German Expressionist films of the 1920s had a significant impact on modern cinema through their distinctive visual style and themes. Films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari used expressionist techniques like angular sets, contrasting lights and shadows, and distorted realities to portray inner emotional turmoil and critique the post-WWI social environment in Germany. These films influenced later horror genres and film noir styles in both Germany and Hollywood. Directors like Fritz Lang, F.W. Murnau, and Alfred Hitchcock integrated expressionist elements into their own works, spreading its techniques even further. Modern films from Blade Runner to Tim Burton's works still reference the expressionist influence in their dark, symbolic visuals and unsettling subjects.

1. German Expressionist Films and their impact upon the
Modern Film Industry

2.  Expressionism began as a movement in art in
Weimar, Germany during World War 1. The
movement affected many types of artistic
medium including architecture, painting,
music, literature and sculpture.
 Expressionist artists attempted to portray the
disparity of their surroundings in artistic
form.

3. What stylistic and ideological comparisons can you draw
between Kollwitz , Lang & Weine?

4.  At the beginning of World War 1, foreign film
companies dominated the industry.
 By the end of World War 1, the German Film
Industry flourished. It was propelled by a
population desperate for a diversion from
their daily struggles.

5.  UFA (Universum Film Aktiengelleschaft) became a leader in
the German Film Industry.
 Created by German government in 1917 as a WWI
propaganda arm, by consolidating most of Germany‘s
commercial studios
 After a 1921 merger with Decla-Bioscop, "with government,
industrial and banking support," UFA enjoyed a near-
monopoly
 Produced many great and influential works during the
Weimar Republic years (1919-1933 approx.)
 Through many incarnations, UFA still exists today
 UFA produced many German Expressionist films which were
destined to become classics.
 Many of the films, which achieved infamy outside of
Germany, are still recognized and watched today.

6. • Because of the deteriorating post-World War
I economy in Germany, filmmakers were
unable to create films which could compete
with the grandiosity of Hollywood pictures.
• By using the elements of expressionism,
German filmmakers developed their own
style of filmmaking which incorporated
symbolism to expose deeper meanings and
emotions.

7.  German Expressionist films were made
during the silent film era. They contained
sounds and music as opposed to dialogue.
 For many of the silent films, a piano player
was hired to play as live accompaniment.

8. • Expressionism manipulated sound, lighting and
stage design to reveal emotions and realities in
an abstract manner.
• Stage sets were very artificial and were made to
appear as “paintings come to life”. All realism
was removed from sets in order to allow them to
become symbols of specific emotions and
conditions.
• Angular structures were utilized to exploit stage
design and influence the mood of a picture.

9.  “Mise-en-scene” is a French term used to
describe the technique of story telling
through stage design and cinematography.
“Mise-en-scene” is used in Expressionist films
to contribute to the design aspect.

10. • Expressionism conveyed a tone of dissonance
by effectively abolishing normal relationships
between objects and focusing upon the
abstract.
• Expressionist techniques aimed to conjure
feelings of mystery, alienation, disharmony
and destabilization.
• Plots incorporated dream sequences,
flashbacks and distorted chronology to
promote instability.

11. • Expressionist actors engaged in harsh and
amplified movements that were often stiff or
jerky to represent inner turmoil.
• Overstated costumes and makeup
contributed to an actor’s ability to portray
inner realities and tumultuous emotions.

12. • The technique of “chiaroscuro” was
employed in expressionism. Chiaroscuro is an
artistic technique in which light and darkness
are manipulated to achieve a heightened
illusion of depth.
• Expressionist directors contrasted light and
dark to create shadows and other effects
which were intended to portray and arouse
emotion.

14.  In order to put forth the abstract, it was
necessary for the Expressionist filmmaker to
obliterate nature and eradicate the natural
world.
 Expressionist filmmakers believed landscapes
should emit a soul and should be considered
as significant as a character in the film.

