Siegfried Kracauer Libros

Los siete ensayos de Siegfried Kracauer que componen este volumen, reunidos bajo el título común de "Objetos externos e internos" cuando se publicaron en su libro "Das Ornament der Masse" (El ornamento de la mas, 1927), son extremadamente representativos de toda la obra del autor francfortés y del periodo convulso de renovación estética en que fueron escritos. Los temas tratados -la fotografía, el baile, los "hot sellers", los viajes... - constituyen una celebración de la multitud urbana, de su cotidanidad, de sus gustos y formas de entretenimiento, pero también una acerada crítica de su vaciedad espiritual y sus quiméricos sueños. Aparentemente banales, estas manifestaciones de la vida social analizadas por Kracauer conforman la superficie de lo moderno y adquieren significaciones políticas y sociológicas de gran calado para la comprensión de la modernidad. Junto con el segundo volumen "Construcciones y perspectivas, que también publicará Editorial Gedisa), esta recopilación es también una muestra significativa del proceso de radicalización política de Kracauer durante los años de la República de Wiemar: su evolución de una visión "anticapitalista romántica" a una crítica materialista y dialéctica de la cultura poco común hasta entonces

This book brings together a broad selection of Siegfried Kracauer's work on media and political communication, much of it previously unavailable in English. It features writings spanning more than two decades, from the 1930s to the early Cold War period.

An essential work of the cinematic history of the Weimar Republic by a leading figure of film criticism First published in 1947, From Caligari to Hitler remains an undisputed landmark study of the rich cinematic history of the Weimar Republic. Prominent film critic Siegfried Kracauer examines German society from 1921 to 1933, in light of such movies as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, M, Metropolis, and The Blue Angel. He explores the connections among film aesthetics, the prevailing psychological state of Germans in the Weimar era, and the evolving social and political reality of the time. Kracauer makes a startling (and still controversial) claim: films as popular art provide insight into the unconscious motivations and fantasies of a nation. With a critical introduction by Leonardo Quaresima which provides context for Kracauer’s scholarship and his contributions to film studies, this Princeton Classics edition makes an influential work available to new generations of cinema enthusiasts.

Kracauer's profound theoretical investigation revealed film as the form that best captured the new modes of experience that characterize modernity.

Set against the backdrop of World War I, the story follows a young architecture student in Munich who cleverly avoids military enlistment. Through the character of Ginster, a Chaplinesque antihero, the narrative explores themes of self-absorption and societal demands. The horrors of war remain largely offstage, with civilian life heavily influenced by military language. As Ginster grapples with his desires and the relentless pressures of the world around him, the novel reflects on the absurdity of war and its pervasive impact on everyday life, making it resonate in contemporary times.

Focusing on the unique qualities of film, this study argues that motion pictures are fundamentally different from traditional arts like theater and literature. Dr. Kracauer emphasizes film's ability to capture the everyday world, highlighting its strength in portraying fleeting moments and authentic experiences. He posits that if film is indeed an art, it distinguishes itself through its photographic nature, adept at revealing the subtleties of life, such as the ripple of leaves and the nuances of human behavior.