German Expressionism
(approx. 1919-1931)
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"The film image must become graphic art" - Hermann Warm
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
dir. Robert Wiene
Nosferatu (1922)
dir. F.W. Murnau
The Golem (1921)
dir. Paul Wegener and Carl Boese
Metropolis (1927)
dir. Fritz Lang
What distinguishes German Expressionism from other cinematic movements?
What distinguishes German Expressionism from other cinematic movements?
German filmmakers followed the Expressionist art movement, conveying psychological and emotional realities as opposed to physical realities through mise-en-scene, performance, and score. German Expressionists rejected realism and embraced melodrama to reveal the inner psyche.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Performance
jerky, dancelike movements
shout, scream, broad and choreographed patterns of movements
hyper exaggerated facial expressions
Other Important Tenets
self-contained narratives: unspecified times and places
Usually geared toward the fantasy (The Golem) and horror (Nosferatu) genres
Mise-en-scene
visual distortion in set design - "subjective reality"
emphasis on geometric forms, chiaroscuro, and unnatural landscape
repetitious visual patterns
angular and sharp set design
Nods to German Expressionism Today:
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