15. • Mainstream and popular films of the period
were focused upon action, adventure and
romance.
• Expressionist films developed themes based
on insanity, madness, discordance and
betrayal.

16. • Since its origin, many films have been labeled
as works of Expressionism.
• The “Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” a German horror
classic directed by Robert Weine, best
personifies the Expressionist film genre.

17. This scene
demonstrates the
effect created
through the
Expressionist
technique of using
angular structures
to help represent
a disjointed mood
and a nightmarish
atmosphere.

18. • The “Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” employed the
Expressionist technique of using dream
sequences and flashbacks to twist reality and
warp chronology.
• The unnatural and exaggerated character of
Cesare carried out frightening acts during the
dream sequences.

19. Cesare’s movements were stiff and robotic. His makeup was excessive
and overdone. Some of the shadows in this scene were created by wall
paintings to enhance contrast between light and dark.

20. Director, Robert
Weine, was
praised for his
effective use
of expressionist
technique and for
his set designs
and scenery.

21. True to expressionist
form, the plot of
“The Cabinet of
Dr. Caligari”
included
murder, sleepwalking,
threats
and madness.

22. Designed by the
Expressionist
Bahaus School,
the films’ sets were
contorted and artificial.
The distorted designs
Helped to develop the
atmosphere
Of disorientation.

23.  Expressionist elements (particularly sinister
plots, horrific events, and chiaroscuro
lighting) continued to be highlighted in
German cinema throughout 1920’s and into
the 1930’s.

24. “Nosferatu”,
directed by F. W.
Murnau,
became a vampire
classic which
featured many
expressionist
elements.

25. Expressionism
and the use of
shadows became
became
widely associated
with the film “Nosferatu”.
In some Expressionist
films, silhouettes were
used in place of shadow.

26. • Though the harsh and contrived unnatural
environments of the original Expressionist
films began to fade, Expressionist themes
were integrated into films during the 1920’s
and 1930’s.
• Artistic control over light and scenery were
exercised to set the expressionist mood.

27. “Metropolis”,
directed by Fritz Lang,
used Expressionist
Elements to depict a
futuristic
city.

28. In keeping with
Expressionist
concepts, Lang
portrayed women
in the unnatural
Form of machines.

29. Lang
accentuated
the
dark mood of
the film
by including
lighting
practices
characteristic
of
Expressionist
cinema.

30. • During the period of Expressionist
filmmaking in Germany, other notable
directors included Paul Wegener, Karl Heinz
Martin, Leon Brinsky and George Wilhelm
Pabst.

31. • When the Nazi party came to power in
Germany, many filmmakers felt it
necessary to leave the country. They
emigrated to America and integrated
Expressionism into American cinema.
• Expressionist films became successful
in America and largely impacted the
American film industry.

32. • American Horror films and Film Noir were
two American film genres that were heavily
influenced by Expressionism.
• The silent film “The Phantom of the Opera,”
starring Lon Chaney incorporated many
Expressionist elements.

34. • German filmmakers such as Karl Freund,
designed dark sets for use in American classic
films such as Universal Studios 1931 release
of “Dracula”.
• German directors, Fritz Lang and Otto
Preminger, expanded Expressionist themes
into American crime dramas which further
spread the influence of Expressionism.

35. • Alfred Hitchcock had worked in Germany in the
1920s. He became greatly influenced by
Expressionism which became evident in many of
his films.
• Hitchcock’s early British films and his black and
white films of the 1950’s were permeated with
Expressionist techniques. The Expressionist
influence can be seen in his color films of the
1960’s as well.

36. Hitchcock employed the use of shadow and light. He directed
his actors to over-exaggerate their facial movements to better
emphasize their inner emotions in “The Lodger”.

37. The exploitation of light and shadow assisted in expressing this film’s
interwoven themes of guilt and deceit.

38. In addition to traditional Expressionist elements, Hitchcock engaged the
use of whirling camera movements to create a dizzy and disorienting
effect for his audience. In contrast to his earlier films, “The Wrong Man”
was based upon a true story.

