Background
The film Berlin, Symphony of a Great City is divided into five parts which show the events of a single day in Berlin. The film starts with a train travelling. A sign with the name Berlin appears showing that the train is headed to Berlin (Berlin 03:27–03:31).
The film then shows the early hours of the city when it is quiet and the streets are empty with only a few people. As the film progresses, more people are seen and the town becomes busy. The second part of the film shows people opening windows, gates, doors, shops, fruit carts, people cleaning, and children going to school. People are boarding buses, streetcars, and private cars. Various activities such as people removing cases from typewriters, telephone operators, people putting out their pens, machines spinning, and monkeys biting each other are also shown.
The third part shows people doing different kinds of activities such as construction and shopping. The fourth part starts with a clock on the wall showing that it is noon. The machines stop and people leave their work places to eat and drink while others rest (Berlin 36:01–36:19). Animals are also fed and some, including an elephant, are seen resting. After some minutes, the break is over and people return to work. When the day ends, recreation activities begin. The fifth part shows entertainment at night where people are in the theatre and various performances such as jugglers, singers and dancers are depicted. Other activities such as boxing, hockey, ice shows, dance contests, and races are also shown. Additionally, people drink, flirt, and dance in hotels and lounges while others play cards.
Depiction of Berlin
The director of the movie depicts Berlin and the places in the film as realistic. Just like a typical countryside, the areas shown in the film before the train arrives in Berlin have fewer settlements, rarely containing any buildings. As the train moves, vast but undeveloped fields are revealed. Once the train arrives in the city, the director portrays it as highly populated with a lot of buildings just as one would expect of an urban area. The director also reveals a typical day in a city with empty streets in the early morning (Berlin 06:15–08:25). As time goes by, people start appearing on the roads and soon the city becomes busy with individuals rushing to work.
At around eight o’clock in the morning, businesses are opened and machines in the industry start running just like what practically happens in cities. Similarly, people take lunch at around noon and the work day ends in the evening as entertainment and recreation begin.
How Characters get around the City
Characters use a variety of means to move around the city including trains, horses, bicycles, buses, taxis, private cars, and planes. Other characters move around the city on foot (Berlin 30:01–33:31). Regardless of the methods, the characters seem to be in a hurry. This kind of movement signals a very busy city which is always in motion. People in the city are also very mobile due to the availability of numerous ways to move from one place to the other.
How characters interact with typical elements of urban life
The director of the film depicts a very civilized city, based on the orderly interaction with the urban life elements. Garbage from various sources such as hotels is collected in containers and picked by cleaners for proper disposal. Elevators are used to move people and luggage up the buildings. When there is need to protest or witness important events, people form crowds (Berlin 28:20–29:31). In case of disputes or fight, police are called in to solve and calm down the individuals involved. After a busy working session, people sit on benches to rest. Similarly, characters wait at stations and allow other passengers to alight before boarding to avoid congestion at the door when there is need to use the train. As such, the film shows an orderly and reasonable use of urban elements.
Remarkable scene
One of the most remarkable scenes in the film is the relaxation during lunch hour, which includes animals. During this time, machines come to a halt as other activities also stop. Both people and animals in the city retreat to their eating places. Meals are followed by a brief resting before the resumption of work (Berlin 36:01–36:19). Interestingly, animals also rest shortly after eating. For instance, an elephant is shown lying down at the beginning of the resting time and then gets up at the end of the resting period. In my opinion, this scene depicts the city as a very organized place.
Another noticeable aspect of the film is its depiction of a highly industrialized city. As work in the city starts, the film shows different machines with remarkable levels of complexity and speed (Berlin 12:23–23:29). Similarly, the transport system is highly developed, with various vessels for water, road, and air travel. These images of complex machines at work portray the city as an industrial hub.
In brief, the city of Berlin is depicted realistically. The changes of activities from dawn to the night, increase in traffic, and other activities are typical of urban areas. While attempting to portray the town as always in motion, the director shows occupants moving from one place to another using a variety of means. More importantly, the director uses animals acting in line with the city’s busy schedule, developing the most remarkable scene in the film.
Work Cited
“Berlin, Symphony of a Great City.” YouTube, uploaded by Mastering Modernity, 2019.