On Film and the Public Sphere

Author(s): Alexander Kluge, Thomas Y. Levin and Miriam B. Hansen

Source: New German Critique, No. 24/25, Special Double Issue on New German Cinema (Autumn,
1981 - Winter, 1982), pp. 206-220
Published by: Duke University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/488051
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On Filmand thePublicSphere
Kluge
by Alexander

NARRATIVECINEMA*
I wouldn't
filmsifitweren'tforthecinemaofthe1920's,the
be making
silentera. SinceI havebeenmakingfilmsit has beenin reference
to this
of
narrative
this
is
classicaltradition.
stories,
precisely
myconception
Telling
of a country
butthevastestnarrative
cinema;and whatelse is thehistory
surfaceof all? Notone storybutmanystories.
MONTAGE-FILM
This meansmontage.Therecan be no doubtthatthenarrative
of an
can conveyhistorical
material
individual
in ninety
minutes,
fate,unfolded
threat
incest.Thefictional
onlyatthepriceofdramaturgical
displacesexperiof
encefromthefilm.In thehistory
of film,montage
is the"morphology
relations"("die Formenwelt
Thenthereis also the
desZusammenhangs").
artificial
Meredocumentation
ofdocumentary
andmise-en-scene.
opposition
cutsoffrelations:
existsobjectively
theemotions,
actionsand
without
nothing
theeyesandthesensesofthepeopleinvolved.
I have
desires,thatis,without
neverunderstood
ofsuchacts(mostof whichhavetobe
whythedepiction
Butitis equallyideological
toassume
fiction-film.
staged)is calledfiction,
thatindividuals
succeeds
coulddetermine
no narrative
Therefore,
history.
a certain
i.e. documentation.
without
ofauthentic
Such
material,
proportion
useofdocumentation
a pointofreference
establishes
fortheeyesandsenses:
realconditions
cleartheviewfortheaction.
AUTEURFILM-COOPERATIVEFILM
I havealwaysbelievedintheauteur
ofearlyfilm
film,inthecontinuation
Dovshenko,Griffith,
history:
Dreyer,Rosselini,Godard(ifyoulike,Cosand others.I findmyselfin goodcompanyamongthem.
tard),Schroeter,
WithdelightI discoverthatWoodyAllen(Manhattan)andFrankCoppola -

* Thisandthe
aretakenfrom
Die Patriotin
Zweitau(Frankfurt/Main:
following
excerpts
sendeins,1979).

206

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Fihnand thePublicSphere

207

- takerecourse
different
cinematic
tradition
ofa completely
representatives
is
their
tothesamevigorous
associative,
theyappeal
style
principles; editing
tofilmhistory,
itis nevera risktomakepersonal
films,ortomakecompact
films:"You gotto relyon people."
film(KonfektionsFortheauteurthereis no waybacktotheready-made
cinemaremaininitspresent
state.Itcannotincessantly
film).Norcanauteur
deliversingleworks,eachofwhichindividually
filmhistory.
reinvent
Cine- ifforno otherreason
mais a program
ofproduction
thatis a relationship
thanthatthisrelationship
which
existsin theexperiences
of thespectators
recreate
thecinema'sexperiential
horizon.Themultitude
offilms
constantly
inthemindsofthespectators
richer
thanwhat
willcontinue
tobe infinitely
canbe seeninthecinemauntila number
ofdirectors
workatcombining
their
skillsand temperaments,
theirmostpersonalfeelingsand improfessional
who always
of respectforthespectator
pulses.This is actuallya matter
If you wantto developthe
withothers,collectively.
acquiresexperience
auteurfilmfurther,
becauseyoubelievein it,thentheonlywayis through
allpeoplerelateto
cinemais nota minority
Auteur
cooperation.
phenomenon:
- rather
theirexperience
ofdepartment
stores.
likeauthors
thanmanagers
LEAVINGTHE GARDEN PATHS
an insolent
historicalanti-academic,
Makingfilmsis strictly
occupation,
thereis plenty
ofrefined
Inthepresent
butinconsistent.
situation
lygrounded
- refinement
entertainment
of 'serious'topics(gepflegtes
Problem')tooof
as ifthecinemawasa stroll
onthegarden
pathsofa park.Theobservance
theprohibition
on leavingthegardenpathshas beenknownto havecaused
as refinedas thatdoes notneed
Germanrevolutions
to fail. Something
wouldrather
Indeed,children
duplication.
go backintothebushesjustas they
wouldprefer
toplayinthesandorina junkyard.
saysFreud,isthe
Happiness,
todo
thatfilmhassomething
fulfillment
wishes.I amconvinced
ofchildhood
deforward
withhappiness:
film= movie= something
constantly
moving
spiteall thosewhowouldstopit.
THE CRITICAL MEASURE OF PRODUCTION:WHATIS LEFT OUT
These days Germancinemais becomingfamousabroad.The actual
on
"Whenskating
ofGermanfilmmakers,
however,is precarious.
practice
as
is
fast
as
to
move
thinice, theonlywayto keepfrombreaking
through
possible."
1. The Germanterm"Problemfilm"
does nothavean equivalent
in Englishbutwould
extendto suchfilmsas Kramervs. Kramer,Ordinary
certainly
People, or MakingLove
(translators'
footnote).