39. Hitchcock relied heavily
on the
use of shadows and
silhouettes
in the movie “Psycho”.
He also represented the dark
emotionality of Norman
Bates by maintaining a bleak
environment and contrasting
light and darkness
throughout the film.

40. In his movie, “The Birds”, Hitchcock manipulated sound as was
done in the early German silent films. The sound effects contributed to the
to the turmoil in the movie and added to the chaotic atmosphere.

41. Hitchcock’s use of color in “Marnie” provoked and conveyed a
frenzy of emotion. His use of artificial backgrounds and highly
stylized sets reflected the influence of Expressionism.

42.  Alfred Hitchcock was exceedingly popular
and many other filmmakers copied his
techniques.
 Because he was mimicked by so many other
directors, Hitchcock inadvertently acted as a
vehicle to propel the influence of
expressionism more widely into filmmaking
than ever before.

43.  Many analysts believe that Expressionist
media often contains an underlying and
ambiguous social critique.
 In the science fiction movie, “Blade Runner”,
directed by Ridley Scott, poetic speeches
contained vague political themes and
ideologies.

44. • In the manner of Expressionism, Ridley Scott
incorporated dark shadows, hazy lighting and odd
camera movements into the film.
• In addition to the parallels to movie “Metropolis”,
“Blade Runner” imitated sequences from other
German Expressionist films. Bladerunner’s
emphasis on the degraded, alienating city
resembled that of many expressionist "street
films" taken together. Some propose that
“Bladerunner” was a remake of Lang's
Metropolis.

45. Similar to the earlier Expressionist film, “Metropolis”,
“Bladerunner” portrayed a futuristic city as bleak and dark.

46. Ridley Scott contrasted light and dark and used straight
angles and silhouettes. Images in the movie were reminiscent of
“Nosferatu”.

47.  Tim Burton is a modern-day director for
whom the influence of Expressionism is
evident in many of his films.

48. The painted backdrops used in “Beetlejuice”
mimic those seen in “The Cabinet of Dr.
Caligari”.

49.  Burton’s depiction of Gotham City in his
movie “Batman Returns” was also compared
to Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis”. The angular
building designs and severe looking city
squares of Gotham City bore resemblance to
Lang’s futuristic city.

50. • The urban design of
Gotham city resembled
a dream or nightmare-
like landscape. A variety
of architectural styles
including Expressionism
were borrowed from in
the creation of the city.

51.  Expressionist themes permeated the opening
montage of this film and were familiar to the
silent Expressionist films of the 1920’s.

52. Critics have compared the likeness of Weine’s
“Cesare” to Burton’s “Edward Scissorhands”.

53.  In addition to the direct influence of
emigrated German filmmakers, filmmakers in
other countries were impressed with
expressionist style and techniques. They
incorporated the style into their own films
which expanded the influence of
Expressionism to international films from the
1930’s to the films of today.

