NEONSTADT (NEON CITY)
Germany, 1982, 100 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Wolfgang Buhl (Disco Satanica), Dominik Graf (Running Blue), Hans Schmid (Panter Neuss), Helmer Von Lutzelburg (Star), Gisela Weillemann (Verleibt, Verlobt, BRD-git)
Neon City is a portmanteau film of five short stories, each made by a young German director with its topic and aspect of life in Munich. The quality and impact of the various stories are markedly different, ranging from love stories, a focus on art and a German variation on Halloween.
1. The impact of this portmanteau film? Cinematic exercises? Display work for young German directors? The focus on Munich? The variety of viewpoints? Perceptions of '80s lifestyles? The influence of the styles of the movies?
2. Munich as a character: its garish character highlighted by the directors: day, night, cross-section of activity and characters? Colour photography, score, songs and the collage? Eating, sexuality, punk aspects? How cynical the viewpoints?
3. Humanity of Munich: good, bad, values, self-centredness, aimlessness? Audiences accepting the genres and their conventions? What was the audience left with?
4. In Love, In Bed, Insane: The wandering of the city, night, sexuality, people using one another, relationships, interests? The man and the cigarettes, the girl and sex, pretence, football and re-meeting? The girl and the sleeping, paying - being out, the man, not being in love? Peter and his wandering, Rita Hayworth, out? The cyclic structure of the screenplay indicating aimlessness? Portrait of people? Insight?
5. Star Portrait: loneliness and aloneness, working, eating, home, beauty, outings? The man, fear, running? A satisfying sketch?
6. Running Blue: spy, arrogance, hotel, the maids etc., the rendezvous and the police, telling? Smart expectations? Shooting?
7. Panter Neuss: The portrait, a boy, his age, mother? Knife, work, money, jacket and chase, the bank? Knife, violence, kiss?
8. Disco Satanica: Halloween themes with Saturday Night Fever in garish Munich in 15 minutes? Punk atmosphere, collage of images and music? What effect?
