Berlin Calling reaction

1. What do drugs mean to Ickarus?
To Ickarus, the drugs were being used as a method to invoke deep creativity. While working on his latest album, he often found himself unable to complete a few songs due to the infamous writer's block. To "counteract" the block, Ickarus would take the drugs to relax and go into a more "creative trance" type of thing.

2. Why, when, and how are his fans taking drugs, and which drugs do they take?
The fans would take drugs in order to feel more relaxed and to enjoy the electronica style more deeply. They would take drugs more often around the times they would party or be at a concert.  The various drugs would be smoked, snorted, or ingested. Marijuana, meth, cocaine, heroine, and various types of pills were the most common.



3. While we can see that his drug habits get him ill and into a psychosis, and while we witness his relapse and inability to work successfully, why does the subculture Ickarus belongs to focus on drugs?

This question is best answered by understanding electronic music. Without lyrics, every beat, rhythm, and note resonate throughout the body.  The idea is that the music can change your mood. With nothing but the music to focus on, and since there is so many different things going on within the song, focus becomes difficult on the whole piece, so the best way to listen is to take it in without focus and hear with your whole body. The drugs, supposedly, lessen the sharp edge that consciousness brings and makes it easier to not focus on the song, but just to listen and go with it. That last bit is my theory on drugs. I have no personal experience with the interaction between any illegal substance and electronica music. I do, however, have experience with the genre and do listen to it, in almost all of it's varying forms and subgenres, as much as I listen to normal music. The genre is similar to classical music, but almost opposite in terms of how it should be listened to. Classical music has a focus, usually on the primary instrument. Electronica does not. It should be taken in at once, though can be appreciated and broken down to enjoy like classical by those who are more interested in such bits of information.


4. Compare the standards you know from your home society with the people you see depicted in this movie. Which are the stark differences and contrasts?
Well, I'm the first person in my family to like electronic music, whereas those before me prefer music with lyrics, with a story or purpose you could say. With that, just the music itself is a big difference. Aside from that, no one in my family does drugs or the sort, save the few occasional people who smoke. Parties do not happen often around me or my family.



5. Germany is considered a strong industrial nation the world over. Do you think that the youth culture as depicted here could change that? How about work ethics of Ickarus and of Alice, the label director who fires and then re-signs him?
Using America here as an example, I don't think that the youth culture could change it. As rowdy as they are, the ones who would excel and succeed will take over the industries and just modernize them to fit more of the culture as it was when they lived in the time. The people and low lives depicted here that do nothing but drugs and a few jobs to live off welfare end up being the factory workers that don't go anywhere with their lives. Fortunately, the successful and ambitious people are the one who change the world, not the lazy drug addicts. The work ethic, on the other hand, I believe will change a bit more towards the lenient end. Times are not like they used to be where hard work day in and day out was a happy life.
















6. Which similar "cult movies" of US origin have you seen, if any?
I do not believe I have seen any "cult movies." If I were given some as examples, I could say yes or no to them if I've seen them, but I don't believe I have.


I'm part of an online community where raves and lightshows are popular. The music of the movie is very much what I'm used to. Because the community is primarily online and only in the real world for things like cons and various raves/concerts, there isn't a clearly defined culture, especially since it's so heavily diverse. The real differences between the two is the excessive drug use to relax, as an outlet, or just to have fun. It is true that while some people would and do use drugs in the same manner, such are very few and very far between. Those who do typically tend to stay in their own groups and keep it there, being more social without bringing in the subject of their drug life. As such, Berlin Calling didn't have too much of a culture split between me and the video. Even in the real world, the situation is more around the same to me as it is online. Those who do the drugs stick to their groups and keep it within them. The music isn't as popular, but it is growing and light shows and raves are still quite common. Much of the movie in terms of how the drug users and alcoholics would live and interact is about how it is here. While they do, they don't do it as much in public and keep it on the down low. They often live off welfare and in poverty and hang out mostly with others who like to party, drink, and get high. It is a part of culture I cannot stand.

About everything that happened in the movie is something I can definitely see happening here in the US. Given my own struggle with depression, I can understand Ickarus' dependence on drugs to get something done. It is a very painful and difficult situation. I saw the parts when Ickarus was down and could definitely imagine myself being in that position had I been just a little bit more impulsive. It was rather disturbing how close I am to that yet still so far.