CITY OF LOST SOULS
(Original title "Stadt Der Verlorenen
Seelen")
"City Of Lost Souls" was a German film directed by Rosa
von Praunheim. It was made in 1983 and starred Jayne County, Angie
Stardust, Tron von Hollywood, Judith Flex, Tara O'Hara, Gary Miller, Joaquin
La Habana and Lorraine Muthke. What follows is an outline of the movie. Order
the video here
(If you need to translate the site try : T-Mail
).
The film begins with the staff
of a Berlin burger bar called "Hamburger Koningin" (Hamburger Queen) dancing
around as Jayne (another employee of the restaurant) sits on the counter and
sings a song called "Burger Queen Blues" . The boss (Angie Stardust)
arrives and tells them all off for not working.
An American couple called Tron
and Judith Flex arrive at the restaurant. They are in Berlin to perform their
erotic striptease act. Angie offers them a room at her boarding house - "Pension
Stardust". Before she retired to Berlin thirteen years previously Angie had
been the first black transsexual to perform in New York. Also resident at Angie's
are Lila (Jayne's character) who came to Berlin from America's deep south to
find the love of a German boy. Lila has dreams of making it big in Hollywood.
In the next room to Lila is Gary - a trained dancer who is now involved in "magic
and group therapy". Loretta also lives at "Pension Stardust". She is always
very sad. Loretta wants to be an actress but nobody wants her. She shares a
room with Tara O'Hara who "teaches men English". This activity generally takes
place in the middle of the night! The final house guest is Joaquin - he thinks
he is the greatest show star in the world. He believes he's following in Angie's
footsteps.
Tron and Judith move into "Pension
Stardust" and Tron is seen complaining about the lack of hot water when he has
a show that evening. Tron and Judith are then shown performing their act.
In the following scene Tron and
Judith are praising Germany. A child is singing a racist song about ten little
niggers. Angie proceeds to slag off Germans saying that they are cold and haven't
progressed. The anti-German theme continues when Tron and Judith apply for a
work permit at the immigration office. Tron complains about the wait and both
Tron and Judith argue with the immigration officer about the war. Despite their
problems life in Germany progresses for Tron and Judith.
The
scene now switches to "Pension Stardust" where Tron is shown waiting desperately
to use the toilet whilst Gary spooks him. Lila emerges from the toilet with
a white face and painted breasts holding up three toothbrushes and speaking
in tongues. She appears to be under the control of Gary.
Some
time later Angie and her lodgers are all watching Ronald Reagan on television
and singing the "Star Spangled Banner". Gary is wearing a Reagan mask. Lila
tells how she wants to move in with the Reagans. She doesn't want to be a communist
but wants to be the one in charge. She wants to push the button.
Back at the restaurant Angie is
seen directing customers using a loud-hailer to inform them when they can get
served. The staff are serving horrible food (ie food containing cigarette ash)
and are abusing the customers.
The
following scene features Angie back at "Pension Stardust". She reminisces in
song about the United States. Angie tells of how her parents didn't understand
her sexuality and tells of how her father tried to beat it out of her. One day
Angie saw transvestites with breasts and decided to become a woman. She went
to the 82 Club to sing but was initially turned away because of her colour.
She succeeded in the end however and became a star. One day she received a telegram
asking her to go to Germany and after initially being scared she went and found
herself a girl to be with and love. Angie and a girl then kiss.
Returning to Tron and Judith. Judith
is shown questioning Tron about his whereabouts the previous night. She rebukes
him for his gay lifestyle.
Lila
is shown cleaning up at the restaurant and looking bored. Tara shows up and
asks Lila if she'll see a politician for her as she doesn't have time. Tara
tells Lila that the politician will give her champagne. She also tells Lila
that she has arranged for her to work at a strip club for 25 marks a night.
Lila is then shown with the politician (Wolfgang) later that evening. They are
talking and Lila is eating and drinking excessively. Wolfgang tells Lila of
his wish to clear out the miscreants from Berlin.
The action returns to Judith who
is out walking with a Jewish American friend. Her friend tells her how some
Germans are still very anti-Jewish, Spanish, Turkish etc. Judith tells her friend
that most races have the same prejudices.
Returning to Lila she is with Joaquin
in the restaurant and is worried about stripping. Joaquin tells her that he
can help as he has stripped. He demontrates wearing a variety of outfits and
sings - all to Lila's initial horror.
Lila
makes a list of items such as glitter and feathers which she needs to be a stripper.
She is now excited by the prospect.
Back at "Pension Stardust" Gary
is performing "group therapy" with his naked followers. His followers crawl
out of his room into a room where Angie is cleaning. She hassles them about
rent whilst they crawl through her legs. Angie then rebukes Gary about his behaviour
and asks him to leave.
On
a night out Lila and Judith arrive at a club as a boy is fighting with his girlfriend.
