Musik als Mittel der ›Propaganda‹ in der Filmberichterstattung 1950–1965 (West-Ost)

Abstract

Although the newsreel was only shown as a part of the interludes in the cinemas and thus represented a marginal part of the cinema evening, the producers and state institutions were convinced of its effect. Under the National Socialists, the newsreel served purely as a propaganda tool and the background music was designed to achieve this effect. But agitation was not the concern of the post-war newsreel – also in consideration of the generation of the audience that still hear the intrusive dramatising sounds of the Nazi newsreel ›in their ears‹. In the post-war period, the message had to be conveyed more subtly. Music in perfect harmony with montage and commentary lent itself to underlining political convictions or criticism and conveying ironic allusions. Unmelodic phrases and ›off-key‹ tones were enough, for example, to suggest that an action was illegitimate. Music was not only used to accompany images, but also to document, for example, performances by international jazz greats in the socialist state of the GDR. With music, the Iron Curtain seemed to become ›permeable‹.