Expressionism
Cinema in the Weimar Republic was prominent throughout the 1920s and into the early 1930s. With various genres and styles, German cinema reached out into the international sphere. Though Expressionist film did not remain prominent throughout this time period, its influence can be seen in many other genres as well on both national and international levels. With the end of World War I, Germany faced a time of political, social, and economic turmoil. With the dawn of changes in government, hyperinflation served as a catalyst for the beginning of the Weimar involvement in the world of cinema. The change in government brought about an unstable economy as well as an unstable nation. The people were unsettled as the Weimar Republic was in a state of turmoil. Because of the drastic decline in value of German money, many people were spending more freely. Expressionist film developed as a result of the political and economic needs of the time. People were open to experimentation and this openness manifested in film. As a culture, Germany needed to produce a film style that was German and could be identified as such. Expressionist films became that identifying style and were considered of high intellectual quality[2].
Characteristics of expressionist film include the use of extreme light and dark and both horror and the sublime. Abstraction was also a critical component of Expressionist cinema as it helped play up the idea of the sublime and the extreme realism. The sublime was enhanced by abstraction as the simplified forms transformed the scene into something that was greater. Expressionism originated in other artistic mediums such as painting and photography, but film was another way to explore these same ideas and techniques in another medium.
Expressionist film is characterized by the tendency toward chiaroscuro, the use of extreme lights and darks. This “violent contrast” fed into the juxtaposition of the concrete and the unreal and extreme realism[1]. Expressionist horror can be seen as a reflection of Germany’s own image and so a “kind of release” or a catharsis[1]. Germany, having to face the consequences of World War I as a nation, didn’t have a positive self-image. With Expressionist film marking the beginning of the major period of Weimar cinema immediately following the unfavorable end of World War I, it would be appropriate for the German people to feel a rising sense of antinationalism. Horror is an aspect that plays a large role in the sharp contrasts of the imagery in Expressionist film.
Expressionist film is marked by a certain degree of the horrific and the fantastic. The sublime is marked by the ability to inspire awe. It has such a level of grandeur that it is transcendent and can even be overwhelming. These films delved into the realm of horror as the idea of the sublime permeated dark and terrifying themes[3]. The film industry of Weimar Germany used the idea of the sublime to manipulate the emotions of the audience, bringing terror alongside entertainment[3].
The role of abstraction in Expressionist film is just as important as that of chiaroscuro. Wilhelm Worringer published his thesis Abstraktion und Einfühlung in 1921 stating that abstraction, “stems from the great anxiety which man experiences when terrorized by the phenomena he perceives around him.” In this instance, people would be likely to want to take objects from their context and make them “absolute1.” Considering Germany’s losses in the war and the tumultuous aftermath that followed, this trend toward abstraction suits the immediate adaptation of Expressionism into Weimar cinema.
Fritz Lang’s Metropolis uses the idea of the sublime when presenting the city. In 1924, he travelled to New York where he first saw the skyline in the night, which inspired him into making the film Metropolis. He wrote, “At night the city did not give the impression of being alive; it lived as illusions lived. I knew then that I had to make a film about all of these sensations[3].” While the city is being portrayed, it is not done so in an entirely realistic manner. The montage of machinery at the start of the film combined with the views of the city present the “metropolis” in an Expressionist manner. The machinery is shown in layers of overlapping film as the gears turn and the hands on the clock move. Lang’s desire to present the same feeling of awe to the audience that had inspired him when he visited the city directly reflects notion of the sublime. The city is represented as something daunting and overwhelming in Metropolis, something people cannot escape. The film’s overall visual aesthetic also ties into the world of Expressionism. The workers are always shown in black; they are rendered into a mass that moves in unison. Workers are taken from their context as individuals and transformed into a part of the city.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is often referred to as one of the main examples of German Expressionist film. The use of chiaroscuro is evident throughout as is the presence of horror. Cesare is the somnambulist who is accused of murdering people in town in the night. Even the character of Cesare himself acts as a kind of shadow in the light of the town[2]. Appearing out of nowhere, he is a dark and mysterious character around whom all of the strange activity begins. The style of the title cards of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari further heightens the sense that the film is Expressionist[4]. The angular cutouts and the strange text mirror the oddities of the asymmetrical town and the sense of horror. There are many scenes and aspects in this film which lend to the overall terror including the angled roofs of the buildings. A critical highlight of the Expressionist aspects of this film occurs when Cesare kidnaps a young woman. As he walks her up the long walkway, the viewer can see the angular and abstracted buildings. As he makes his way through the town carrying the woman, he suddenly and dramatically collapses, leaving her there to be rescued by the men of the town.
Weimar Cinema began with the end of World War I and the rise of the Weimar Republic. In the face of social, political, and economic turmoil, Germany needed an outlet for a cultural identity beyond what resulted from the war. Expressionist film began as something that was classified as German. With the strong contrasts of light and shadow (chiaroscuro), horror, sensations, and abstraction, Expressionist film aimed to create a sense of heightened reality and the sublime. Filmmakers brought audiences to awe with overwhelming images and scenes of horror. Though the actual period of Expressionist cinema did not last long, the remnants and influences of the genre can be seen throughout Weimar Republic film.
- Elexis King
[1] Eisner, Lotte H. 1969. The haunted screen; expressionism in the German cinema and the influence of Max Reinhardt. Berkeley: University of California Press. 13-17.