Judith chats the boy up and they leave. On a date the following day he takes
her to Nazi monuments and tells her that his father was a Nazi. Judith then
tells him that she is Jewish. The couple decide that they can still hopefully
be friends or even lovers.
At Hamburger Koningin an old woman
is telling everyone about the importance of fucking and is getting her tits
out for the diners. Joaquin then sings her a song about sexual freedom for everyone.
Tara is at "Pension Stardust" preparing
for a night out. She asks Angie for something to wear. Tara is content as a
transvestite but Angie wants to have a sex change. They talk and Tara says she
feels the operation is not necessary. Angie tells her that it is because of
the "old school" such as Angie that Tara is able to be as she is. Tara invites
Angie out with her and she agrees to go. She tells Angie to accept that she's
the third sex (transvestite not transsexual). Angie says she prefers "new women".
The
time has arrived for Lila's premiere at the strip club. She dances and sings
very badly and the audience throw things. Lila runs back to her dressing room
upset. A man is already in there which scares Lila. He tells her that she is
beautiful and talented. The man introduces himself as Jurgen from East Germany.
Lila tells him she is scared of what they do in the east but he tells her not
to believe propaganda. Jurgen gives her East German champagne and Russian caviar.
He tells Lila that the East are always after international artists and have
previously played host to people such as Joan Baez and Jane Fonda. Lila says
that Joan was a communist and she doesn't like them as her mother didn't like
them. Jurgen promises her she would become a big movie star in the east. He
says she could have everything for free and could have a limousine - a Lada.
He tells her she could have a free face-lift which she takes as an insult and
calls him a commie as they force people to have operations. Jurgen manages to
sweet talk her however.
Back at the restaurant an eighty
year old man is insulting both the food and Angie. He threatens to get the health
board to close the restaurant down and refuses to pay. Another customer complains
that people have been being sick.
The scene cuts to later in Angie's
bedroom as she sings "I'll Get By". Tara arrives home and wakes Loretta. She
kicks her out of their room and tells her to go to Angies. Tara has a man (Manfred)
with her. He wants to have sex but she just wants to talk. She tells him she
is a different kind of woman to those he knows. At first he doesn't realise
what she is trying to tell him but when she explains he is upset and says she
should have told him. He tells Tara he is not gay. She says she is the third
sex and liking her does not mean he is gay. He comes around to her view of things
and they kiss.
In
Angie's room Loretta is moaning about how Tara always kicks her out. Angie is
unsympathetic. Later Lila arrives to talk to Angie. Lila is wearing curlers
and drinking from a bottle of wine. Angie tells her to control herself. Lila
complains about bed bug bites and describes Pension Stardust as a pig pen. She
says she has stepped in dogshit to which Angie replies that it is good luck
to do that. Lila also complains that there is no toilet paper. Lila then confesses
to Angie that she is pregnant by a communist and is worried about what her mother
will say. She says she wants an abortion but Angie says that is murder. Lila
says she has still got to kill the baby.
Angie tells Lila she's a lesbian.
Lila says "You didn't tell me you were a lesbian". Angie replies "You didn't
tell me you were a communist fucker". Lila then lets it slip she was in a mental
institution for killinga man. She says he attacked her - Angie then faints with
shock.
Judith arrives to train on the
trapeze. She begins without Tron despite being warned it was too dangerous alone.
Tron arrives just as she falls to the floor. She's bleeding. He calls for a
doctor . Judith ends up in a wheelchair andTron finds religion as a result of
his guilt and believes he has healing powers.
The burger bar is held up by gansters
and as a result Angie can't pay the staff's wages. To raise money she asks her
tenants to pay their rent. Gary and Loretta want to get work at the opera theatre.
Lila pours her heart out to Jurgen.
He tells her he will take her to the east and make her a star. He asks her to
tell him about Wolfgang.
Gary's followers take to the streets
performing. Gary is seen by the police and arrested for indecent exposure as
he is naked. His followers remove their clothes also and are chased by the police.
They overpower the police and escape. The police make racist comments about
Gary.
Loretta
arrives home happy that she has been offered a big role at the theatre. Angie
is surprised and worried about who would replace her at Burger Queen.
Gary arrives mad at the police
for wanting to deport him.
Lila calls Angie from East Germany.
She tells her she is on East German television singing for the "Red President".
She is performing "I Fell In Love With A Russian Soldier". Tron and Judith watch
her on TV with Loretta and Angie. They celebrate Lila's sucesss but Gary and
Tron don't as Gary is to be deported the next day.
Angie
returns home to smell burning - Gary has set his room alight. Angie throws Gary
into the burning room. Tron tries to save (in the religious way) Gary and tells
him not to be ashamed of his blackness. As the fire brigade fight the fire Angie
is wandering the streets. Tron and Gary are looking down on the restaurant as
angels. Angie arrives at the restaurant as the cast party inside. They sing
"City Of Lost Souls". Angie joins them in the song and the shutters come down
on the restaurant.
---THE END---