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208

Alexander
Kluge

TheProblemoftheNewcomers
In thelast17years,theso-calledNewGerman
Cinemahasgonethrough
fourgenerations.
andpre-Oberhauseners
FirsttheOberhauseners
(forexamReitz
and
thenthe
Wicki,
Rischert,
Senft,
Kristl,
Strobel,
others),
Vesely,
ple
newonesafter
Herthem(Schl6ndorff,
Fassbinder,
Ktickelmann,
Syberberg,
third
Wenders
and
and
then
the
Costard,
others),
(Schroeter,
zog,
generation
Lemke,Kahn,St6ckland others).Today,a fourth
Praunheim,
H6rmann,
andevidently
crewaveof youngfilmmakers
is emerging,
quitenumerous
direcitselfclearlyfromtheso-calledestablished
ative,whichdistinguishes
tors.In contrast
whoarenow
to theoriginal"youngGermanfilmmakers"
is
real
almostall in theirforties,
thisfourth
the
generation
youngGerman
cinema.
Noneoftheinstitutions
ofpublicfunding
intheFederalRepublicareas
tothealternative
of
yetresponding
conceptions thecinemabeingdeveloped
This youngergeneration
is discriminated
by thisnew fourth
generation.
to operateoutsidethenarrow
academicstrucagainstas soonas itattempts
turesofthefilmschools.It willbe impossible,
torestrict
themto
however,
thesegrovesof academe. (. . .)

and PoliticsofProduction
Institutional
Independence
If one compares
thewealthof workandexperience
whichmakeup our
withtheextent
inGerman
towhichthesearerepresented
films,then
country
twoobservations
canbe made:(1) mostofitdoesnotappearinthefilms,
and
whichhasneverbeenfulfilled.
(2) theartoffilmsincethe1920'sis a promise
ThesuccessoftheGerman
cinemaabroadandwiththeunited
offilm
coteries
directors
maskthefactthat,measured
thepotential
ofthemedium,
the
against
Germancinemais stagnating.
Thereis notenoughhistorical
depth,not
to createa senseofcontext.(. . .) In thedomainofthe
enoughdocumentation

conventional
US competition
is suretodefeat
one-wayfilm,theimaginative
German
on themarket.
Thissituation
couldbe changedonlyifthe
products
ofmultiplicity
wereappliedto therangeofcinematic
rather
forms
principle
thanjustpersonalstylesor subjectmatter.
Sucha strategy,
whichis being
discussedamongfilmmakers
withgreaturgency,
a newlygained
indicates
consciousness
of production;
we call itpoliticsof production,
institutional
independence.
THE MEDIA ARE STANDINGON THEIR HEAD
One speaksof 'filmproducers,'of 'film-auteurs.'
television,
Accordingly
video corporations,the radio and thecinemaconsiderthemselvesto be the
media.In facttheyaremerelytheformsandconditionsunderwhichthemedia
exist.The truemediumof experience,of desires,of phantasies,and actually

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Filmand thePublicSphere

209

of aesthetic
as well,are therealhumanbeingsandneverthe
appreciation
specialists.
jobs, theytoilaway,whichinturnmeans
Peopleworkat steady
in orderto survivein
theyworkovertime
theyworkon theirrelationships,
bothworkandprivaterelationships.
Thisis thelaborof innerbalance,the
thestuff
workofa lifetime.
Lifeis madeupofthesethree
elements,
powerful
of centuries
withall its miseryand errors.It is thusthatthehorizonsof
andthemediumof socialexperience
areactuallyproduced.
The
perception
so-calledmediafeedonthereturns
ofthislabor.Theyonlyreflect
something
whichdependson beingfilledoutbythespectators
fromtheirownexperience.Thereis nota singleMarkor dollarthatthemediacashin at thebox
rentalor taxes,whichis notearnedbythespectator
ornonoffice,through
whomwe deis therefore
Ourresponsibility
to thenon-spectator
spectator.
and
ceive if we masqueradeas the media.Both,thatis, non-spectators
i.e. itis
themediaandproduceitsreception:
constitute
spectators
together,
theirimagination
thatanimates
thescreen.
UTOPIANCINEMA
The artof thecinemais young,barely70 yearsold. It doesnothavea
feudalpast.Compared
totherefinement
offorms
whichmusic,architecture,
oil
over
thecenturies,
and
cultivated
literature, painting sculpture
supported
the
traditional
culture
and
the
of
by
unity
property, cinemadisplaysan
atleastinitsearlydays.Notobligedtofollowthe
amazingvigor,robustness,
intricate
of
'civilization
and its discontents'
(S. Freud),filmtakes
ways
whichhas
the
recourse
to thespontaneous
of
faculty
workings
imaginative
existedfortensof thousands
ofyears.SincetheIce Age approximately
(or
the
ofimages,ofso-calledassociations,
havemovedthrough
streams
earlier),
humanmind,prompted
to someextentby an anti-realistic
attitude,
by the
have
an
which
is
an
unbearable
order
protest
They
organized
against
reality.
theproduct
ofmere
andintuition,
byspontaneity.
hardly
Laughter,
memory,
Thisis themorearebasedon thisrawmaterial
ofassociations.
education,
ofthefilmstrip,
to whichtheinvention
than-ten-thousand-year-old-cinema
and
screen
a
projector
response.Thisalso exonlyprovided technological
to
film
to
the
and itsaffinity
the
of
plains particular
spectator
proximity
experience.
"UNDER THE SIGN OF THE HERMAPHRODITE"
inrelation
to
areambiguous
Thestandards
andaesthetic
ofculture
quality
almosteveryofourfilmlandscape,
thecinema.To thefuture
archaeologists
films.Thefederal
eventheso-calledno-quality
thingwillappearas culture,
of top
subsidysystem,however,insistsupontopquality.The production
privateownership,
planning,
qualityfilmsis hemmedin by bureaucracy,

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210

Alexander
Kluge

anda mechanical
whichdoes
centralization,
business,
pragmatism
censorship
notsoundlikecensorship
one of themosteffective
butactuallyrepresents
of present-day
instruments
censorship.
Thistypeofcensorship
whichplaguesthe
benefits
fromthegallimaufry
of qualityin film.JamesJoyce,ArnoldSch6nberg,
standards
and thelate
Beethoven
quartets
represent
indisputable
pinnaclesof qualityin literature
and music.In thecinema,thesesameproducts
wouldfrustrate
an equally
whichconsistsin asserting
validdesirein thespectators
theirnon-classical
needsforexpression
and satisfying
theirlibidinaleconomy.
This
is
an abstract
the
true
of
ideal.For
(. . .)
hardly
meaning diversity;
- whichis what
thisreasonthehistory
of filmcontainsa utopianstrain
fortheattraction
accounts
ofthecinema- butitis a utopiawhich,contrary
to theGreekmeaningofou-topos= no place, is in existenceeverywhere
and

