Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others, 2006): Context: Set in East Germany, this film follows a Stasi officer tasked with surveilling a playwright. Illustration: The Stasi’s internal culture is characterized by unemotional, objective reporting and evaluation. Feedback about performance is delivered in a cold, formal manner, with little regard for personal feelings. The film’s tone and dialogue reflect a clear separation between professional duty and personal emotion.
movies
Only live to serve
In 1991, Disney produced the movie “Beauty and the Beast,” a film about a prince who is turned into a beast and the young woman who helps return him to human form. Although this movie is set in France, because it was written by Americans for American children, it exemplifies many of the values held in American culture.
In this film, many of the characters are servants, and they have no trouble expressing their desire to serve their master. In fact, at one point in the movie, the servants avow that they “only live to serve.” Nevertheless, no American would ever think of these characters as degraded or less than human – to Americans they are simply helping their customer in the best way they can.
Good. Bad. Ugly.
People in the business world, especially Germans, often say that professional presentations should present the good, the bad, and the ugly. In other words, get all of the facts up on the table. Be honest. Be transparent. Be professional.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood as “the Good”, Lee Van Cleef as “the Bad”, and Eli Wallach as “the Ugly”. It was an Italian-led production with co-producers in Spain, West Germany, and the United States. Most of the filming took place in Spain.
The film is known for Leone’s use of long shots and close-up cinematography, as well as his distinctive use of violence, tension, and highly stylised gunfights. The plot revolves around three gunslingers competing to find a fortune in a buried cache of Confederate gold amid the violent chaos of the American Civil War (specifically the Battle of Glorieta Pass of the New Mexico Campaign in 1862) while participating in many battles, confrontations, and duels along the way. The film was the third collaboration between Leone and Clint Eastwood, and the second with Lee Van Cleef. (Wikipedia)
The Godfather
The book The Godfather was written by Mario Puzo and published in 1969. The story, which was later made into a trilogy of movies, focuses largely on the business and personal lives of an Italian mafia family living in New York. Some of the most famous quotes about the blending of business and personal include:
“Tom, don’t let anybody kid you. It’s all personal, every bit of business. Every piece of shit every man has to eat every day of his life is personal. They call it business. Ok. But it’s personal as hell.
You know where I learned that from? The Don. My old man. The Godfather. If a bolt of lightning hit a friend of his, the old man would take it personal. He took my going into the Marines personal. That’s what makes him great. The Great Don. He takes everything personal like God.
He knows every feather that falls from the tail of a sparrow or however the hell it goes. Right? And you know something? Accidents don’t happen to people who take accidents as a personal insult.
He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a time when the most humble of men, if he keeps his eyes open, can take his revenge on the most powerful.
It was this knowledge that prevented the Don from losing the humility all his friends admired in him. When they come … they come at what you love. They made it personal when they shot Pop. It is not business, it’s personal.”
Mean
An uncut scene from Bridesmaids where Kristen Wiig and the teenager argue in the jewelry store. This is improv at its best! Who says Americans can get in each other’s face?
YouTube comments:
“This girl was only 14 when she held her own with a professional comedian for 10 minutes.”
“Kristen Wiig is an absolute improv genius and not afraid to set herself up as the punching bag for the little girl.”
“They clearly were having way too much fun with this scene. Mia starts to smile too much because it’s such a joy to go so unhinged on somebody. The director probably said to go in there and completely go off on her but don’t overlap lines so we can edit. The editors probably had too much fun with this scene too. Can you blame any of them?”
“Props to Kristen but that girl annihilated her.”
Fritz Bauer
The People vs. Fritz Bauer (Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer, 2015): The story of prosecutor Fritz Bauer’s pursuit of Nazi war criminals is told through behind-the-scenes investigation and confidential meetings. The film avoids sensational public hearings, instead focusing on indirect channels and private discussions to resolve conflict and build cases, mirroring the German preference for reducing tension through separation and structure.
job opportunities
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). The protagonist’s journey is marked by continual follow-up-on job opportunities, client meetings, and personal goals. The film emphasizes the necessity of staying proactive and persistent to achieve success.
Billy Beane
Moneyball (2011). The management team, led by Billy Beane, holds frequent meetings to review player statistics, discuss strategies, and follow up on recruitment and trades. The film’s structure is built around ongoing check-ins and data-driven updates, emphasizing the importance of regular follow-up to achieve team goals.