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Mar 18, 2020 · Learn what German Expressionism in film is, how it emerged from German Romanticism and WWI, and how it influenced horror, noir, and film noir. See examples of classic films that showcase the style's characteristics, such as high angles, deep shadows, and impossible sets.
silent film. German expressionist cinema was a part of several related creative movements in Germany in the early 20th century that reached a peak in Berlin during the 1920s. These developments were part of a larger Expressionist movement in north and central European culture in fields such as architecture, dance, painting, sculpture and cinema .
- Germany
- 1910s–1930s
Apr 17, 2024 · Updated: April 19, 2024. Definition: German Expressionism was an early 20th-century cultural movement in the arts, including film, painting, and theater. It emphasized emotional experience over physical reality, often using bold colors, distorted forms, and dramatic, moody visuals to express the artist’s inner feelings or ideas.
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Learn how German expressionist filmmakers used visual distortion and hyper-expressive performance to show inner turmoils, fears and desires of their 1920s audience. Explore the history, examples and influence of German Expressionism, from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to Metropolis, and its connection to architecture and horror genre.
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) Director: Robert Wiene. Undoubtedly one of the most iconic and influential films of all time, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is justly famed for the skewed, anxiety-inducing angles of its painted backdrops, and for the nightmarish tension of its macabre storyline, in which Francis (Friedrich Feher) attempts to solve a series of murders that he suspects to be the work of an insane carnival hypnotist, Dr Caligari (Werner Krauss), and his somnambulist sideshow attraction, Cesare (Conrad Veidt).
- From Morn to Midnight (1920) Director: Karl Heinz Martin. Still shocking even today, From Morn to Midnight remains one of the boldest examples of German expressionist cinema.
- The Golem: How He Came into the World (1920) Directors: Paul Wegener and Carl Boese. The third and only surviving part of Paul Wegener’s Golem trilogy, the 16th-century-set The Golem: How He Came into the World was a prequel to the previous, contemporary-set instalments and, as such, cleaves more closely to the traditional Jewish legend.
- Nosferatu (1922) Director: F.W. Murnau. Something of an anomaly within expressionist cinema, Nosferatu makes extensive use of real-world locations, rather than recreating its world solely within a studio.
German Expressionism was a film movement that began in the early 20th century and was characterized by its use of stark, geometric visuals, and high-contrast lighting. This style was used to express emotional states and often dealt with dark themes such as madness, betrayal, and obsession.
Aug 22, 2017 · The German Expressionist use of shadows to intensify emotive and expressive moments are instrumental in audience absorption in the films. Two films that use shadow to create mood are both considered by many to be the essential German Expressionism films, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Nosferatu. Nosferatu (1922) – source: Prana-Film GmbH
