Power In Bob Fosse's Cabaret

Within Bob Fosse’s Cabaret, the central idea of power is effectively conveyed through various stories. In numerous ways and via several tales, the power of money, love and religious rule is portrayed. The power of money is exemplified through the wealth and class of Maximilian Von Heune, while the power of love is demonstrated between the love story of Fritz Wandel and Natalia Landauer. Meanwhile, as the plot develops the Nazis rise to power, using their newfound supremacy to instill fear within the Berlin society in order to maintain authority. Through the incorporation of symbolism and character relationships, Fosse effectually conveys the fundamental idea of power.

Throughout the text, the power of money is accentuated through the story

At the beginning of the film, the audience of the Cabaret are reflected in a blurred mirror, where their faces and costuming are unclear. The lack of power and authority of the Nazis at this time is exemplified throughout the welcoming song, Willkommen, as the Nazi man passes through the crowd symbolically collecting money for the religious minority. The communist Kit Kat manager reacts to this, removing the Nazi man from the club. Consequently, the manager is brutally murdered by a group of Nazi men later that night. The following day, the Communist’s body lay in the streets, as the townspeople drove past and stared. This event symbolizes the beginning of the Nazis exponentially growth of power, as supported by the song Tomorrow Belongs To Me. The song beings with a close-up shot of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed youth singing within a natural setting. As the song progresses, the tone becomes more intense, and the crowd begin to join in unison. Eventually, the growth in Nazi power is apparent, symbolized by the Swastika symbol which is seen in the various mise-en-scènes. Nazi propaganda is deliberately positioned in the background of wide and mid shots of characters to emphasise the growing power of the Nazis.At the end of the film, the camera is directed towards the distorted mirror initially shown

In spite of character differences, each central character leads a life influenced by power of some form; whether it be through love, through money, through the influential power of the Nazi party, or a combination of the three. The range of tales and character relationships heightens this central idea, presenting a clear contrast between the powerful and powerless