Of Mountains and Men. Concepts of Masculinities in theInterwar Period Mountain Films “Blind Husbands” and“Berge in Flammen”

Abstract

Of Mountains and Men. Concepts of Masculinities in the Interwar Period Mountain Films “Blind Husbands” and “Berge in Flammen”
The following seminar-paper discusses concepts of masculinities and how they are depicted in the two mountain films “Blind Husbands” (1919) and “Berge in Flammen” (1931). Both films deal with social and political issues that arise in
the interwar period: while “Blind Husbands” addresses challenges to traditional gender roles in the immediate wake of the war, “Berge in Flammen” can be seen as a product of the war’s long-term effects on questions of gender identities. An analysis of the main male characters shows that in both films mountaineering skills are a key to overcome challenges and establish masculinity.