The Engagement Party

Everything at the engagement party shows how wealthy they are. The costumes are expensive looking, with plenty of jewellery on display. The music is classical music played by live musicians. The props, such as the gigantic cake with the ostrich on top, are ostentatious. There are a large number of people at the gathering. One reason for this is to show the life that Dora could have had. She would have been able to buy anything she wanted; she would have been treated like royalty.

However, when Rodolfo announces their engagement, a mid shot shows Rodolfo animated and smiling but Dora still and dejected. We also see how many people are gathered in the background, trapping her into her life. Dora turns away as Rodolfo kisses her, reinforcing the impression that she doesn’t want to marry him.

Some of the “small talk” at the engagement party is about a maths problem given to German schoolchildren. “If all the cripples were simply eliminated, how much money would the state save?” This shows attitudes of the Nazis, that people who don’t fit their Aryan ideal don’t deserve to live. It’s also a sinister insight into how children were brainwashed into believing the Nazi rhetoric. Rodolfo’s reaction, taking it simply as a maths problem and coldly talking about the deaths of thousands of people, shows how people could co-operate thoughtlessly with the holocaust, and refuse to see what was really happening.

Elements of a fairy tale are shown in the scene. Dora says to Guido “Take me away from here!”, like an imprisoned princess in a fairy tale. Guido rides in on a white horse, like her rescuing knight. She climbs on and rides off with him. The music throughout the scene creates an atmosphere and shows characters’ attitudes – majestic when cake is brought in to show the opulence of the rich, silent when Guido interrupts, quiet and hesitant while Dora is indecisive, quick and tense when Rodolfo starts to chase them. Soft, gentle music when they reach the house creates a romantic mood, showing us Dora’s feelings.