Essay: German expressionism and its Influence.

Another essay from my first year of uni. If you find anything useful, please let me know. This was for a film history class. I'm fairly sure I got an A for it.

German expressionism and its Influence.

It has been argued that the German expressionist movement has had an influence on many later filmmakers and genres. I agree with this argument and in this essay I will be explaining why I believe this to be the case by discussing the common traits of expressionism and applying them to later films and genres.

Unlike other European countries, the film industry in Germany in post World War I was booming, in fact it was second only to Hollywood. This was mainly due to the German government’s ban on foreign films and the rising demand by German theatres. Between 1914 and 1918 the amount of film production companies rose from 25 to 130 and continued to grow, by 1921 there were over 300 companies. The government supported filmmaking throughout the post war period; the ban was lifted in 1920 which gave German filmmakers little competition for over five years.

Expressionism began in the form of paintings in 1908 and soon transferred to a wide range of media including cinema. In 1920 a film was premiered in Berlin and critics declared expressionism had reached cinema. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (directed by Robert Wiene) was the first of its kind. Although audiences were used to this style in art and other media, it had never been seen on film before and was a success with the public. From that point onwards other films with the same distinct style were released. In the short period between 1920 and 1927 over twenty films were made that fit into the category of expressionism (although some critics argue that only six can truly be labelled as German expressionism, the rest simply use expressionistic elements). The movement died out in 1927 due to filmmakers moving to other countries such as Hollywood and the increasing budgets needed. The last of the expressionist films was Metropolis (directed by Fritz Lang), which had a big budget for the time.

German expressionism had a very distinct style. It often emphasized on the design, such as mise-en-scène rather than the editing and the story (unlike Hollywood films at that time). Hermann Warm, one of the set designers on The Cabinet of Dr Caligari was quoted as saying “The film image must become graphic art”. A lot of the sets used were influenced by expressionistic paintings of the time, which tried to express an inner emotional reality, rather than what’s on the surface by using abstract shapes and shade or lack of colour to create distortion. Figure movement and expression would often be overly dramatic with actors moving in a slow, jerky, choreographed way and make up was often used in abundance to enhance facial features such as the eyes and facial expressions. Highly stylised lighting was used, often using chiaroscuro lighting (stark contrast between light and shadow) along with oblique camera angles. Most importantly, it was the integration of all these elements to create an overall composition which aimed to bring out the essence of a situation, a mental state, create mystery, exaggerate, distort, destabilise, alienate and create a sense of entrapment, disharmony or a dream like state. It also often dealt with gothic or disturbing and gruesome subject matter.

Some important figures in the expressionism movement included Robert Wiene, who directed several expressionist films such as The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, The Golem (1920), Raskolnikow (1923) and The Hands of Orlac (1924). Wiene left Berlin after Adolf Hitler took power in Germany and died of cancer in Paris in 1938.

Friedrich Wilhem “F.W.” Murnau, also an important figure, directed what’s said to be the first Dracula film Nosferatu (1922), Tartuffe (1925) and Faust (1926). Murnau then went to Hollywood where he worked for Fox Studio, he received several Oscars. He died in a tragic car accident in 1931.

Fritz Lang is another important figure; it can be argued that he is one of the most influential figures from the period. He directed several films categorised as expressionism such as Destiny (1921), Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (1922), The Stone Rider (1923) and Metropolis (1927). Lang fled Germany in 1934 and eventually ended up, like many other filmmakers, working in the United States. Although expressionism had died out, Lang still used aspects of expressionism and then went on to make Film Noirs in the 1940’s.

As mentioned previously, many filmmakers left Germany to pursue careers in other countries, many going to Hollywood. This is potentially the reason why expressionism was so influential to later developments, in particular film noir and the horror genre.