Thisunsophisticated
especiallyintheunsophisticated
imagination.
imaginais
buried
under
a
of
thick
tion,however,
layer cultural
garbage.Ithas tobe
ofexcavation,
notatalla utopian
canbe realized
notion,
dugout.Thisproject
our
work.
onlythrough
THE SPECTATOR AS ENTEPRENEUR

Thefilmandtelevision
liveoffofthemoney
andthecoopercorporations
ationoftheimaginative
faculties
which
fromthe
extract
(unpaidlabor)
they
a
citizen
is
mature
who
to
spectator.They
designate
anyone
willing pay.Kant
is
man's
release
from
his
self-incurred
tutesays:enlightenment
(Ausgang)
Leni
Peickert
lage (selbstverschuldeten
Unmiindigkeit).
says:
"Peoplearemature
whentheyhavetheir
dayoff.. ."2
Inordertocheatspectators
onanentrepreneurial
have
scale,theentrepreneurs
todesignate
thespectators
themselves
as entrepreneurs.
Thespectator
mustsit
inthemoviehouseor infront
oftheTV setlikea commodity
owner:likea
misergrasping
whichhas
everydetailandcollecting
surpluson everything
from
alienated
anyvalue.Valueperse. So uneasythisspectator-consumer,
hisownlifeso completely
likethemanager
ofa supermarket
ordepartment
storewho- evenat thepriceofdeath(heartattack)- willnotstopaccuthelastscrapsofmarketable
so thattheymay
mulating
goodsinthestoreroom
findtheirbuyers.How disturbed
he is whenpeoplepass byhis store;how
nervous
hegetsaboutobjectsinthestoreroom
whichdo notsellimmediately.
2. "Maindig ist der Mensch, wenn er Ausgang hat (. . .)." From: AlexanderKluge, Die
Artistenin der Zirkuskuppel:ratlos; Die Unglaubige;projektZ; Spriicheder Leni Peickert

(Munich:R. PiperVerlag,1968),p. 131.LeniPeickert

incircus
(Hannelore
Hoger),isanexpert

reform
and theprotagonist
of Kluge's filmArtisten
inderZirkuskuppel:ratos (ArtistsUnderthe
Big Top: Ata Loss; 1968) and theshortDie unbeziihmbare
Leni Peickert(The IndomitableLeni

Peickert;1970)(translators;
footnote).

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Filmand thePublicSphere

211

- havingreachedthe
In a similarly
fashion
thespectator
entrepreneurial
for
their
films
desiredconsumer
scans
spectacleandexhibition
maturity
one
as
is
values,forcompleteintelligibility,
just
taughtto gnawa bone
that
the
sun
will
shine.The
as
the
so
sun,however,
thoroughly, sayinggoes,
and
unconcerned
habits
to
its
own
thunderous
its
course,'
'taking
according
ornotwe clean
doesnotcaretheleastwhether
withhumancommunication,
ourplates.
whichcolois conceptual
a filmcompletely
imperialism
Understanding
has been
then
nizesitsobjects.If I haveunderstood
everything something
out.
emptied
of conWe mustmakefilmsthatthoroughly
opposesuchimperialism
me
whichI
and
which
in
still
film
I encounter
sciousness.
surprises
something
the
which
on
a
understand
it.
I
cannot
canperceivewithout
puddle
devouring
thepuddleis
rainis falling- I can onlysee it; to say thatI understand
RelaxationmeansthatI myselfbecomealive fora moment,
meaningless.
senses
torunwild:foroncenottobe on guardwiththepoliceallowingmy
likeintention
of letting
nothing
escapeme.3
THE PUBLIC SPHERE*
theterm
Alexander
publicsphereoppositional
Kluge:Ifwearediscussing
andexpandandbythiswe meana typeofpublicspherewhichis changing
- then
of
articulation
for
a
thepossibilities public
experience
ing,increasing
to
to
the
stance
take
a
we mustveryresolutely
regarding right intimacy,
with
is
faced
of
a
For
of
ownership experience. example, group people
private
no.
- intheSchumannstrasse
froman occupiedbuilding
eviction
imminent
know
We
demolished.
where
houses
four
where
in
69 Frankfurt
actually
thatitis goingtohappen,andtheyknowitas well.They
inNovember
already
havedwelledin thishouseforthreeyearsandhavealwayshadtheplanto
thehouse:a
in exchangeforoccupying
to thecommunity
return
something
serviceand all sortsof otherservices.Thatplannever
tenants'counseling
takes
theirpoliticalenergy
beforetheeviction,
workedout.Shortly
finally
do
in
the
did
not
whatever
for
make
to
like
would
previous
they
up
shape:they
andwecouldassumethatitwould
tofilmtheeviction
three
years.We wanted
We toldthe
carnival.
takeplaceata timewhentheentire
citywascelebrating
because
the
before
eviction
start
to
we
wanted
that
shooting
house-occupiers
this
is
our
said
however:
work
we
could
then
fight
They
together.
really
only
the
live
in
does
not
who
tobe filmed
andwe willnotallowourfight
byanyone
he built
was oncea powerful
3. Fafnerin (Wagner's)Rheingold
giant.Withhisbrother,
Thenhekilledhisbrother
hadbeenunabletoaccomplish.
Walhalla,a featthegodsthemselves
He sitstherelikea dragon.
thetreasure.
andis nowguarding
* Thisandthefollowing
in:KlausEder/Alexander
Kluge,
published
pieceswereoriginally
UlmerDramnaturgien:
(Munich:Hanser,1980).
Reibungsverluste

