ALLUSIONS TO CANCEL CULTURE IN THE MOTION PICTURE TAKING SIDES

The article focuses on how cancel culture is alluded to in the motion picture Taking Sides in which Major Steve Arnold interrogates renowned German conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler in the aftermath of World War II in Germany. We argue that maestro Furtwängler falls victim to what is known today as cancel culture – the term did not exist at the time. However, the events depicted in the movie and the consequences damage his reputation. Although he is acquitted in a subsequent trial, he is later denied admission to the USA. To discuss the problem, we adopt a three-dimensional approach from the points of view of: 1. Musicology – although Major Arnold could have been right, Wilhelm Furtwängler did everything for the sake of his musical endeavours; 2. Culture Studies – Wilhelm Furtwängler is cancelled by Marjor Arnold who fails to empathize with the conductor, but rather dehumanizes him chiefly for not understanding how the world of classical music functions; 3. Post-WWII and German Studies – Major Arnold is completely ignorant of German culture, which is why he fails to comprehend, too, why his German assistants sympathize with Furtwängler. The conclusion that we reach is that Wilhelm Furtwängler is innocent; yet, he falls victim to cancel culture because his interrogator, Major Steve Arnold, is totally incompetent, but is determined to execute the orders he has been given.