A Rustic Opinion On The Development Of Ufa And Dispute Of "Americanism" In Weimar Republic

Universum-Film AG(Ufa)is the biggest film company in Germany during the two world wars,and the enemy of Hollywood in the silent film era.It once marked the glory days of German films,till now,it has become a cultural symbol of German history.My thesis takes the entangled history of Ufa and Hollywood in the Weimar era as a clue to explore the film status and social reality of Weimar Germany,revealing how Hollywood has stepped into the German film market and eventually formed the myth of "Americanism." The thesis is divided into three chapters to sort out the process of establishment,development and reorganization of Ufa.Among them,the history of entanglement with Hollywood can be divided into three stages: 1920-1923 is the first stage,during which several independent film companies in Hollywood signed contracts with German publishers to sell American films,and Ufa Film Company is also in the period of mergers.In the rising period of expansion,Ufa also enjoyed an advantage in terms of market share;the second stage was 1924-1927,and Ufa Film Company signed the “Parufamet Agreement” with Hollywood due to a serious financial crisis.Providing loans to Ufa also opened the German market for Hollywood.At this stage,Hollywood has an absolute advantage in the German film market.The third stage is 1927-1929.Hollywood funding did not fundamentally solve the predicament of Ufa.Ufa was eventually acquired by the right-wing capitalist Hugenberg and became a tool for his political propaganda.In the process,Hollywood has virtually become a benchmark for Ufa to seek technological progress,and the United States has been built into a myth of modernity.During the Weimar period,ufa Company was in the peak of the rapid development of modernity and the intertwining of multiculturalism.The public discussion of "Americanism" actually reflected the Weimar society's debate on the challenge of modernity.