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212

Alexander
Kluge

schedule
houseandfight
withus. To whichwe responded:
ourworking
does
withour
notallowustolivehere,butwecanatleastjoinyou,wecanbethere
in sucha case we wouldbe
camerawhenthehouseis clearedout;granted,
in
house-occupiers
only disguisebecause,havingplacesofourown,we are
nothouse-occupiers.
allthelessreasontoallowyouto
To whichtheyreplied:
itbelongsto us. We continued
to argue,
filmus sincethisis ourstruggle,
said:
can't
claim
without
and
ofyour
success,
you
private
ownership
although
like
an
claims
of
his
and
factory
struggle
privateownership
entrepreneur
us fromshooting.
wouldtherefore
orderhissecurity
forceto prevent
Don't
yourealizethatthisis thesamepositionwithregardto thepublicsphere?
Don'tyouseethatyouarecopying
thattheother
sidecando much
something
a
a relationship
of
better,
namelyproducing non-public
sphere,producing
and
exclusion?
It
be
that
consider
us
exist
who
property
may
you
prostitutes
- exactly
andyetnowhere:
thatis
tothiswe adamantly
everywhere
respond
ourjob: itis notourbusinesstoliveeverywhere
atonce.Ifweweretomakea
filmaboutfarmers,
thesituation
and
wouldbe thesame:we arenotfarmers
evenifwe livedlikefarmers
forhalfa yearwestillwouldnotbe farmers.
Just
becausewe workin factories
does notmakeus factory
workers.
We are
aware
we
that
we
have
another
and
can
if
want
to.A
leave
always
profession
can
be
when
publicsphere
you acceptthe
producedprofesssionally
only
of
which
is
in
abstraction
involved
one
to
of
degree
carrying piece information
in
another
lines
when
establish
of
communication.
That's
place society,
you
theonlywaywe cancreateanoppositional
publicsphereandthusexpandthe
an
is
whichis justas important
as
This
existing
publicsphere.
occupation
directaction,theimmediate
on-the-spot
struggle.
KlausEder:Woulditnotbe appropriate
tostopusingthetermoppositional
dates
which
from
the
time
aroundMay 1968- sincewhat
publicsphere
mean
is
a
in
authentic
senseoftheterm?
the
you
publicsphere
Alexander
thatis, a
Kluge:We meantheoppositeofa pseudo-public
sphere,
in so faras it involves
representative
publicspherewhichis representative
exclusions.Television,forexample,following
itsmandateof providing
a
universal
of reality(a conceptwhichits monopoly
and its
representation
arebasedupon)couldneverafford
toshowfilmsthatgo
pluralistic
authority
so muchagainstthegrainthattheywouldcall attention
towhatever
scopeof
television
doesnotinclude.Thiswoulddestroy
thefacadeoflegitimareality
isbased.Ifa pseudo-public
cyonwhichthepublicsphereoftelevision
sphere
and according
to certainvalue
onlyrepresents
partsof reality,selectively
thenithastoadminister
evenfurther
cutsso itwon'tbe foundout.
systems,
Thistypeofpublicsphere
hasrecently
metwithcompetition
a public
from
Withinthelatter,theSpringer
sphereappropriated
by privateenterprise.
is to some extentonlya novice,retaining
an elementof personalcorporation
ism whichsets its own limits:thereactionary
attitudeof theentrepreneur
in
factreducesthesales figures.This will be technocratically
correctedat some
point,eliminatingthepersonalaspectof Springer,and therebyrealizingthe

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Filmand thePublicSphere

213

of thepublicsphere.Thisis a greatdanger- if all

privateappropriation
formsof theclassicalpublicspherehave thetendency,
as representative
Inthisrespect,
toautomatically
reducethemselves.
theconceppublicsphere,
tionof a publicspherewhichis neither
ownednorsimplythe
privately
of politics
classicaltypeis of fundamental
theveryconditions
importance:
dependuponit.
The publicsphereis in thisscenewhatone mightcall thefactory
of
site
of
When
this
site
of
the
its
politics
production
spacein
production.
- iscaughtina
whichpoliticsis first
madepossibleatallandcommunicable
between
(whichis no longerpublicinthe
scissors-grip
private
appropriation
authentic
and
the
classical
(itsmechasense)
self-eliminating
public-sphere
nismsof subtraction
to
and exclusion);whenthispublicspherethreatens
the
loss
the
land
was
its
would
be
as
of
common
loss
as
gravetoday
disappear,
wasbasedon
forthefarmer
intheMiddleAges.In thatperiodtheeconomy
thethree
toeveryone,
onebelonged
tothelord
acresystem:
oneacrebelonged
canonlyfunction
as longas there
andonebelonged
tothefarmer.
Thissystem
whichis thefirst
thatthelord
is thiscommonland,thepublicground,
thing
and
thenhehas
land
his
own
If
he
owns
the
common
both
acre,
appropriates.
on
with
the
the
lord
cannow
No
sword,
superiority. longerdependant fighting
alsocontrol
thethird
acreandwillsoonhaveserfs.Thelossoflandalsomeans
a loss ofcommunity
because,ifthereis no landon whichthefarmers
may
Thesamethingis
it
is
no
assemble,
longerpossibletodevelopa community.
plane,inpeople'sheadswhenthey
higher
happening
again,on a historically
oftherubber
aredeprived
ofthepublicsphere.Thiscreatesthephenomenon
andforwanting
to
wall:I sitinmyroomandhaveenoughreasonsforprotest
thesereasons,there
breakoutbutthereis noonetowhomI cancommunicate
addressees
arenoproper
addressees.
So insteadI turntosubstitute
bywriting
Or I
forexample,to whichnobodypaysanyattention.
letters-to-the-editor,
concrete
out
a
me
of
who
myimpasseby shifting
support politician helps
formyown
intothearenaofworldpoliticswhichI inturnmistake
problems
interests
believedto be realizedvia thisdisplacement.
whichis the'publicsphere'
Forthesereasons,thisusevalue,thisproduct
ofwhatI
ofcommunity,
exists.
In
terms
is themostfundamental
that
product
have in commonwithotherpeople,it is thebasis forprocessesof social
the
abouttheconceptofpoliticsifI neglect
change.Thismeans,I canforget
must
we
which
a
to
This
is
claim
a
of
legitimacy
production publicsphere.
needs- despitethe
themanyprivate
insist
carefully
uponandopposeagainst
itsfailures,
withthebourgeois
factthatdisappointment
betraypublicsphere,
als and distortions
has led manyleftistgroupsto rejecta publicsphere
altogether.
filmswouldthus
ofdocumentary
andproduction
KlausEder:Thepromotion
in theendbe a politicalquestion- all themoresincein generalonlythat
is possible.
whichstabilizesdomination
thatconfronts
AlexanderKluge:Yes, butitis notthecasethatthedomination

