Film and Talk with Scott Stelle, d.a.i. Tübingen. Join us for a monthly multimedia exploration of popular literature and film. Most film noir masterpieces are translations of hard-boiled thrillers. The works from this genre, aside from gritty realism, contain a political subtext that exposes the dark underbelly of American society. One quickly gathers from reading investigative journalism that law, commerce, and politics undeniably deal with intrigue and lies, while thrillers – though technically a fiction – dramatically depict these worldly struggles in a more straightforward, true-to-life or humorous manner.
George Higgins, Cogan‘s Trade (1974: film: Killing Them Softly, 2012): Johnny „Squirrel“ Amato is feeling smart for pushing a former business associate and an Australian ex-pat heroin addict to rob a poker game protected by the Mob. Soon enough, he has a hitman on his heels – hired to restore the
order of the local underworld economy.
Elmore Leonard, Freaky Deaky (1988: film, 2012): America in the 1970s: A young woman accuses an eccentric millionaire of rape, a bomb squad Sergeant is being transferred to vice, and a group of hippies is using their bomb-making skills to scare the millionaire. Chaos ensues as events unfold…
John Pearson, All The Money in the World (1995: film, 2017): 16-year-old John, grandson of the world’s richest oil tycoon, gets kidnapped. His grandpa sees no reason to pay $17 million, though, leaving his mum with limited options and his grandson in the hands of impatient kidnappers.
• In English
• Location: digital via Zoom. Click this link shortly before the meeting and follow the instructions.
• Admission: free
• Further dates: Fr. 12.6., Fr. 3.7.
