The Young Karl Marx is the English title of a historical and biographical drama (based on a true story) about Karl Marx and the people around him during a short but crucial time of his life: the years 1843-1848.
It is a co-production between companies in three different countries: Belgium, France and Germany.
Here are some basic facts about this drama which premiered in 2017:
** French title: Le jeune Karl Marx
** German title: Der junge Karl Marx
** Director: Raoul Peck
** Writers: Raoul Peck, Pascal Bonitzer & Pierre Hodgson
** Language: German
** Subtitles: German
** Run time: 118 minutes
The cast includes the following:
** August Diehl as Karl Marx (1818-1883) – a German writer and a political activist
** Stefan Konarske as Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) – a German political activist
** Vicky Krieps as Jenny Marx (1814-1881) – Karl Marx’s wife
** Hannah Steele as Mary Burns (1821-1863) – Friedrich Engels’ partner 1843-1863
** Olivier Gourmet as Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865) – a French political activist – sometimes described as “the father of anarchism”
** Alexander Sheer as Wilhelm Weitling (1808-1871) – a German political activist
** Hans-Uwe Bauer as Arnold Ruge (1802-1880) – a German political activist
** Michael Brandner as Josef Moll (1813-1849) – a German political activist
** Ivan Franek as Mikhail Aleksandrovich Bakunin (1814-1876) – a Russian political activist – sometimes described as “the father of anarchism in Russia”
** Peter Benedikt as Herr Engels (1796-1860) – Friedrich Engels’s father – a German businessman who owned property in England
** Henning Peker as Max Stirner (1806-1856) – a German political activist
** Moritz Führmann as Bruno Bauer (1809-1882) – a German political activist
** Rolf Kanies as Moses Hess (1812-1875) – a German political activist
** Niels Bruno Schmidt as Karl Grün (1817-1887) – a German political activist
** Marie Meinzenbach as Helene “Lenchen” Demuth (1820-1890) – Karl & Jenny’s housekeeper
** Annabelle Lewiston as Lydia “Lizzy” Burns (1827-1878) – Mary’s sister – Friedrich Engels’ partner 1863-1878
Since this drama
is based on a true story, the basic facts are part of the public record. They
are not a secret. Therefore, I feel free to mention some of them here.
While this drama is based on a true story, it is not a documentary film. It is a dramatized version of events. Some details may have been added, altered or excluded for dramatic reasons or practical purposes. Not everything happened exactly as shown here, but the basic story is true.
Only one person is named in the title. But it might as well have named two persons, because Friedrich Engels appears almost as often as Karl Marx does in this drama. From the moment when they met each other, they were lifelong friends and appear together in numerous scenes.
In this drama, we follow them and the people around them during a short but crucial time of their lives: the years 1843-1848.
What do reviewers say about it?
Here are the results of three review aggregators:
** 62 percent = Meta (3.1 stars on Amazon)
** 63 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (critics)
** 71 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (audience)
** 66 percent = IMDb (3.3 stars on Amazon)
On the German version of Amazon there are at the moment 186 ratings of this product, 66 with reviews. The average rating is 4.2 stars, which corresponds to a rating of 84 percent.
What do I think? I find positive and negative elements in this drama. Let me explain:
On the positive side I will say this
The movie-makers must be praised for showing these famous political activists as ordinary persons who have two major concerns:
# 1. Theory and practice
They have to define their social, economic and political goals. What king of society do they want? And they have to build an organisation that can promote these goals.
A political party? A trade union? Or both? A national organisation? Or an international organisation?
This was not an easy task. The political activists were often divided by serious disagreements, as we can see here.
# 2. Daily necessities
They have to find a place to live. They have to pay for food and clothes. This was not an easy task, since most of them were not rich. Political activism was not a good way to make money.
Engels is an exception to the rule, because he comes from a rich family (see more below). Besides, the authorities in many countries did their best to make life difficult for them, as we can see here.
When Karl Marx lived in the German city Cologne (Köln), he was the editor of a newspaper. But in 1843, the authorities closed his newspaper down. It was considered too radical. Therefore, he had to go into exile.
He moved to Paris, France, but in 1844 he was deported from this country. Next, he moved to Belgium where he was allowed to stay on the condition that he would abstain from any political activities. This was a promise he could not keep for long.
During the revolutions of 1848 and 1849 Marx returned to the German part of Europe, but when the revolutions failed, he had to leave again. In 1850 he moved to England where he lived until his death in 1883. But this part of his life is beyond the scope of this movie.
On the negative side I will say this
The movie-makers must be criticized for making a movie which has several flaws; some of them quite serious.
# 1. The opening scene shows a group of poor people collecting dead wood in a forest. At the time this was a crime. Suddenly, a detachment of policemen on horses appears. They hunt down the perpetrators and knock them out.
This is an injustice, a violation of human rights, but how is this event connected with Karl Marx? This is never explained. The opening scene is a bit of a mystery.
# 2. Marx and Engels are surrounded by a multitude of people; most of them are political activists. Who are they? Some are identified by name, but not all. In addition, many of them look alike: the men are dressed the same way and have the same kind of beard. This means it is not easy to find out who is who.
There is an easy (and discreet) solution to this problem: the first time a character appears, he or she should be identified with an on-screen message with basic information such as name and country of origin. It is a shame the movie-makers did not use this method to help the viewer understand who is who.
