German Expressionism was a movement centered around more emotive and expressive art forms. The movement could be seen as an outright rejection of realism. After the effects of World War I, Germany had been fairly isolated and began exploring new styles in art. The common motif was expressing sets and characters more extravagantly. Realism often showed the harshness of the world, especially during the war, but the Expressionism movement focused more on emotion and sophisticated topics, exploring sanity and fantasy. Funds for cinema were not exactly high, so a lot of producers would explore new uses of sets, camera angles, and colors to create different effects.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, one we mentioned in class, was an early Expressionist film that showcased many of these new effects. Directors Fitz Lang and F. W. Murnau, were among the first to explore Expressionism in cinema. The Expressionism movement influenced much of film to come and greatly defined Germany’s importance in the film industry. Many Expressionist filmmakers will be the ones to move to Hollywood in the coming years, which would create an impact on American Film. Huge American directors, from Alfred Hitchcock to Tim Burton, were impacted by the German Expressionism movement and have changed the film industry to still use its styles and motifs even in modern day films.
A scene from the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari featuring a whimsical set, typical of the German Expressionist movement
No comments:
Post a Comment