Berlin Calling

Questions

 

1. To Ickarus, drugs are his way of dealing with the physical and mental stresses associated with his work and his constant partying.
2. Ickarus' fans take drugs at his performances because it helps them "enjoy" the atmosphere in a way that is not achievable while sober. their drug choice varies, but the most prominent are the synthetic drugs such as ecstasy, acid and other psychedelics.
3. The subculture Ickarus focuses on drugs because that is the scene of his profession. With the fame comes the parties and with the parties comes the drugs.
4. In the American culture, the people depicted in this movie would have been accepted in much the same way (at least by the supporters of this type of electric music-party based lifestyle). The one difference that I do feel is worth noting, is the way the legal system deals with substance abusers here in the U.S. Ickarus would not have simply been stuck in a mental hospital. he would have been charged with criminal drug possession, fined and forced to go to a rehab if not imprisoned
5. The youth culture depicted in this movie, judging by their heavy drug use, do not seem as though they would be able work to keep Germany an international industrial powerhouse.
6. "Cheech and Chong: Up in Smoke"

 

 

           

            The film, so far, has been surprisingly similar to the American “raver’s” lifestyle. This is because most of the electronic music artists tour around the world and, with that, they form a cult culture that embodies all of the most pleasurable aspects of the party scenes from different cultures.

            One difference that I did notice is the way the legal system deals with substance abusers here in the U.S. as opposed to the way they are dealt with in the film. Ickarus would not have simply been stuck in a mental hospital. He would have been charged with criminal drug possession, fined and forced to go to a rehabilitation institute if not imprisoned. Honestly, the method of dealing with addicts shown in the film seems to be much more useful than the method used in the U.S. Addiction can be seen is a form of mental disability and should be treated as such. If Ickarus would have taken the treatment seriously he would probably realize how wrong the path he is traveling down really is.

            The film is also quite graphic, not just in the nature of drug use and sex, but in what is really happening in the lives of famous artist who succumb to the party lifestyle. Berlin Calling shows that although the lives of the famous artists may seem desirable, they are, in reality, falling apart.