54.  Explore the meaning and legacy of German Expressionist film.
 Expressionism as a movement in Germany covered many different creative media - such as visual art, literature
and theatre, as well as its influence on the world of cinema. Its visual style and themes represent in many ways
the personal and social conflict felt in Germany at the time, and as expressed by Klinge & Klinge (1983, p.106), to
find answers, artists turned inward, to project human emotion through their films. This resulted in a collection of
dark, mysterious horror films, the style of which has made a great impact on filmmakers since the period, and
right up to the present day.
 An early expressionist film that embodies most of the characteristics associated with the movement is The
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Wiene, 1920), and I shall be looking at this film in particular detail -with reference to other
Expressionist films and those influenced by them - to understand further the techniques used in making the film
and the meaning behind them. In order to understand the meaning behind the movement, it is vital to consider
events previous to the period. From the unification of Germany in 1871, Europe suffered from civil unrest at the
balance of powers within the continent, and WW1 (1914-1918) caused devastation and Germany suffered under
the Treaty of Versailles (1919), which ended the war. A common theme in German Expressionist film is that of
authority, or more specifically, the idea of tyranny (Kraucauer, 1947). In The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Caligari uses
his hypnotic power as a means of control of Cesare, who he makes commit murder. This idea of being under
power which cannot be fought against may well be an analogy for Germany's treatment, and in their view,
oppression, during the war years. In the end of the film, however, it is made clear that Francis is seemingly
delusional, with the tyrannical figure of Caligari triumphing. In writers Hanz Janowitz and Carl Mayer's original
script, this did not happen, and the story exposed the 'madness inherent in an obsession with authority' (Klinge &
Klinge, 1983). However, Wiene made the directorial choice to change this ending, so authority triumphed. This
message was not followed in other expressionist films, such as Nosferatu (Murnau, 1922), where the film's
tyrannical antagonist is finally defeated.

55.  The aesthetic movement of Expressionism gained prominence during the early twentieth century, and had a
profound impact on the arts - especially theater, painting, sculpture, and film. Expressionism was particularly
popular between 1910 and 1920, and the movement ushered in a rebellion against the established Impressionist
style that had previously dominated the fine arts. Whereas Impressionism concentrated on the artist's
interpretation of a given subject, Expressionism was rooted in the artist's own state of mind or vision.
Expressionists infused their subjects with a rich emotional quality through a concentration of systematized
symbols.
 The movement was largely inspired by Nietzsche's philosophy of art, which held that the artistic impulse inspired
a wondrous vitality - a reawakening of the senses - in the artist himself. In other words, the artist breathes in the
basic gestures of creation, which are then expressed in his work. Developed during a period of history that saw
Germany undergo severe social, political, and economic dislocation following the country's defeat in World War
I, German Expressionism conveyed a feeling of chaos through the usage of darkly violent images that reflected
the state of mind of both the artist and society in general. Art became an action, and the human gestures being
portrayed became a reflection of the artist's personality and sensibility. The artist's medium was thus
transformed into a vehicle for social and political critique. The works were driven by activist impulses and colored
by the emotional registers of the revolutionary spirit.
 While Expressionist painters were predominantly inspired by Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, and thus paid
special attention to color and symbolism and employed exaggerated imagery, German Expressionism focused
on the more sinister aspects of the human psyche. German Expressionism conveyed a feeling of darkness,
eccentricity, madness, paranoia, and obsession. German Expressionists often focused on the criminal
underworld, infusing their works with a surreal, eerie atmosphere, anti-heroic characters, and elements of evil
and betrayal. They also utilized geometric shapes, and often examined the contrast between the city and the
country. They did not aim to offer a realistic portrayal of the world, but rather strove to elicit a powerful,
authentic emotional response from their audiences. Deliberately dream-like, their images were filled with
distorted lines and shapes, and often included intensely sexual - even orgiastic - scenes.

56. Section A - International Film Styles
Your answer should be based on a minimum of two films and focus on one of the following:
German and/or Soviet Cinema of the 1920s
Neo Realism
Surrealism
New Waves
Either,
Explore in detail the use of a particular micro feature in your chosen international film
style.[35]
Discuss some of the factors that contributed to the development of your chosen international
film style. [35]
Discuss characteristic features of casting and/or performance, exploring how far these
features contribute the overall effect of the films you have studied. [35]
What is the relationship between visual style and the subject matter of the films you have
studied? [35]

57. International Film Styles
Questions 3 and 4
• A knowledge and appreciation of the importance of the relevant historical,
political, social, cultural and artistic contexts.
• A specific understanding of the chosen films and their stylistic features –
and of the relationship of these chosen features to thematic
preoccupations.
• An understanding of what is distinctive – and innovative – in the films
studied.