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214

Alexander
Kluge

usis a consciousone.Allmethods
ofdomination
andthoseofprofit
(whichdo
andthereby
notwanttodominate
butrather
tomakeprofit
contain
a
dominate)
calculation
means
that
the
fence
erected
ofmarginal
This
utility.
bycorporadoesnotreachall thewaytothebasebut
tions,bycensorship,
byauthority
stopsshort- becausethebaseis so complex- so thatonecancrawlunder
thefenceat anytime.Eventelevision
andboardmembers
can be
producers
examinedin lightofthiscalculation
ofmarginal
In thehierarchy,
a
utility.
is subordinate
to themanagerwho is in turnsubordinate
to the
producer
television
boardwhichis againresponsible
tostillothers:
theproducer
must
orhewillbe fired.This,however,
isonlytrueforhalfofhissoul,
obeyorders
so tospeak;another
partofhimmaybe verycurious.Whileinthecourseof
timehemaybecomeresigned,
interms
ofhislaborpowerhe is
nevertheless,
morethanjustthefunctionary
whois employed
there.Thismeansthatin
thereexistsa conflict
andnosystem
ofdomination
everytelevision
producer
in theworldcan reducetheproducer
to thefunctionary.
In this
completely
conflict
we musttakethesideofthetelevision
We cancountonthe
producer.
factthatnooppression
is total.Theissuethenbecomesthelearning
ofproper
ways of dealingwithpeople (die Lehre der richtigenUmgangsformen).

We mustproducetheself-confidence
whichis necessary
the
todiscover
ofproduction
underneath
thesefencesandwemusttake
objective
possibilities
theoffensive
infighting
forthisposition.It isjustas important
toproducea
etc.
resistance,
publicsphereas it is to producepolitics,affection,
protest,
Thismeansthattheplaceandthepacingofthestruggle
arejustas important
as
thestruggle
itself.
On theotherhand,inordertoenvisagea publicsphere- of whichwe
knowverywell thatthereis all too little- we needan almostchildlike
vacationbeginsI
When,forexample,thesummer
feelingofomnipotence.
vacillateas towhether
onecanexpressoneselfpublicly
atall: I don'tbelieve
in a singleproduct
thatI couldmakeandso I withdraw
andwritemysecret
ofwhichI knowthatitwillremain
texts,thatis literature,
essentially
marginal
tothepublicsphere.SinceI willnotinciteanylargemassesofpeoplethrough
themedium
ofa book,I canwritewhatever
I likeknowing
thatitwillnever
- ofhiding
attack.I evenhadtheidea- ina moodofresignation
engender
a print
ofmynextfilmintheMunichFilmMuseumandwaiting
tosee ifany
filmphilologist
woulddiscoverit theretenyearslater.Thismerely
outof
frustration
abouttheincredible
andcompromises
involved
whenone
struggles
wantsto see a filmthrough
to thepublicsphere.
ourselves
as
filmmakers
couldwe attempt
to createa selfOnlyamong
confidence
thatconsiders
as
everythingpossible.Inthiswewillonlysucceed,
theimportance
ofproducing
a publicsphere.We
however,ifwe recognize
mustconsiderthedegreeto whichit is essentialthatpeoplelive withone
anotherin a societyand thatcommunity
is notsomethingalongsideof work
forspecial occasions and futurehopes, butratherthatcommunity
is itselfan
elementof social change.