Film Noir was a term given by French film critics to describe a stylish type of Hollywood crime thriller beginning in the 1940’s. Film Noirs had certain visual and narrative traits which included low-key photography, use of chiaroscuro lighting, settings in big cities, fem fatales, male protagonists and were usually based around criminal activity which were often adapted from crime novels.

Film noir had a direct link to expressionism in the form of Fritz Lang who became one of the most prolific directors of the film noir. His notable film noirs include Ministry of Fear (1944), The Woman in the Window 1944), Scarlet Street (1945), The Big Heat (1953), While the City Sleeps (1956) and Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1957).

Expressionism also influenced the horror genre, particularly early horror films. Early horror films were often based on literary characters such as Dracula and Frankenstein. Like expressionist films, they were often set in exotic or gothic locations and dealt with issues such as monsters, psychopaths and feelings of entrapment. These films aimed to thrill and excite audiences by scaring them. Like expressionism and film noir, the horror genre used stylised lighting and camera angles to distort people and sets to heighten fear. Also similar to expressionism was the makeup and costume, monsters/killers wore makeup or masks along with gothic type clothing to exemplify the character.

In Fritz Lang’s 1931 horror film M, several conventions of expressionism can be seen such as chiaroscuro and use of glass and reflections to distort, as well as gruesome subject matter. M influenced other horror films much later such as Wes Craven’s slasher film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) in which, like M, is about a child murderer; even the use of children singing songs about the murderer was mimicked. The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise could also be said to be influenced by expressionism, especially since there are many dream sequences, the use of costume and makeup, the use of shadows and oblique camera angles.

Alfred Hitchcock, a director best known for his horror and film noir films worked in the German film industry during the expressionist period and later used several techniques in his own films.

In his 1927 horror film The Lodger, Hitchcock makes use of chiaroscuro, an aspect often associated with expressionism (an example of this when The Lodger slams his window, a shadow is cast on his face in the shape of a cross).

In his horror film Psycho (1960), the shower scene where Marion is murdered can be compared to the scene in Nosferatu where Orlok pursues Ellen. In Nosferatu a silhouette is cast on the victim and in Psycho you see the silhouette of Norman behind the shower curtain.

In the film noir Notorious (1946) oblique camera angles were used (noticeably when Alicia wakes up with a hangover, the shot of Devlin is almost diagonal) and lighting was low key. Also the use of distorted view while Alicia was driving drunk could be seen as influenced by expressionism.

Hitchcock also used staircases in a lot of his films, which were often used in expressionism in the form of stylised and menacing staircases aiming to disorientate. Hitchcock used many unusual or grand staircases, such as the circular one used in Notorious which was complimented by the round chandelier in the middle of it. Psycho, Vertigo (1958), and The Lodger are just a few other examples of staircases used as motifs.

Although expressionism had influenced film noir and the horror genre the most, filmmakers have use it effectively in other genres. Tim Burton is known for his style, a style which appears to have been influenced heavily by expressionism in many of his films. You can make endless comparisons between The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Burtons films like Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Beetle Juice (1988), the bizarre sets, heavy makeup and costumes, the big gothic houses, stylised lighting, oblique camera angles, figure movement and expression etc. You could also make comparisons between the cityscape of Batman Returns (1992) and the cityscape of Lang’s Metropolis with the big tall angular buildings which seem to create a sense of menace.

To summarise, I think German expressionism did have a great impact on cinema through its influence and although the movement only last seven years, due to its influence on filmmakers who in turn influenced other filmmakers and so on, hints of its legacy can still be seen in contemporary movies to this day.

Bibliography

BORDWELL, D and THOMPSON, K (2004) Film art: an introduction international edition. 7th ed., United Kingdom: McGraw-Hill.

 BORDWELL, D and THOMPSON, K (2003) Film history: an introduction 2nd ed., United Kingdom: McGraw-Hill.

HAEFFNER, N (2005) Alfred Hitchcock, Essex: Pearson Education Limited

HAYWARD, S (2000) Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts, United Kingdom: Routledge