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Explore the defining characteristics and legacy of German Expressionism in film from 1919 to 1927. Dive into the styles, themes, and influences of iconic films like "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and "Nosferatu." Learn about key practitioners and the movement's impact on cinematic history. Discover the role of UFA in shaping German cinema during the Weimar Republic era and the movement's eventual decline in the face of new realism. Uncover the lasting influence of German Expressionism on modern cinema, including its impact on filmmakers like Tim Burton and works such as "Edward Scissorhands" and "Batman Returns."
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COM 320—History of Film German expressionism1919-1927
Defining Characteristics • ►”Goal to express feelings in the most direct and extreme fashion possible. . . extreme distortion to express an inner emotional reality rather than surface appearances”; S. S. Prawer (Caligari’s Children) raises the possibility that this distortion is quite “real”--e.g., Caligari sees aspects of the world not readily apparent to others. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Robert Wiene, 1919
Form & Style:Mise en scene most important • Narrative structure • (a) legends • (b) the supernatural, horror (but psychological) Siegfried, Fritz Lang, 1924 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Robert Wiene, 1919
Form & Style:Mise en scene most important • Distortion, stylization of sets, costumes, makeup, acting, lighting The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Robert Wiene, 1919
Form & Style:Mise en scene most important • High contrast (in film, B&W; in the other arts, with colors) Nosferatu, F. W. Murnau, 1922
Form & Style:Mise en scene most important High contrast (in film, B&W; in the other arts, with colors) The Scream, Edvard Munch, 1893 (Norwegian) Piggies, Franz Marc, 1912 Self Portrait with Hat, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, 1919
Form & Style:Mise en scene most important • Entirely studio-made (control!) Siegfried, Fritz Lang, 1924
Background • In a commercial film context • Growth fostered by inflation/reparations that favored export of products including film, import ban 1916-20 • Artistically, part of movement begun about 1908 • During the Weimar Period • The origins of a national cinema--UFA
Background UFA • UFA = Universum Film AG (originally Universum Film Aktiengesellschaft) • Created by German government in 1917 as a WWI propaganda arm, by consolidating most of Germany‘s commercial studios • After a 1921 merger with Decla-Bioscop, "with government, industrial and banking support," UFA enjoyed a near-monopoly • Produced many great and influential works during the Weimar Republic years (1919-1933 approx.) • Through many incarnations, UFA still exists today
Other Film Types in that Nation at that Time • Historical spectacles (e.g., Ernst Lubitsch’s Madame du Barry)
Other Film Types in that Nation at that Time • Kammerspiel (e.g., F. W. Murnau’s Last Laugh)
Importance of Movement • Widespread impact, due to Germany’s status as #2 filmmaking nation 1918-1933
Important Practitioners • Robert Wiene (1873-1938) (Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1919)
Important Practitioners • Fritz Lang (1890-1976) (Die Niebelungen, including Siegfried, 1924; Metropolis, 1927)
Important Practitioners • F. W. Murnau (1888-1931) (Nosferatu, 1922; Faust, 1926; Sunrise (U.S. release, 1927))
The Death of the Movement • Displaced artistically by new realism, e.g., “street films” (G. W. Pabst)
The Death of the Movement • Displaced artistically by new realism, e.g., “street films” (G. W. Pabst) • Prominent German Expressionist directors and performers were lured away to Hollywood (including the 1925 Parufamet agreement. . . PAR – UFA – MET) • G. W. Pabst • F. W. Murnau • Emil Jannings • Fritz Lang (he ran, rather than being lured)
Current Influences and Applications? • The Style! • Most of Tim Burton’s films • The Crow, similar gothic-styled works
Tim Burton images Batman Returns, 1992 Edward Scissorhands, 1990 Beetlejuice, 1988 Beetlejuice, 1988 Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993
Tim Burton vs. German Expressionism Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1919 Edward Scissorhands, 1990 Batman Returns, 1992 Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1919