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FilmandthePublicSphere 215
THE SIGNIFICANCEOF PHANTASY
of phantasy
of thepublic
Q: Whatis thesignificance
(fortheproduction
sphere)?
Alexander
is a capacity
thatis universally
EveryKluge:Phantasy
employed.
oneusesphantasy.
i.e. inwhatmeasure
Buttheproportions,
we makeuseof
it, are beyondsocial control.Phantasyis keptoutsidethepublicsphere,
forexample,ofimagining
a gangof
as a gypsy(theunusualeffect,
regarded
children
playingawayin thecontrolboothof a nuclearpowerplant).As a
tosomedegree.It
resultofthissuppression,
escapesdomestication
phantasy
kindsofdiscipline.
Otherelements
of
paysforthisstatusbynotusingcertain
Andthenagain,a certain
amount
of
aremadetoconform.
however,
phantasy,
is absorbedbytheeconomyofinnerbalancewhichhumanbeings
phantasy
Evenas I
inbothworkandpersonal
neediftheywanttosurvive
relationships.
I counteract
takepartinalienation,
itbyexporting
myproblems,
bycompensatorymoves, by bribingmyself.This is a formof phantasyunder
domination.
thecommonuse of phantasy.
Thereis no social agreement
regulating
then
theotherpersonhasunderstood,
tospeakevenafter
Whenyoucontinue
another
personwitha gunandhe or she
youexceeda norm;ifyouthreaten
if youeat until
surrenders
butyou shootanywaythenyou are a criminal;
butifyoucontinue
toeat,thenthat'sforpsychologiyou'refullthat'snormal,
cal reasons.Thisis tosaythatinall thesecasesthereis a senseofproportion.
is missing.On the
Butin theworkings
thesenseofproportion
ofphantasy,
onehand,phantasy
maybe usedinexcesswhileon theotherhand- when
- itmaybeseverely
Phancannotimagine
repressed.
anything
yousuddenly
tasyalso providesa kindoftemporary
gluewhichkeepspeoplefromfalling
tolive
ofillusionswhichenablethemsomehow
theproduction
apartthrough
withthemselves.
In addition
to language,whichis public,thepublicsphereshouldgrant
of
andthisincludesthestream
thestatusofa communal
medium,
phantasy
of
main
avenues
of
two
andthefaculty memory
associations
(the
phantasy).
I
Inphantasy
is typical
ofphantasy.
ofperspectives
A continuous
shifting
involved
or
I
can
effort
cantransport
to
Africa
without
imagine
myself
myself
as ina dream.The
ina love-scene
inthemiddleofa desert- allthishappens
hasgoodreasonstodisregard
cease toexist.Ifphantasy
obstaclesofreality
- thenthe
forthereality
theserealobstacles- as a compensation
principle
of
whatever
is
can
for
the
sake
how
cause,encourage
phantasy
you,
question
fromthose
different
on it (i.e. perspectives
to developsuchperspectives
filmthiscouldonlyberealized
inthings
as theyare).Indocumentary
inherent
- theonlymethod
radicalchangesin
whichpermits
via a mixingofforms
perspective.
filmfacesthreeproblems.
Hormann:Documentary
First,toa large
Giinther

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216

Alexander
Kluge

extentitgivesan accountofspecificinstances
andcangeneralize
onlywith
filmpresents
which
Second,documentary
difficulty.
peopleina publicsphere
is itselfinsensitive
tendstoexposethem.Third,
tothatprocessandas a result
filmrunsup againstdefense
as itreallyis, documentary
bydepicting
reality
mechanisms
especiallyamongpeoplewhoareafraidof reality.
whichwouldmakeitpossibleto
filmshoulddevelopforms
Documentary
overcomethesedefensemechanisms.
In politicalsituations,
thereis the
realmthereis thefairytaleonto
languageof silence.In thepsychological
whichrealproblems
In documentary
filmsuchforms
do not
aretransposed.
yetexist.
Klaus Eder: The presentis notone-dimensional
butrather
a productof
it
is
is thisforthe
coated
with
of
the
Of
what
history;
significance
layers
past.
cinema?
Hermann:Thisis a problem
ofsuchcomplexity
thatonecanhardly
Giinther
deal withit as an individual
on a
anymore.WhenI makea documentary
I don'thavethetimeto simultaneously
strike,
pursuetracesofthepastinto
whichone wouldhaveto delveas well.
Alexander
itisverydifficult
to
Kluge:Whenyoulookatanimageofa factory,
the
for
the
between
ahistorical
and
But, example,
distinguish
present history.
oftheplow,whichin8 A.D. alreadylookedlikeitdoestoday,orthe
history
- thatI might
oftoolscrosscutwithfootage
ofa strike
be abletodo
history
with.
something
KlausEder:So youwouldintercut
thesynchronic
view(Querschnitt)
witha
diachronic
numberof
(Ldngschnitt),
perspective
ideallywithan infinite
diachronic
perspectives?
Alexander
ofphana storm
Kluge:Andsinceeverycutprovokes
phantasy,
even
can
a
in
make
break
the
film.
It
is
at
such
a
tasy,you
exactly
pointthat
information
isconveyed.
Thisis whatBenjamin
meant
the
ofshock.
notion
by
- this
Itwouldbe wrongtosaythata filmshouldaimtoshocktheviewers
wouldrestrict
theirindependence
andpowersofperception.
Thepointhereis
- as if by subdominant
the surprisewhichoccurswhenyou suddenly
in depthand then,outof this
throught
processes- understand
something
redirect
totherealcourseofevents.This
deepened
perspective,
yourphantasy
is perspectivism.
One basicallytakesthestandards
to whichone
according
and
composesa filmimage(framing,
perspective,
depthof field,contrast)
ofcontext.
appliesthemto thedramaturgy
Letus take,forexample,thestory
ofa youngmananda youngwoman,a
does notconcludewiththehappyendingofthefilm.
storywhichcertainly
Whatthetwoofthemaredoingis work;itworks,theywork,theirfeelings
work,theirsubconsciousworks,theirprehistory
works;and whenthetwoof
themspeakto each other,thereare reallysix peoplethere,sincethetwopairs
of parentssit invisiblyamong them.This is how I maintainthe historical
dimension.

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and thePublicSphere
Filmn

217

ofall novelsamongst
eachotherconstitutes
In literature,
theinteraction

thecontext.And in thegaps betweenUlysses,A la recherchedu tempsperdu,

the completeworks of Marx, Diderot's
the Dialectic of Englightenment,

in
themarequiteelementary),
fieldsbetween
(andtheunplowed
Encyclopidie
thesegapslies phantasy.
Five Aspectsof Realism

