BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL
Italy, 1977, 127 minutes, Colour.
Dominique Sanda, Robert Powell, Eland Josephson, Virna Lisi. Directed by Liliana Cavani.
The Night Porter director Liliana Cavani has written a study/bizarre fact-fantasy treatment of the last years of Friedrich Nietzsche - reminiscent of Ken Russell (though not too much to make him jealous). Nietzsche has "freed" himself from his Lutheran family piety by the death of God and the new morality (passionate but never compassionate). He degenerates into lust, idleness and gradually insane fantasies. His closest disciples, played by Robert Powell and Dominique Sanda, share the futility and barrenness of permissiveness and self-centredness.
Ingmar Bergman collaborator, Eland Josephson, plays Nietzsche tellingly and Virna Lisi is a surprise as his repressed sister. It presupposes knowledge of and interest in Nietzsche and mature response to him.
1. An interesting film, entertaining? How much did response depend on audience knowledge of Friedrich Nietzsche? As a person, as a philosopher, his influence thinking in the 19th century, German thinking in the 20th century? How well did the film communicate this in itself?
2. The film as an interpretation of Nietzsche, his personality, his influence? A subjective impression and interpretation of the director compared with an objective biography or portrait? What was the audience left with as regards Nietzsche and his values and life?
3. The structure of the film: entering at a later point in Nietzsche’s life, introducing the characters of Paul and Lou-Salome? The development of this threesome, an earthly trinity, the interplay of their relationships and values beyond good and evil? The insertion of memories of Nietzsche especially of himself as a child, his visit to the prostitute? The insertion of Paul's memories and imagination especially his sexual voyeurism? His insight at the end when he substituted himself for the prostitute with Nietzsche? The insertion of Nietzsche’s fantasies especially the satanic figure in Venice, his presence in the room, the long ballet sequence with the two men representing Christ and Satan in Nietzsche’s fantasy? The momentum of the plot narrative, the subjective presentation, memories and fantasy? The finale with Lou's memories? The selection of the events and characters in Nietzsche’s experience?
4. The title from Nietzsche’s work and his attitude towards morality? How well did the film fill in Nietzsche’s background: his strict Lutheran upbringing, its puritanical overtones, his attitude towards the Lutheran God and his decreeing the death of God (yet the remnants in his imagination of the presence of Christ and of Satan and the diabolical)? His called 'the little pastor' when he was young? His reaction especially in terms of sexuality - compared with his sister Elizabeth's repression, his mother's strictness, his flaunting his attitudes towards his family, the visit to the prostitute and what he said he learnt from her? His philosophical status in Europe, professorship, books? The super man beyond good and evil? 9he discussions about nor= of morality, of self affirmation, of selfishness? His association with people of socialist leanings? A man of intellectual and a priori theories? The lack of relationship between his intellectual theories and his emotions, his daily living? The film's presenting of his morality and its being lived out, pro and con? The films as a critique of his stances and of his life? His life as a critique of his theory? The growing sexual involvement, sadism, dissociation, madness? His finally being in the asylum and lost with his memories? His living in people's minds as a memory? The pathos of Nietzsche’s career?
5. How good a portrait of Nietzsche was the film? Erland Josephson and his interpretation, his appearance, age, manner, way of speaking? Seeing him initially -involved with opium , piano playing, the prostitute, suffering from syphilis and his later explanation and flaunting of this? His behaviour with the prostitute and Paul's voyeur action? His relying on his reputation with his books, lectures? The fact that very little of this was shown in the film - except his discussion about his sabbatical? The nature of his bond with Paul, friendship, master-disciple? Paul's later sexual interpretation? His fascination with Lou and his pursuit of her through the Roman ruins? The decision to set up house? Based on his morality? The importance of the journey to his home, the encounter with Elizabeth and her infatuation with her brother, her violent and hysterical reactions against him, the incestuous overtones? His lack of ability in really caring about people, his carelessness with Elizabeth and his arguments against her? His going to Leipzig and setting up house with Paul and Lou? How happy was this arrangement? In theory, in reality especially in terms of possessiveness, relating. jealousy? The night out in the German tavern and his comments on the singing woman. his drunkenness, the anti-Semitic comments? The sexual relationship with Lou? Paul's jealousy? Paul and Nietzsche reacting with the man that Lou brought in? The inability to stay with the couple? His return to Venice, the years passing.. the need for the sabbatical, his friendship with the musical composer, his relationship with the woman? The deterioration of his imagination., seeing devil-figures in Venice? The importance of his visit to Berlin. the opium seizure. Lou's inability to visit him, Paul's visit? The return to Venice and the growing deterioration, the significance of the satanic ballet with its homosexual overtones? The complete collapse and his talking with the horse, identifying it with Wagner? The pathos of his being in the asylum, his reaction against his mother and Elizabeth? His wanting to be used by the German government? The final pathetic return home, the playing of the piano, his inability to respond to Lou? A portrait of a man and his life, values, relationships, politics, sexuality, influence in Germany? His speech about syphilis. his discourses about morality? The focus of the turn of the century and Nietzsche and Lou coming into their own century?