[2] Rogowski, Christian 1956-. 2010. The many faces of weimar cinema : Rediscovering germany's filmic legacy / edited by christian rogowski. Rochester, N.Y: Camden House. 9, 142.
[3] Benson, Timothy O., and David Frisby. 1993. Expressionist utopias: paradise, metropolis, architectural fantasy. Los Angeles, Calif: Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 135-136, 146.
[4] Scheunemann, Dietrich. 2003. Expressionist film--new perspectives / edited by dietrich scheunemann. Rochester, NY: Camden House. 143.
Characteristics of expressionist film include the use of extreme light and dark and both horror and the sublime. Abstraction was also a critical component of Expressionist cinema as it helped play up the idea of the sublime and the extreme realism. The sublime was enhanced by abstraction as the simplified forms transformed the scene into something that was greater. Expressionism originated in other artistic mediums such as painting and photography, but film was another way to explore these same ideas and techniques in another medium.
Expressionist film is characterized by the tendency toward chiaroscuro, the use of extreme lights and darks. This “violent contrast” fed into the juxtaposition of the concrete and the unreal and extreme realism[1]. Expressionist horror can be seen as a reflection of Germany’s own image and so a “kind of release” or a catharsis[1]. Germany, having to face the consequences of World War I as a nation, didn’t have a positive self-image. With Expressionist film marking the beginning of the major period of Weimar cinema immediately following the unfavorable end of World War I, it would be appropriate for the German people to feel a rising sense of antinationalism. Horror is an aspect that plays a large role in the sharp contrasts of the imagery in Expressionist film.
Expressionist film is marked by a certain degree of the horrific and the fantastic. The sublime is marked by the ability to inspire awe. It has such a level of grandeur that it is transcendent and can even be overwhelming. These films delved into the realm of horror as the idea of the sublime permeated dark and terrifying themes[3]. The film industry of Weimar Germany used the idea of the sublime to manipulate the emotions of the audience, bringing terror alongside entertainment[3].
The role of abstraction in Expressionist film is just as important as that of chiaroscuro. Wilhelm Worringer published his thesis Abstraktion und Einfühlung in 1921 stating that abstraction, “stems from the great anxiety which man experiences when terrorized by the phenomena he perceives around him.” In this instance, people would be likely to want to take objects from their context and make them “absolute1.” Considering Germany’s losses in the war and the tumultuous aftermath that followed, this trend toward abstraction suits the immediate adaptation of Expressionism into Weimar cinema.
Fritz Lang’s Metropolis uses the idea of the sublime when presenting the city. In 1924, he travelled to New York where he first saw the skyline in the night, which inspired him into making the film Metropolis. He wrote, “At night the city did not give the impression of being alive; it lived as illusions lived. I knew then that I had to make a film about all of these sensations[3].” While the city is being portrayed, it is not done so in an entirely realistic manner. The montage of machinery at the start of the film combined with the views of the city present the “metropolis” in an Expressionist manner. The machinery is shown in layers of overlapping film as the gears turn and the hands on the clock move. Lang’s desire to present the same feeling of awe to the audience that had inspired him when he visited the city directly reflects notion of the sublime. The city is represented as something daunting and overwhelming in Metropolis, something people cannot escape. The film’s overall visual aesthetic also ties into the world of Expressionism. The workers are always shown in black; they are rendered into a mass that moves in unison. Workers are taken from their context as individuals and transformed into a part of the city.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is often referred to as one of the main examples of German Expressionist film. The use of chiaroscuro is evident throughout as is the presence of horror. Cesare is the somnambulist who is accused of murdering people in town in the night. Even the character of Cesare himself acts as a kind of shadow in the light of the town[2]. Appearing out of nowhere, he is a dark and mysterious character around whom all of the strange activity begins. The style of the title cards of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari further heightens the sense that the film is Expressionist[4]. The angular cutouts and the strange text mirror the oddities of the asymmetrical town and the sense of horror. There are many scenes and aspects in this film which lend to the overall terror including the angled roofs of the buildings. A critical highlight of the Expressionist aspects of this film occurs when Cesare kidnaps a young woman. As he walks her up the long walkway, the viewer can see the angular and abstracted buildings. As he makes his way through the town carrying the woman, he suddenly and dramatically collapses, leaving her there to be rescued by the men of the town.
Weimar Cinema began with the end of World War I and the rise of the Weimar Republic. In the face of social, political, and economic turmoil, Germany needed an outlet for a cultural identity beyond what resulted from the war. Expressionist film began as something that was classified as German. With the strong contrasts of light and shadow (chiaroscuro), horror, sensations, and abstraction, Expressionist film aimed to create a sense of heightened reality and the sublime. Filmmakers brought audiences to awe with overwhelming images and scenes of horror. Though the actual period of Expressionist cinema did not last long, the remnants and influences of the genre can be seen throughout Weimar Republic film.
- Elexis King
[1] Eisner, Lotte H. 1969. The haunted screen; expressionism in the German cinema and the influence of Max Reinhardt. Berkeley: University of California Press. 13-17.
[2] Rogowski, Christian 1956-. 2010. The many faces of weimar cinema : Rediscovering germany's filmic legacy / edited by christian rogowski. Rochester, N.Y: Camden House. 9, 142.
[3] Benson, Timothy O., and David Frisby. 1993. Expressionist utopias: paradise, metropolis, architectural fantasy. Los Angeles, Calif: Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 135-136, 146.
[4] Scheunemann, Dietrich. 2003. Expressionist film--new perspectives / edited by dietrich scheunemann. Rochester, NY: Camden House. 143.