the
betweenauthorand representation,
The firstlevel:therelationship
is
forinstance,
A singleshotofa bushnearK6nigsberg,
idealofauthenticity.
otherimages(wereI toincludea
authentic
ifI setthisimageclearlyofffrom
thentheimagewouldnotbe so
bladeofgrassanda houseanda smokestack,
and thenon the
So I firstdecideon thefocus,thedelineation,
distinct).
- is thisbushsufficient?
If,forexample,I wanttosay
questionofcontext
butthe
thatthisbushisthreatened
bya nuclear
powerplantandI shownothing
a
I wouldfailtoestablish
bush,thenthiswouldremainan emptyassertion;
and recontext.Realisminvolvesconceptualization
(Arbeitdes Begriffs),
motif
andtheindividual
horizon
ofboththeexperiential
quiresanexploration
a concept
andanhorizon:
thesetwoconstitute
(Motiv).A distinction
(Begriff).
intosomething
elements
ofindividual
If I proceedto combinea number
willacquiresignificance.
thatcanbe projected
ontoa screen,a merepattern
buta treeforninety
Thatisthecaseevenfora singleshot- ifI shownothing
I am
relative
toeverything
thenthistakeson a privileged
minutes,
meaning
battles- thosethat
WhenClausewitz
notshowing.
saysthatallthepotential
a
as thosethatdo,hehasunderstood
donottakeplace- arejustas important
certain
dialectic:he actslikea realist.
andtoeach
to theproduct
ofthefilmmaker
Nextcomestherelationship
whichtakesplaceevenifthe
withthespectator
individual
shot,theinteraction
to assess
filmmaker
is absent.That,too, is thefilmmaker's
responsibility:
is realistic,
to takesides(eineparteiliche
thisrelationship
whether
Haltung
inthatthe
inthisrelationship
a contradiction
Thereis,however,
einnehmen).
or a yearon a singlefilm,thespectator,
filmmaker
worksforsix months
oftimespent,eventhe
interms
ofthequantity
minutes:
however,
onlyninety
overtheviewer.The filmoutwithan advantage
mostmodestauthorstarts
thattheviewerwill
maker
hastobridgethisgap,as ifbytranslation,
knowing
the
willdetermine
which
outofthefirst
a codeofmeaning
sequences
decipher
of
the
mode
both
film.Thiscodeaffects
oftheentire
comprehending
reading
whichwillbe absorbed(the
thefilm(thetrack)andthekindofinformation
vehicleon thetrack).Bothprocessesin turn(thatof information
being
of
thereading
andthatofthecodestructuring
onthelevelofcontent
absorbed
and
form
between
the
difference
of
form
or
a filmprimarily
means
through
by
by thepre-existing
content)involvea two-foldreading:a readingdetermined
of thespectator(whichis notat
(previouslyacquired)culturalunderstanding
all objectivebut is actuallyitselfproducedby a resistanceto objectivity)as
well as a desireforobjectivity.It is withthesereal, ambiguous,subjectiveinteracts.
objectiveinterestsof the spectatorthatthe filmmaker

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218

Alexander
Kluge

The nextstepis to considerthequestionofrealisminthesensethatthe

withrelationship
neverdeals withsinglefilmsbutwithclusters,
spectator
ofcinema,
between
films- thefilmsthespectator
knows,hisorherconcept
Thisis whyonlyfilmsinserieshavea properinfluence
genreexpectations.
in thepublicsphere.
andfunction
ofshots
Therealproduct
thesingleshotnorthecombination
isthusneither
inonefilm,neither
nor
of
the
filmmaker
to
the
therelationship
spectators even
ofa publicsphere.
thereception
the
but
rather
theproduction
by spectator
commuThepublicsphereprovides
a structure
which
dependsallfuture
upon
nicationof experience
in a society.In thatsense,all theproducts
of new
German
Cinemaareflawed:theyleaveoutbroadaspectsoftheexperience
of
no
Wildenhahn's
On
this
there
is
difference
between
reality.
point,
absolutely
and my own; we obviouslysharethe notionthat"the critical
position4
measureofproduction
is whatis leftout." Ratherthandefending
hermetic
is
which
more
we
could
use
each
it
viewpoints
important
easily against other,
tocreatesucha publicspherethrough
by
cooperation,
jointefforts,
through
theproducts.
changing
MONTAGE,AUTHENTICITY,REALISM
Klaus Eder: To whatextentare yourfilmsconceivedbeforeyou begin
or,to whatextentaretheycreatedon theeditingtable?
shooting,
I
Whenmaking
ofrelationships.
Alexander
films,
Kluge:Montageis a theory
I can see does not
withtheproblemthatwhatever
am alwaysconfronted
On thesubjectofrealism,Brechtsays5:
containtheserelationships.
actually
ofwhatuse is an exterior
viewoftheAEG ifI cannotsee whatis goingon
interms
ofrelationships,
insidethebuilding
wagelabor,capital,international
- a photograph
abouttheAEG itself.
oftheAEG saysnothing
investments
have slippedintothe
Thus, as Brechtsays, mostof the real conditions
ofrealism.IfI conceiveofrealism
Thisis theheartoftheproblem
functional.
a tropeforwhatcannot
as theknowledge
thenI mustprovide
ofrelationships,
in
record.
Thistropeconsists
beshowninthefilm,forwhatthecameracannot
4. Germandocumentary
filmmaker
who is a strongspokesmanfora classical realistconcept
of documentary;
cf. UlmerDramnaturgien,
pp. 135 ff.
5. The actual passage reads as follows:"The situationis complicatedby thefactthatless
thaneverdoes a simple 'reproduction
of reality'tellus anything
of
aboutreality.A photograph
theKruppsfactoryoroftheAEG yieldspracticallynothingabouttheseinstitutions.
The genuine
realityhas slipped intothe functional.The reificationof humanrelations;the factorysay, no
longergives out theserelations.Hence it is in fact'somethingto construct',something'artificial,' 'posited.' Hence in factartis necessary." - B. Brecht,Der Dreigroschenprozess
(The
Three Penny Trial) Gesamnmelte
Werke(Frankfurta.M.: Suhrkamp),vol. XVIII, p. 161.
TranslationcitedfromBen Brewster,"From Shklovskyto Brecht:A Reply," Screen,vol. 15,
no. 2 (Summer 1974), p. 93 (translators;footnote).

