issues to make his viewers reflect back where they have come from economically and politically. As Bradford (1973, p. 101) points out, Lisbon is a European country, which served as an object of foreign invasions. Lisbon opened the sea route, which linked Portugal with rich countries such as India and Brazil, a factor that led to economic success and political supremacy of Portugal both in Europe and globally. As Bradford (1973, p. 101) explains, the Moors captured and colonized Libson in the eighteenth century. However, Wender has successfully erased both the pre and post colonial and multicultural issues of Lisbon. It can be argued that Wim does this intentionally to present Lisbon as a civilized and morally upright country. Lisbon story avoids featuring any memories associated with colonization era, which was characterized with wars and massive killings, where Lisbon citizens tortured and exploited South American natives. He also erases any trace of conflicts and tensions that existed between Christians and Muslims in Lisbon, to portray it as peaceful and unified Christian society. According to Elsaesser (1989, p. 34), Wender can be said to belong to the new German Cinema, which tries to erase any economical and political evils that were present in the colonial era. Such movies are argued to educate the viewers on the importance of embracing economic and political progress, which is morally upright with no social evils such as corruption, racism, exploitation, and wars. In Lisbon story, the only form of colonization mentioned is cultural colonization of German by America, after the World War II. Wender makes his film protagonist Philip reject his Germany identity, since it has been influenced by America, so as to educate Europeans not to emulate any negative aspects associated with Americans. Lisbon story clearly shows the economic and political differences that exist between Lisbon city and other developed European cities. According to MacCabe (1992, p. 99), economic and political progress in any society comes along with social evils such as wars, conflicts, and racism among others. Lisbon story indirectly gets across the message to its viewers that many developed European cities lost direction in the 20th century both politically and culturally by emulating America to become rich and powerful. By imitating Americans, Europe became a violent country and started participating in both internal and international wars. Wenders also want to communicate to Lisbon political leaders that the country is behind economically and hence needs to do something to catch up with other European countries. However, he wants to caution the developing nations not to emulate America in their quest for prosperity both politically and economically. Wender uses a nostalgia narrative technique to come up with a positive vision for European countries. He avoids documenting any negative social-political issues such as multiculturalism, ethnic conflicts which were present in the past Europe of colonial era and which are still prevalent in many large European cities. As Cohen (1994, p. 182) points out, Lisbon story is a movie that has portrayed European societies to be socially and cultural upright compared to their main rival, America. Wenders want to put across a message to all his viewers that European is discovering its marginalized countries. He documents Lisbon as a marginalized country to make other political leaders, businesspersons and other citizens in other large modernized European cities that there are areas, which are economically and politically marginalized, and hence need to be opened up and upgraded. Wender uses his movie to emphasize the importance of morality and social uprightness in any society. He wants to educate all Europeans and Europe as a content to embrace moral values such as love, peace and togetherness as they struggle to become more politically and economically successful. He aims to influence Europeans to stop imitating America in their quest for economic and political prosperity since America has acquired these values through wars and other unjust means. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be argued that Wenders and other movie directors such as Litchefeld have successfully used their films in addressing various socio-cultural, political, and economic issues prevalent in pre-historic and current European societies. In his movie, Lisbon story, Wender uses Winter his film protagonist to show the social, cultural, and political differences that exist between Lisbon and other developed, large European cities. Wender aims at educating Europeans that if precautions are not taken, pursuit for economic and political prosperity brings along social evils such as wars, robbery, corruption, ethnic tensions, just to mention but a few. He aims to educate Europeans and all of his viewers on the importance of embracing virtues such as peace, love, togetherness, and morality. If such virtues are present in the society, then evils such as robbery, racism, and wars will have no place in the modern society. The movie portrays America as being a political and economical powerful nation but one, which has acquired such prosperity through wars and colonization. By doing this, Wender aims to educate the marginalized, European countries such as Lisbon and other developing nations not to imitate America in their quest to become rich and politically powerful. Reference List Ang, I 1992, 'Hegemony-in-Trouble: Nostalgia and the Ideology of the Impossible in European Cinema' in Duncan Petrie (Ed), BFI, London Baudrillard, J 1988, America, Verso, London Bauman, Z 1996, 'From Pilgrim to Tourist - or a Short History of Identity' in Stuart Hall and Paul du Gay (eds.) Questions of Cultural Identity, Sage, London Bradford, S 1973, Portugal, Thames and Hudson, London Cohen, R 1994, Frontiers of Identity: The British and the Others, Longman, London Colusso, F 1998 Wim Wenders. 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