Goethe on film, television adaptations of Goetz von Berlichingen, Egmont and Stella

Abstract

The dissertation argues that literary scholars have unjustly ignored television adaptations of Goethe's Gotz von Berlichingen, Egmont and Stella as important works in modern Goethe reception studies. Six selected film adaptations are investigated: Gert Westphal's (Jagsthausen) and Wolfgang Libeneiner's versions of Gotz von Berlichingen ,Helmut Schiemann's and Franz Peter Wirth's films of Egmont and Franz Joseph Wild's and Thomas Langhoff's productions of Stella. These films are shown to evoke a wide range of possible interpretations, which are then linked to modern reception of the works, the use of film styles and techniques and cultural norms in East and West Germany.

The thesis examines these television renditions primarily as autonomous works to avoid the limited approach taken by many literary scholars who focus on the transformation from the literary source to the film medium or, more specifically, emphasize primarily fidelity to the original source. Goethe's original play scripts are examined, but only to determine possible interpretations of the works and the strengths and weaknesses in the story line for each film adaptation. In the interest of interpreting the films rather than using them to support a particular theory, the study makes use of a multiplicity of critical approaches. At the same time, the films are treated under common rubrics; each director's use of narrative structures, as well as film styles and techniques provide the dissertation its main focus. The last chapter assesses cultural policies and climates in East and West Germany, norms in the television industry, as well as factors more specific to each film. How such factors impacted these films provides insight not only into Goethe and his age, but also into the people and culture who produced these interpretations.