Time and place are mentioned with on-screen messages when the story moves to a new chapter. Why not do the same when a new character appears?
# 3. When Marx and Engels meet in Paris in 1844, Marx praises Engels for his study of the conditions of the working class in England. But the book Marx is talking about was not published until 1845!
# 4. Several characters refer to a country called “Germany.” But at the time, there was no country with this name. Instead, there were a number of German states. Germany did not exist as a unified state until 1871 when it was proclaimed by Otto Bismarck – in the famous Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles!
# 5. How did Friedrich Engels and Mary Burns meet? In the movie, Mary works at the factory where Engels is an accountant. He comes from a rich family. His father, Engels senior, is part-owner of the factory. Friedrich is the boss’s son, while she is a poor immigrant from Ireland.
In the movie, she is fired for being a troublemaker. But Engels is fascinated by her, and when she walks out, he decides to follow her. This is how they meet and end up together.
Some historians believe this version, but there is no evidence to support it. What we see in the movie may be true, but it cannot be confirmed.
# 6. The concluding scene presents a long line of photos and brief clips of well-known persons who lived in the 20th century. But there is no information about who they are or why they were chosen.
Among the persons included here are Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, and Ronald Reagan. There is also a photo which shows US President John F. Kennedy with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. But neither Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin nor Mao is included.
While the parade is rolling, a well-known song is played: Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan.
What is the point of this parade? And why is a modern song by Bob Dylan played at the end of a historical drama about a man who lived in the 19th century?
It does not make any sense. If you ask me, this song is a poor choice. It is completely out of place. The concluding scene is a mystery; an even bigger mystery than the opening scene.
# 7. The final point is (in my opinion) the most serious of them all: the language that is spoken in the movie. The soundtrack is German all the way, no matter who is speaking, and no matter where we are. This is totally unrealistic. Examples follow:
(a) In the beginning of the movie we are in Manchester. The managers are talking to the workers in a factory. In German! Engels follows Mary when she leaves the factory. He finds her in a pub which is full of workers from Ireland. What language do they speak? German!
(b) Proudhon appears in a scene set in Paris where he gives a speech at a public meeting. Behind him there are posters written in French, but he speaks German, even though he is French, and even though the scene is set in France.
Olivier Gourmet, who plays Proudhon, is a Belgian actor. Obviously, he can speak French. But in this case, he was told to speak German!
(c) Mary Burns was, according to all accounts, illiterate. She could not read or write. But she was a clever person. She was Irish, so she could speak English. Is it likely that she could speak German? No, it is not. What about Engels? Could he speak English? Yes, he could. Mary and Engels would have communicated with each other in English, but in this drama, they speak German!
Hannah Steele, who plays Mary Burns, is a British actress. Obviously, she can speak English. But in this case, she was told to speak German!
(d) Marx appears in a scene set in France in 1844, where he gives a talk at a meeting. He speaks German, and the audience seems to understand him, even though they are French. This is hardly realistic.
(e) When there is an international meeting of political activists, the participants come from many different countries and they will speak many different languages. This can be confusing as well as charming.
But in this movie, there is no confusion, because they all speak German. They never hesitate; never search for a word; never make a single mistake. They are fluent in German! Incredible! Unbelievable!
The movie-makers spent time and resources to make this historical drama look realistic:
** They tried to find the right actors for the different roles
** They tried to dress them in the right clothes
** They tried to use technology that was proper for the time, such as equipment for writing and printing
** The tried to find good locations for each scene
They succeeded to a large degree. But what about the language that is spoken? This aspect is completely ignored, even though it is an important part of the whole package. It is a shame, because it means that historical authenticity is violated.
When I look at the positive and the negative elements, I have to say that the latter are stronger than the former.
I like this drama and I want to give it a good rating, but it has some flaws, which cannot be ignored. I have to remove two stars because of these flaws. Therefore, I think this product deserves a rating of three stars (60 percent).
PS # 1. The following review is available online:
Peter Schwarz, “Raoul Peck’s The Young Karl Marx,” World Socialist Website, 15 March 2017.
PS # 2. The following items about Friedrich Engels, Mary Burns and her sister Lizzy Burns are available online:
** John Green, “Friedrich Engels was not a hypocrite,” The Guardian, 7 May 2009
** Michael Herbert, “Friedrich Engels and Mary and Lizzy Burns,” Radical Manchester, 15 March 2010
** Belinda Webb-Blofeld, “Who was Mary Burns?” Books & Stuff, 2 May 2010
** Mike Dash, “How Friedrich Engels’ Radical Lover Helped Him Father Socialism,” The Smithsonian, 1 August 2013
** Oliver O’Hanlon, “An Irishman’s diary of Friedrich Engels and Ireland,” The Irish Times, 25 June 2015
** Arminta Wallace, “The Irish woman behind Engels and the birth of communism,” The Irish Times, 3 February 2016
PS # 3. Karl Marx – der deutsche Prophet is a docudrama which premiered on German television (ZDF) in 2018.
The timing is significant. This docudrama about the life and work of Karl Marx premiered in 2018 in order to mark the 200-year anniversary of his birth.
*****
The Young Karl Marx
(2017)
*****
Raoul Peck
Filmmaker
Born in Haiti in 1953
*****
No comments:
Post a Comment