German Expressionism

1. GERMAN
EXPRESSIONISM
The beginning of film

2. Late 90’s
■ French first displayed a live projection of cinematography in 1895.
Roughly 25 years later it progressed from France to Germany which
the Germans developed into their unique way of filming called German
Expressionism.
■ The German silent cinema was arguably far ahead of Hollywood
during the same period.[6] The cinema outside Germany benefited
both from the emigration of German film makers and from German
expressionist developments in style and technique that were
apparent on the screen.The new look and techniques impressed
other contemporary film makers, artists and cinematographers, and
they began to incorporate the new style into their work

3. What characteristics does German
expressionism have ?
■ Strong contrasts ,
■ shadows and shapes within a frame of the screen/camera (also referred to as the
composition).
■ Asymmetric and acute angles ,
■ high contrast
■ Irregular and angular shots.

4. Back story
■ During the 1930’s the Nazi’s had a heavy influence within Germany and also
there was state of poverty that the country was in. At the time there was a sense
of national confusion as the people of the country didn’t know what direction
they should take politically.

5. YouTube German Horror Movie
■ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAtpxqajFak

6. Symbolisation
■ Symbolises the concept of what they were going to do in the politically ‘sleep walking’
into a war.

7. M made by Fritz Lang
■ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsVproWjN6c#

8. Fritz Lang
■ Friedrich ChristianAnton "Fritz" Lang (December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976) was an
Austrian-German-American filmmaker, screenwriter, and occasional film producer and
actor.[2]One of the best-known émigrés from Germany's school of Expressionism, he
was dubbed the "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute. He lived in Germany
however due to the recent events of his time period he moved toAmerica due to the
Nazi rein.

9. German Expressionism
■ Expressionistic Locations
■ All filmed within studios with exterior locations
■ High contrast chiaroscuro lighting
■ Asymmetric fractured compositions/Mise en scene
■ Themes of corruption, social decay and paranoia

10. History
■ Liberal artists at the time were forced to move out of Germany including Fritz Lang.
■ At this point Fritz Lang went to America.
■ InAmerica artists continued to make movies however they were classed as low budget
B movies.
■ These movies transpired into becoming Detective fiction film noirs
■ These are high angled asymmetric compositional films.

11. Film Noir
Film Noir has high contrast chiaroscuro as lighting,
Asymmetric , fractured and compositional Mise en
scene within it.
There are forms of Paranoia within the narrative
making the narrative maze like and tangled around
corruption and a lie that lead has to figure out.
Film Noir films are usually about a detective working
alone who is employed by a potential love interest to
solve a possible mystery which she herself cannot do.
However as the detective takes up the case he notices
that everything is not how it seems.