Friedrich Engels: In the Shadow of Karl Marx is a documentary film which premiered in 2020.
The timing is significant. This film about Friedrich
Engels
premiered in 2020 in order to mark the 200-year anniversary of his birth
in 1820.
In 2024, this film was shown on French and German television (arte).
The French title is
Friedrich Engels: Dans l’ombre de Marx
The German title is
Friedrich Engels: der Unterschätzte
Here is some basic information about this film:
** Directors: Martin Becker and Nina Koshofer
** Narrator of the German version: Nicole Engeln
** Language: French or German
** Subtitles: French or German
** Run time: 52 minutes
Three persons are interviewed in this film.
Here are the names of the participants.
Listed in alphabetical order.
** Gregor Gysi – a German politician
** Friederike Kuster – professor of philosophy, University of Wuppertal
** Anne Sophie Overkamp – a historian – University of Tübingen
This film is about the life and work of Friedrich Engels
(born in Barmen - now Wuppertal - in 1820)
(died in London in 1895)
The French title implies he was living in the shadow of Karl Marx. The German title implies he was under-appreciated. Is this claim true or false?
According to some observers, the answer is yes. According to other observers, the answer is no.
If you watch this film, you can find you own answer to this question.
This film covers other questions as well.
For instance:
# 1. When and where did Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels meet each other?
# 2. What was the relationship between Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels like? Who did what?
Regarding question # 1
The first meeting of Marx and Engels happened in November 1842 in the German city Köln (known in English as Cologne).
Nothing much happened on this occasion. They did not become friends during the first meeting.
The second meeting of Marx and Engels happened on 28 August 1844 in the French capital Paris.
This time, they realised that they had the same ideas about the society in which they lived. They also had the same ideas about what should be done in order to change the world in which they lived.
They lived in a world of capitalism. They were opposed to this system. They wanted capitalism to be overthrown and replaced by socialism and later by communism.
It was the beginning of a life-long friendship which lasted almost forty years (until the death of Marx in 1883).
They worked together in England and on the continent. When they were not together, they wrote letters to each other. Around 1,400 letters have been preserved to our times.
Together they wrote The Communist Manifesto which was published in 1848.
Karl Marx planned his main work Das Kapital in three volumes. The first volume was published in 1867, while he was still alive. He did not live long enough to complete the manuscripts to volumes two and three.
After the death of Marx, Engels edited and completed the manuscripts which Marx had left unfinished.
Volumes two and three were published by Engels after the death of Marx in 1883:
** Volume two was published in 1885
** Volume three was published in 1894
Regarding question # 2
You could say Engels provided the money to support Marx, while Marx wrote books and articles about capitalism, socialism, and communism.
But that would be wrong. That would be a simplification of the historical facts.
What is the true story?
Both of them knew about philosophy, economics, and politics.
Both of them were against the ruthless exploitation of the workers – especially children – in large factories.
Both of them wrote books and articles about the current situation and how they wanted to change the world.
Some items were written by Engels alone or by Marx alone, but they often worked together on a project.
The most famous item has already been mentioned above: The Communist Manifesto, which was published in 1848.
Engels had more money than Marx. Engels was the son of a German businessman who owned several factories.
Engels used some of his money to work against the capitalist system. He used some of his money to support Marx who was not rich.
Marx was hated and feared by the authorities in many countries, because he campaigned against capitalism.
Marx was often deported from the country in which he lived. He had to move from place to place.
In the end, Marx settled down in the UK where his presence was accepted by the government.
As stated above, Marx and Engels were life-long friends for many years, from 1844 until Marx died in 1883.
As stated above, Engels edited and completed the manuscripts which Marx did not live long enough to complete.
Engels was happy with the way in which they worked together. If he was not happy, he could have ended the friendship. He did not do that.
Perhaps Marx is more famous than Engels. Perhaps the role which Engels played is not so well-known.
But both of them played an important role in the history of the nineteenth century.
They wrote about the ruthless exploitation of the working class. They wanted to create a better world.
We may agree or disagree with what they said and what they did.
Some of their ideas were used and abused by people who lived after them. But they are not responsible for the way in which their work was interpreted by people who lived after them. It is not their fault.
What do reviewers say about this film?
On IMDb it has a rating of 66 percent.
In my opinion, this rating is too low. The story of Friedrich Engels is important.
It deserves to be told, no matter what we may think about him, and in this film, it is done very well.
I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).
REFERENCES
# 1. Articles available online
Terrell Carver
“Everyone knows about Karl Marx, but what about Friedrich Engels?”
The Conversation
03 May 2018
Paul Blackledge
“Engels vs. Marx? Two Hundred Years of Frederick Engels,”
Monthly Review
01 May 2020
Marcello Musto
“Friedrich Engels Was More than Second Fiddle to Karl Marx,”
Jacobin
28 November 2020
Sarah Bates
“Engels – 200 years on,”
The Socialist Worker
28 November 2020
Marnie Holborow
“Engels for Our Times: Gender, Social Reproduction, and Revolution,”
Monthly Review
01 March 2024
# 2. Books
Engels: A Revolutionary Life
By John Green
(2008)
The Frock-Coated Communist:
The Revolutionary Life of Friedrich Engels
By Tristram Hunt
(2009)
Friedrich Engels and
Modern Social and Political Theory
By Paul Blackledge
(2019 = hardcover)
(2020 = paperback)
Engels 200 -
his contribution to political economy
By Michael Roberts
(2020)
The Life, Work and Legacy of Friedrich Engels:
Emerging from Marx’s Shadow
Edited by Eberhard Illner, Hans A. Frambach & Norbert Koubek
(2023)
*****
Friedrich Engels:
der Unterschätzte
A documentary film which
premiered in 2020
This is the German title of the film
*****
Friedrich Engels
(1820-1895)
A German philosopher and writer
*****
Karl Marx
(1818-1883)
A German philosopher and writer
*****
On this blog:
My review of
Karl Marx - der deutsche Prophet
(2018)
*****
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