The scene I chose is when Rath returns to The Blue Angel and is having a heart attack after scolding his students. He drinks the beer that is offered to him and is encouraged by Lola to see her perform. At this time Lola, the clown, a backstage worker and the magician are with Rath in Lola's dressing room. Lola is called to perform and invites Rath to watch her and she leaves with the backstage worker. With his hair messy and his clothes powdery, the disheveled Rath takes a drink offered to him by the magician. After finishing the magician's concoxion, Rath feels pleasure from being drunk. As this all occurs the clown is closely watching Rath and the magician's interaction with a concerned/confused look on his face but his presence is never acknowledged by either of them. The magician then takes Rath by the hand up the stairs to see Lola perform, and of course they are being followed by the clown. When they enter the theatre, Lola is singing "Falling in Love Again." Rath is enchanted by Lola's singing and the whole time the clown is observing Rath's behavior.
This scene is the turning point for Rath regarding his character. He drinks alchohol eventhough he is not accustomed to doing so and becomes intoxicated. He rationalizes his behavior because he is in love with Lola. Rath allows Lola to be his temptress and the magician, his "ally." The clown seems to be an over shadow of Rath's pathetic future if he continues on this path of destruction.
I chose this scene because I find it to be such an important point in Rath's life because he put his guard done as well as his rationale. From this point on, Rath's life takes a downward spiral, he is no longer respected my students, Lola, or the magician. He becomes an outcast in society because of his decisions.
1. Lola and Rath's relationship is similar but every different from Siddhartha and Kamala's. Lola has a strong hold on Rath and he is so in love with her that it takes him to lose his mind to leave her. Siddhartha is infatuated with Kamala and she teaches him many things but being with her and living in that environment lead him to become like everyone else - unhappy. Siddhartha was fine when it came to detachment from Kamala but Rath was so dependent on her it took a lot out of him to leave her
2. Lola seems to be emancipated rather than impassive. She is self-seeking but she shows compassion by defending Rath when the magician makes fun of him. Because she feels free she does what she pleases and has no remorse if the effects on others, especially Rath.
3. I feel that the clown is the reality of what happens when you pursue your fleshly desires -- a downhill spiral of your life. Rath started as a successful and respected man in society. He only thought rationally but when he started to think with his heart, his life unraveled and he became just like the disrespected clown in the beginning.
4. Chaos is represented through the slow transition of light. In the beginning of the film, there is a lot of light but as the film continues you see more usage of shadows and the night to portray the eeriness and gloominess of chaos.
5. The film shows it's important to have a balance between your mentality and your emotions. Before his encounter with Lola, Rath was too uptight and strict over his life and extremely critical of others' lives. Once he meet Lola he was captivated by his desires and didn't know how to balance being rational and his emotions.
6. The comparison of Rath to the Haussmann painting/montage was spot on. Rath is so far from reality; through his lifestyle he has disconnected his mind from his heart. He is so stuck to his intellect and traditions that he is out of tune with reality and his emotions.
