An era of early German cinema (roughly 1910 to 1922) shows the first recognisable style of national cinema. The movement came about largely as a transition from WWI into the afterwar years, however it also contains elements form the long term German cultural mindset, especially the literary fascination with Gothic. The gothic style itself is focused around morbid subjects and dark influences, which translate to the horror theme well.
Expressionism is the movement in the fine arts, (including photography, moving film and manual arts) that emphasised the expression of one’s inner self and their angst rather than only being realistic and excited about the world and life. In this form, it is much deeper and more pessimistic.
Expressionism is the movement in the fine arts, (including photography, moving film and manual arts) that emphasised the expression of one’s inner self and their angst rather than only being realistic and excited about the world and life. In this form, it is much deeper and more pessimistic.
Expressionism was a reaction to impressionism which projected stark and absolute realities. Expressionists sought to reverse this trend in the arts and wished to portray allegorical worlds (world which represented something) which were in themselves metaphors for what people were experiencing at the time. Expressionists took the depression after the war, and translated this into the themes and moods of the films which they created at that time. Originally starting out as a movement in painting and sculpture it quickly spread to the fledgling movie industry in Europe where Expressionism had started. The majority of film expressionists came from the nation of Germany, hence why the term German Expressionism is so popular when describing this movement in film. However there were numerous film makers who conveyed Expressionist themes but were not German.
Germany at the time had just recovered from the consequences of World War I. Just like their fellow Germans, German Expressionists directors film felt disillusioned with reality and the world around them. As a result they made films that looked warped and distorted and were extremely surreal. German expressionist directors then toke their disillusionment one step further by having heavy and stark shadows, depressed/dark stories, and corruptible and untrustable characters. As many Germans had felt betrayed by their government when World War I had concluded many German Expressionist directors projected authority figures as villains to convey a sense of how no one could be trusted in the world they were living in. For example in the movie ’The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari‘ the main antagonist was a doctor. Thios is also reflected in true events; one being Hitler and how the German people believed in him, only for him to lead them to destruction. Further coupled with their mise en scene direction, Expressionist directors wanted viewers to look beyond the characters on the screen and examine the world the characters were interacting in.
Stylistic elements taken from German Expressionism are common today in films that do not need reference to real places such as science fiction films.
Ambitious adaptations of the style are shown throughout the contemporary filmography of director Tim Burton. His 1992 film Batman Returns is often described as a modern attempt to capture the essence of German Expressionism. The angular building designs and severe-looking city squares of Gotham City evoke the loom and menace present in Lang’sMetropolis (1927 Expressionlist movie)
Burton’s influences are most apparent in the fairy tale suburban landscape of Edward Scissorhands. The appearance of Edward Scissorhands (not accidentally) reflects Caligari’s somnambulist (sleepingwalking) servant. Burton shows unease in his candy-colored suburb, and the tension is visually unmasked through Edward and his Gothic castle. Similarly, Dr. Caligari was the inspiration for the grotesque, bird-like appearance of ‘The Penguin’ in Burton’s 1992 film Batman Returns. Burton channels the Caligari nightmare with an inspired narrative branding, casting the garish somnambulist as the hero and the villagers as the villains.
Burton was also reportedly influenced by silent films and German Expressionism for his film adaptation of the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, describing the musical as a “silent film with music.
