Wall Street (1987). The film’s protagonist, Bud Fox, and corporate raider Gordon Gekko engage in a series of business deals where alliances are fluid, context is kept minimal, and loyalty is secondary to opportunity. The famous line, “If you need a friend, get a dog,” underscores the transactional, exit-ready mindset prevalent in American business culture.
movies
transactional and ruthless
There Will Be Blood (2007). Daniel Plainview’s business dealings are transactional and ruthless. He enters agreements with landowners and partners, only to break or manipulate them for personal gain. The film critiques the destructive consequences of this approach, both for individuals and communities.
German movies
German movies often illustrate negotiation as a process defined by structure, order, and factual analysis. Characters in positions of power tend to focus on rule-based arguments, logical reasoning, and procedural adherence. Emotional appeals are secondary to procedural integrity and factual evidence, revealing the German preference for consistency, predictability, and methodical negotiation processes.
Diane Krueger
mobil. Magazine of the German Rail. December 2017. An interview with the actor Diane Krüger. Question: “Colleagues for your earlier years claim that you were extremely ambitious. Is it true?”
Krüger: “When I was a little girl my mother never said to me: ‘You’re the best, the greatest, the most beautiful’. Instead all she ever said was: ‘Work harder. You can do better.'”
slow, reflective pace
In die Sonne schauen. (Sound of Falling, 2025). This film spans four generations of women living in the same farmhouse, depicting how decisions about family, identity, and survival unfold over decades. The film’s structure rewards viewers’ patience, mirroring the way its characters approach life’s major choices with deliberation and endurance. The narrative’s slow, reflective pace reinforces the idea that meaningful decisions are best made over time, not under pressure.
Stasi
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.
hidden mental processes
German film scholarship, as noted by critics like Siegfried Kracauer and Walter Benjamin, often emphasizes how cinema can reveal the “hidden mental processes” and the importance of context in shaping individual and collective outcomes. Films that neglect or underestimate context frequently use this as a narrative device to explore the consequences—sometimes tragic—of such oversights.
Sitzfleisch
The German concept of Sitzfleisch (Sitz, to sit + Fleisch, flesh) the ability to endure and persist patiently, especially through long or challenging situations – is often reflected in German cultural productions, including film. While not always the direct subject of a specific movie, this value is evident in films that reward viewers’ patience through slow, thoughtful pacing and characters who achieve their goals through endurance and waiting rather than haste. This approach is sometimes referenced in discussions of German political leaders and is a recognizable motif in German storytelling.
Yasemin
Yasemin (1988). Director: Hark Bohm. Plot: A romance between a Turkish-German woman and a German man in Hamburg, set against the backdrop of cultural expectations and integration. The film explores how cultural context—tradition, family expectations, and integration—shapes both personal and professional relationships. Business and workplace interactions are influenced by cultural misunderstandings and the need for sensitivity to different backgrounds.
Babylon Berlin
Set in 1920s Berlin, this series depicts police and political officials navigating a turbulent era. The main characters often face high-stakes decisions and are shown taking time to gather information, consult with colleagues, and deliberate, even as external events create urgency. The show’s narrative structure rewards patience and careful planning.