Post by Anna Fargo from ,,The Curse''

Prompt 7: DEFA films

I think the DEFA production of "The Devil's Three Golden Hairs" is targeted towards a younger audience. The 1977 film tried to make the story very funny and turned it from a fairy tale into a slapstick show. For example, there are unnecessary bursts of laughter, especially in the robber scene, and some ridiculous facial expressions that would probably make young adults laugh. Also, the movie is made up of almost all male characters, so that suggests that it could be aimed towards boys, who might be able to relate to it more. Both DEFA films we have seen have been comedic, leaning more on the cheesy side. In the DEFA version of Snow White, the magical aspect of the fairy tale was eliminated, and technology and hard work were themes that were used instead. Similarly, this DEFA film takes the magic away and adds technology (noticable, especially in the castle) and focuses on human labor. As for using the film as the medium instead of paper, it definitely allows for exaggeration and expansion of slightly funny details. Also, watching a movie is usually what people do for enjoyment, so assuming that people looking for entertainment will view this film, it is more likely that they will enjoy all of the slapstick aspects.

1 comments:

AmyLee120 said...

I like that you brought up the fact that this film, like so many others, caters primarily to a male audience. I also like that you mentioned that DEFA films often replace the magical with the technological. It is a marker for the progression of the times.

Post by Nikki Moss from ,,The Nasty Stepmother''

Devil with the three golden hairs

I would say that this audience might be lower to middle class, and younger rather than adults. It is created in such a way to preserve teachings, and not be able to interpret it in any other way than just a story.

This movie is similar in a way to the version of Snow White that we saw, because of its humanization of certain elements. In Snow White, instead of the "magical" element of the mirror, we got a clever machine. In this movie, the devil is very human looking. There is not necessarily an aspect of "devilish" nature, like I would necessarily expect. While the devil does have horns and a tail, they are very minimal in terms of the whole. His magic is also overdone, and could be explained by special effects.

I found the medium of this film to be told in a very humorous way, especially the part with the boy taking care of the devil. There is no devil's grandmother as in the Grimms novel. Instead, the boy is left handling things himself. He watches the devil play piano, combs out his hair, makes him dinner...I interpreted this part of the plot as an additional way to make the concept of this movie ridiculous, and fake. This society didn't want to acknowledge that there was magic, or stories other then the ones they were telling.

1 comments:

Michelle Kim said...

Its interesting that you mention the humanization of elements in both films - I never thought about that. It would also be interesting to think about what effect this humanization has on the way the audience perceives the stories...

March 18, 2009 2:05 PM

Post by Caitlin Humphreys from ,,The Mean Giant''

DEFA Films

There are obvious parallels between The Devil’s Three Golden Hairs and DEFA’s Schneewittchen. The emphasis on work in The Devil’s Three Golden Hairs becomes apparent in the opening scene at the blacksmith’s shop because the scene seems longer and more detailed than necessary. The idolizing of anything “good” or “hardworking” also manifests itself early in the film, as it also does in Schneewittchen with the scene in the kitchen that cinematically values the work done by the kitchen help. Another similarity between the two films lies in the mockery of the monarchy and disparaging of the vices enjoyed by the monarchy, which include food and money. In The Devil’s Three Golden Hairs, the film seems to associate the monarchy with debauchery (the king’s drunkenness in the forest), along with stupidity (the refusal to believe in the existence of robbers). Interestingly, one major difference between The Devil’s Three Golden Hairs and Schneewittchen is the more chaotic and hectic atmosphere in The Devil’s Three Golden Hairs compared to Schneewittchen, in which the chaos seems confined to scenes involving the monarchy.

The target audience for The Devil’s Three Golden Hairs might have been children in East Germany, whom the government hoped to teach important lessons with the film. The slapstick humor seems like it would have appealed most to children, because it appears a bit too juvenile for an older audience. However, some of the lessons embedded in the film might be hard for children to interpret so maybe the film is also meant for the parents watching the film with their children.

1 comments:

Alex! said...

I hadn't thought of the film as being targeted for a young audience. I viewed the slapstick humor and political comments to be more geared towards adults. But I see how one could posit that DEFA wanted to instruct children as well as their working class parents.

March 17, 2009 10:48 PM

Post by Tim Collazi from ,,The Cruel Witch''

DEFA Version of Devil's Golden Hair

I think that the target audience of this movie is the proletariat in the Soviet Union. I feel that the movie is full of social commentary about capitalist society. The king/aristocracy represent the bourgeois and upper classes that prosper and live lavishly while the lower classes are being exploited. The victory of the working class, Jacob's ability to beat the devil and the King, is a reminder as to why socialism "is the answer." Also, although the King is directly responsible for the suffering in his kingdom, the peasants believe that the devil is to blame. I cannot help but think that DEFA is linking the two figures together, thereby commenting that capitalism is evil and leads to horrible things. In the end they are punished, as the commoners have their revenge. The devil is fed massive amounts of wine, and meat, stuffing him tremendously. This is ironic because excessive consumerism which he supports is a punishment to him. Keep in mind that this movie was also made in 1977 GDR, so it is just about to celebrate its 30th anniversary. This film would reinforce socialist ideals that the Soviet Union would exemplify in the time of such celebration.
This movie also reminds me of the Snow White DEFA film. In the Snow White version, the mirror is made out to be a piece of technology. One can see in the devil's layer that all the things that try to make the devil frightening are really just a punch of smoke and machines. It is also like the Snow White film because they both place emphasis on workers, and that there is dignity in work. The images of labor and the laboring class are presented because they should generate feelings of respect.
Film is very beneficial to this fairy tale. First, by reinforcing the message of class awareness, scenes are presented in which the upper class are presented as incompetent idiots. The tax collector, the king, the devil, etc. The things that they worry about and whine about are nothing compared to the hardships facing the working class. Technology is also useful with the three golden hairs, the special effects are very cool. Again, the movie is made in a commical fashion, so there is humorous dialogue, and imagery. This can be seen when the devil is being stuffed.

Assignment 7 - 17.March 2009

After having viewed the DEFA film "The Devil's Three Golden Hairs", do the following:

1. Try to interpret from the movie, who the target audience might be. Keep in mind, that the film was made in 1977 in East Germany.

2. Compare the movie with the DEFA version of Snow White.

3. Explain how the medium 'film' is used to tell the story. You could consider talking about the plot, dialogue, etc.

Do try to touch upon all three points in your blog.

Deadline for posts: 11.00 a.m. on Wednesday

Deadline for comments on at least two posts: Midnight on Wednesday