Introduction
Movies are resourceful works of art that can help viewers analyze historical events and appreciate how they impacted on citizens’ lives. Following the end of the Second World War, various economic and social developments emerged that transformed people’s experiences and pursuits forever. This discussion uses the films, The Marriage of Maria Braun and Mon Oncle, to compare and contrast how they portray the consumer society ad economic miracle recorded in postwar Europe. It goes further to describe how different citizens in Western Europe understood and interpreted this era of unprecedented socio-economic change.
Portrayal of Postwar Economic Miracle and Consumer Society
Analysts and scholars use the term “economic miracle” to refer to a sudden growth of a country’s economy following a prolonged period of downfall or breakdown. The concept is widely applied to describe the speed of reconstruction and subsequent development of Austrian, French, and German economies following the end of the infamous Second World War. Within a few decades, Germany was able to transform its economic and become a recognizable global power despite the events of the upheaval. From the film, The Marriage of Maria Braun, the viewer observes that the events taking place in Germany during the Second World War are devastating and capable of disorienting lives. Herman Braun and Soldier appear to stay together for a short period after their marriage. This separation compels Maria to engage in prostitution after being informed that his husband had died.
After the end of the war, Maria succeeds to meet and become the mistress of Karl Oswald. As an industrialist, Oswald is wealthy and capable of providing job opportunities to more people (The Marriage of Maria Braun 1978). Within a few years, Maria emerges as a rich woman despite the challenges of the past. This kind of portrayal presents a clear picture of the economic miracle experienced in West Germany after the end of the war.
The notion of consumer society refers to a scenario whereby people value the idea of buying and owning a wide range of items. Under such circumstances, it becomes quite clear that more citizens purchase numerous goods that they might even not need. In the same film, Maria is able to acquire a house and other commodities associated with the rich. Such a practice is directly linked to the idea of consumer society that existed at the time. The move to acquire numerous items at the time was as a result of the increasing disposal income among the citizens. Following Oswald’s death, Maria and Herman eventually become the heirs of his wealth, something that takes Maria by surprise (The Marriage of Maria Braun 1978). These actions and pursuits could be linked to the practices associated with consumer society.
In the second film, Mon Oncle, the viewer is introduced to the lives of M. and Mme. Arpel. These wealthy individuals are identified as materialistic and consider the most appropriate strategies to showcase their financial resources. In the movie, members of this family live in a geometric house characterized by all different features associated with an ultra-modern society. They also have a garden named Villa Arpel (Mon Oncle 1958). From the identified scenes, it becomes quite clear that the family members have focused on emerging technologies and the power of consumer society to uplifts their statuses in the community. They have acquired numerous possessions and items that they only displayed conspicuously to impress some selected guests. A good example is the presence of a fountain bearing the shape of a fish. Arpel is observed to activate it whenever there are important guests in his house.
The aesthetic and stylish attributes associated with Villa Arpel appear to appease rather than meeting their functional aims. The viewer is able to analyze and compare these portrayals as the real outcomes of consumer society in France. Following the challenges associated with the Second World War, the selected country in this film was able to implement a number of strategies that led to an economic miracle (Mon Oncle 1958). Consequently, more people in the nation found themselves having adequate cash that could be redirected to unnecessary items or goods. The lives of M. and Mme. Arpel and their villa try to support the nature of these developments are how they impacted on the lives of many citizens in France.
From the two films, it is evident that The Marriage of Maria Braun does a great job in exploring the nature of the economic miracle and how it helped transform the lives of many German citizens. The life of Oswald appears to echo those of other capitalists and industrialists following the end of the war. The viewer is compelled to examine the nature of the recorded trends and how they reshaped consumer society in the country. In the second film, Mon Oncle, the director succeeds to present a detailed analysis of consumer society and how it took the French society by surprise (Mon Oncle 1958). The film tries to indicate that such willingness to purchase unnecessary materials and display them for specific visitors only amounted to the wave of consumer society. This analysis indicates that the first movie mostly revolves around economic miracle and the second one on consumer society.
Western Europeans’ Interpretations
The scenes emerging from these two works of art could shed more light on the people’s views and interpretation of the economic miracle period. To begin with, the events recorded throughout the Second World War period left many people discouraged and incapable of thinking of the past. Within a short period, governments of the affected countries implemented proper policies and reforms that would help promote economic growth (Mon Oncle 1958). The increasing level of wealth among individual citizens and corporations would set the stage for an unexpected social change. The films also support the notion that the recorded changes were so rapid and capable of triggering new behaviors.
Based on these movies, it would be agreeable that west Europeans were convinced that the right time to accrue wealth had come. According to some of them, the goal would help them overcome the challenges associated with the war. The example of Maria and her desperate attempts to befriend Oswald appear to support this notion. Similarly, Herman decides to enter into an agreement with Oswald that makes his and Maria the inheritors of his wealth upon his death (The Marriage of Maria Braun 1978). More Europeans were keen to capitalize on the emerging opportunities to purse riches by all means possible.
The films appear to describe how most of the governments in West Europe were keen to rebuild and restore their glories. With the emerging policies and international agreements to present similar upheavals in the future, majority of the citizens were convinced that the time had come to focus on personal improvements and eventually succeed in their respective societies (Mon Oncle 1958). These issues could explain why the theme of economic miracle is evident in the two works of art.
From the same films, the viewer could agree that most of the portrayed Europeans were interested in material possessions than ever before. The case of M. and Mme. Arpel tries to display the views and expectations of many people in the wider European society (Mon Oncle 1958). It was a clear indication that the citizens were keen to display their possessions. This form of materialism was quite unique since the individuals were keen to acquire goods they did not even need. This kind of desire is what promoted the idea of consumer society experienced in many countries across Europe. Maria in the first film is also observed to pursue various strategies with the aim of becoming wealthy and owning several magnificent houses and material possessions. These issues appear to resonate with the wave of the American dream promoted in the United States during the same period.
Conclusion
The studied films have presented several characters whose lives and ambitions were based on the recorded economic miracle and the wave of consumer society. Most of the people in Europe were keen to reap maximum benefits from the growing economies. They also believed that personal success meant a lot them. It was also identified as the best ticket towards guaranteeing a good life. The works of art go further to offer additional insights for understanding the people’s interpretations of the recorded dramatic socio-economic change in Europe.
Bibliography
Mon Oncle. Directed by Jacques Tati. 1958. Paris: Gaumont, 2003. DVD.
The Marriage of Maria Braun. Directed by Rainer Fassbinder. 1978. Munich: Albatros Filmproduktion, 2004. DVD.