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Filmand thePublicSphere

219

twoshotswhichis onlyanother
thecontrast
between
wayofsayingmontage.
Atissueherearetheconcrete
between
twoimages.Becauseofthe
relations
whichdevelopsbetween
twoshotsand,tothedegreethatmoverelationship
suchshots,information
is
ment(theso-calledcinematic)
isgenerated
between
intheshotitself.Thismeans
hiddeninthecutwhichwouldnotbe contained
from
raw
thatmontage
hasas itsobjectsomething
quitedifferent
qualitatively
material.
wouldnotbe suffiof montage
The employment
however,
exclusively,
whichmakes
it
would
for
eliminate
the
basis
be
absurd
it
would
cient;
in
at
all
the
identificational
immediate,
representation
montage
possible:
whichtheobjectofwhichI speakis alsopresent
intheimage.Buthowmany
self-contained
(thatis, for
objectsarethereintheworldwhicharecompletely
be
ourWestern
in
Poona6
well
of
that
otherwise)?
might
type imagination,
Takea treeforexample.I canshoottrees;itmight
be boring
towatchtreesin
thewindforninety
ora treeoverthecourseoftheseasons,andyetit
minutes,
wouldstillbe a self-contained
Butthenagain,I could
pieceofinformation.
is
ofthefactthatK6nigsberg
also say:thisbushnearKinigsberg
is unaware
nolongerpartofGermany
Thisis anauthentic
andis nowcalledKaliningrad.
sincefrom
whichis self-contained.
statement
Itneedsnofurther
explanation
it is
theperspective
of thebushit is of no consequencein whichcountry
or
located.However,ifthetreeweregrowing
nexttoa nuclear
powerplant in
a courtyard,
thenitwouldno longerbe a self-contained
objectwhichI could
communicate
this
context
in
a
I
would
have
to
take.
bymeansof
present single
a cut,sinceno imagecouldconveythisinformation.
In the case of the bush near Kaliningrad(Die Patriotin),I feltit was

forthefilmas a wholeto shootthisscene.Thisis to saythatthe

necessary
to Kalininbushexistedbeforetheentirefilm;thebushanditsrelationship
was
the
outtakes
and
It
onlyincorpoamong
grad. subsequently
disappeared
ratedin thefinalversionof thefilm.Thereis thusa decisionbeingmade
whichrelatethisinformation
whichcalculates
theproportions
during
shooting
to all otherinformation.
a film,yousimplylayin
Whenyoustartshooting
supplies.
A puddleonwhichtherainis fallingis likewisea self-contained
object:it
of 1945.
withthebombings
can notbe so old as to have anyconnection
a non-human
ofthree
represents
daysand,as a result,
Basicallyithasa history
of
further
could
think
attitude.
One
nothing
representing
examples
patriotic
buta singleobjectora personinrepose.Thisis thestarting
point.I cannot
sucha starting
oftwothousand
point,a
yearswithout
conveytheperspective
zerodegreeof proportion
againstwhichto measure.
candistinguish
A montage
is successful
ifthespectator
(inpureAristotelean fashion)betweentwo radicalpoles, two designationsof timeand place

sectpopularintheFederalRepublicwhichusedto
6. A sluragainsttheAshram-Baghwan
in Poona,India(BombayProvince).The pseudo-documentary
have itscenterof pilgrimage
no. 77 (April1980)is also beingshowninthiscountry.
AshraminPoona (cf.Pflasterstrand,

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220

Alexander
Kluge

becauseonlythencan one decodeeverything

of whether
else, independent
suchdecodingis actuallycarriedout. If a sailorsuchas Odysseus,for
he candetermine
hislocations
example,is sailingon theMediterranean,
by
the
measurements
of
two
the
distance
betweenthe
stars;calculating
taking
he canfigure
starsandbetweenstarsandhorizonwiththehelpofa sextant,
outhisposition.Montageinvolvesnothing
it
morethansuchmeasurements;
is theartofcreating
What
is
in
this
case
decisive
is
that
Odysseus
proportions.
does notmeasurethelocationitself,butrather
therelationship;
it is this
in
at
which
is
contained
the
that
where
thefilm
cut, exactly point
relationship
doesnotshowanything.
Whatever
is shown,on theotherhand,is boththe
thecondition
of
extent,
insignificant
partofthemessageandyet,toa certain
itscommunicability.
KlausEder: Do yourejectthepractice
of associational
montage?
andencourages
Alexander
them;but
Kluge:Montageinvolvesassociations
inthecut.IfI weretostructure
arebasicallycontained
theseassociations
my
and
thenI wouldneglecttheproportions
inan associative
fashion,
montage
fromthe
act. This is basicallyno different
thatwouldbe a veryarbitrary
areforced
tomemorize
wherepoetswritepoemsandschoolchildren
situation
to
oftheir
ownbe forced
them- whyonearthshouldpeoplewitha phantasy
in
an
fashion
associative
was
conceived
which
heart
learnsomething
by
by
on theseassociations
to imposea structure
else? It is necessary
somebody
Betweentwoextreme
whichfunctions
in extremes.
polesI can proceedto
manner.
valuesin an associative
workwithall theintermediate
whichyoumentioned
earlier,
Q: To comebacktothatbushnearKaliningrad
if
ofauthenticity
toyournotion
andwoulditcorrespond
woulditbe legitimate
then
else
and
somewhere
butrather
youwerenottoshootitnearKaliningrad
cutit intothefilm?
ofa authentic
ifthesubstitution
AlexanderKluge:I wouldhavetoconsider
use valueforthespectator,
bushbyjust anybushwouldhavea different
If I assumethatthebushnearKalininwhether
itwouldchangesomething.
ratherthanjust a bush,an object,thenthis
gradconveysa relationship
ofwhere
mindofthespectator
in
the
can
be
created
independently
relationship
I haveshotthebush.However,I wouldnotlookfordoublesforStraussor
forexample.In otherwords,ifI wanttoworkfroman objectora
Schmidt,
personas such,thenI wouldhaveto accordto reality.
Translatedby Thomas Y. Levin and
MiriamB. Hansen

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