6. The portrait of Lou? Her presence at the socialist discussion and her boredom with it, the encounter with Paul and his fascination and obsession with her, the long walk through Rome especially with the prurient looking at the prostitutes, the homosexual activities in the ruins? (And the musical score associated with these scenes and their memories?) Her happiness to set up the threesome? Her wanting to be free? Her vivacity. her Polish background, Jewish background? The cause of anti-Semitic feeling and statements? The train ride., her presence in Nietzsche’s how, Elizabeth's jealousy and their clashes? Her playfulness with Nietzsche? Her taunting of Elizabeth? Her presence in Leipzig, the sequence in the tavern? Her taunting of Nietzsche and Paul with the man in the room? Yet her bond with each of them? Her going to Berlin and studying, her self-development. the relationship with Carl? The on-and-off relationship with Paul? The long attention given to the sexual liaison with Carl? Marriage and his attempted suicide? Her grief, her giving her word and the effect of this violence on her? Her later erratic behaviour, her setting up home with Carl? Her not going to see Nietzsche during the visit to Berlin, her sitting and eating his letter? Her reaction to Paul's death, her grief, her going to the seance with Carl and Paul's explanation of himself? Her decision to visit Nietzsche, the playing of the piano, the confrontation with the family, the end of the film with Lou and her lyrical memories of happier days when the theory might have been possible in real life?
7. Paul and his friendship with Nietzsche? An eager young man, the disciple, the voyeur overtones? The infatuation with Lou, rescuing her, his explanation of his gambling, the walk through the ruins and the importance of these memories in his later life? The proposal, the train trip and his happiness? Leipzig and his joy, the set-up of the house. his experience in the tavern and his humiliation. jealousy? The almost raping of Lou and his happiness? The intermittent relationship and yet his desire for permanence? Berlin, and his completing his studies and gaining a career? His enthusiasm for Nietszche's ideas? His erratic behaviour and wanting to possess Lou? Seeing him in detail at his work? The significance of his lack of contact with Nietszche but seeing him on the visit to Berlin? The significance of his substituting himself for the prostitute and his homosexual awareness? The visit to Carl and his missing Lou? His going to the tavern,, the erotic memories.. the ugliness of the violence and rape and his death? The importance of his presence at the seance and his flippant explanation of his homosexuality? Did this explain him? A portrait of a man influenced by Nietzsche, gaining some happiness and insight, with a possibility of a work of service. going beyond good and evil to tragic death?
8. The portrait of Elizabeth and Nietzsche’s family, Nietzsche’s mother and her strictness and memories of the past, Elizabeth's fiance and the anti-Semitic tones, the severe attitudes taken towards Nietzsche, wanting to use Nietzsche’s philosophy for Germany at the turn of the century? The vividness of Elizabeth's tantrums, cutting her hand with the glass, her talk about sexuality, the innuendo, the jealousy of Lou, the confrontation and her being sick at the table. her orders? Her reaction to Nietzsche’s madness? The visit to the asylum? The final view of the family with Nietzsche playing the piano? A portrait of repressed Lutheran repression?
9. The picture of Carl, his infatuation with Lou, the love relationship, sexuality? The sudden violence of his suicide attempt? His jealousy of Paul and Nietzsche, coming to understand them and in peace? His liaison with a maid and his having the child? The pact with Lou? Accompanying her to the seance? His finding some practical peace?
10. The portrait of 19th century salons and their discussions? At Rome with the socialist emphasis? The world of artists, Venice opera? 19th. century European culture?
11. The background of European religion, Christianity and its traditions, the Lutheran shackles. Nietzsche’s cutting away the traditions of Christianity, the declaration that God was dead? The forming of a new morality? Yet the overtones of Christ and the Devil - the significance of the images, the importance of the ballet sequence as a symbol?
12. Themes of morality, 19th. century norms? 20th. century moral attitudes in the audience? To Nietzsche, to his philosophy, to the menage, to his permissiveness. to relationships, to responsibility and selfishness?
13. The use of music throughout the film - the various themes, the use of the classics, ballet, ominous and particular styles e.g. for Paul's voyeur sequences?
14. The emphasis on sexuality - valid, exploitive? The prostitutes and their behaviour - the visit to Nietzsche’s apartment, the brothel sequence? The sexual presentation of the menage? Paul and his voyeur scenes in Rome and their continued memories? The significance of the sequence at the station where Paul hired the prostitute to have intercourse with the railway worker, his observation and laughing? His substituting himself for the prostitute with Nietzsche? The ugliness of his final sexual provocation and death?
15. The subjective style of the film? How carefully written was the screenplay. the baroque and exaggerated aspects, the blend of visuals and spoken discussions? The effect of this kind of subjective interpretation of a historical figure?
