German Expressionism in History - Research Paper Example

? German Expression Introduction In addition to being one of the major art movements of the 20th century, German Expressionism was perhaps the most seminal movements in terms of art within 20th century Germany. The movement itself was greatly influenced by European expressionism, except it took on a distinctly German character, with it nihilistic attitudes and generally dark subject matter. While the movement itself refers to a general aesthetic sensibility, in terms of medium it’s been noted that that German Expressionism expands throughout a great variety of artistic venues. The overarching movement is indicated to extend from prior to World War I into the 1920s. While German Expressionism was expressed in a wide variety of artistic formats, today it is most recognized for its appearance within film. This essay considers the historical background of German Expressionism and also analyzes it for its deeper meaning within German Expressionist films, arguing that German Expression demonstrated a nihilistic concern with industrialization and modernization. Background While Expressionism was an art movement that had become popular in Europe during the early part of the 20th century, in Germany it took on a particularly unique approach. While this is because of a variety of reasons, one of the primary reasons is because the German filmmakers did not have the financial backing Hollywood films had so they began developing their own unique style. In considering German Expressionism, it’s clear there are a number of thematic elements that exist. In these regards, it’s been noted that frequent German Expressionist themes involve insanity, betrayal, and intellectual topics. It is perhaps for this last reason that the art movement remains so prevalent a concern within University environments. While German Expressionism was confined to a set period within German art history, its influence has been extended well beyond this early 20th century period. With Nazi’s taking power in Germany, making German Expressionist filmmakers migrated to the United States and influenced filmmaking. Slowly German Expressionist techniques took hold in American cinema and developed into film noir. Today noir remains a prominent element in Hollywood cinema. In addition, to film, it’s also been argued that German Expressionism emerged in architecture. In these regards, it’s argued that the sharp angles and contrasts of film also articulated into architecture. Indeed, German Expressionism seems to equally represent these concerns. From the opening credits it’s easy to see how American critiques could have confused The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) as cubist. The slanted and oblique patterns with the actors and directors names placed on top of them seem to represent a multitude of perspectives. Analysis While it’s been noted that German Expressionism largely developed as a response to Hollywood films, one must also consider it in relation to the meaning behind the artistic style. In these regards, many researchers argue that parallels between the German Expressionism and deep German nihilistic anxiety with industrialization are evident (Elsasesser, 2004, p. 72). In one of the most famous German Expressionist films, the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari this is highly evident. The film begins with an iris-in of Francis in the asylum. One notes that the concern with insanity is a major theme of German Expressionism. It is also oddly appropriate as with the darkness closing in the iris seems to represent a telescopic view of his troubled soul. In fact, the film makes use of editing to cut to the deep focus set-up that features Jane walking toward the camera and then back to the dark and troubling iris surrounding Francis. We initially find Caligari registering his somnambulist for the carnival. He seems somewhat out-of-place in the well-lit setting and the mise-en-scene. even positions him well-below the registrar, almost as if the registrar represents the established governmental authority that Caligari is attempting to replace. The crooked lettering given to the ‘Caligari’ subtitle serves to further remove Caligari from his surroundings and cast him as an uncanny element. We next find him at the Carnival with a small group of on-lookers. The scene cuts to a news flash discussing the death of two-people and then cuts back to Caligari with an even larger crowd gathered around. It’s as if the elder Caligari is attempting to hypnotize the on-lookers into his nefarious schemes, with the increasing numbers of people representing his success. Cesare is introduced from his casket with foreboding iris shots surrounding him and Caligari, and you can envision the German public looking at the somnambulist as if in a mirror, with deep seated anxieties about their industrialized world. The subtitles even say, “He (Cesare) knows the past and sees the future.” When Alan turns up dead the next day Francis refers back to the prophecy of the somnambulist. Siegfried Kracauer discusses a similar interpretation of the film the French held, “While the Germans were too close to Caligari to appraise its symptomatic value, the French realize that this was more than just an exceptional film. They coined the term “Caligarisme” and applied it to a postwar world seemingly all upside down” (Kracauer 162). After Alan dies, Francis goes to the police. The mise-en-scene displays a large, winding staircase he must climb to speak with the officers who are positioned on extremely high-chairs. This is also echoed in the giant chair found in Alan’s apartment, expressionistically representing the underlining fear of the immensity of urban life. The majority of the investigation is left to Francis who must relay to Jane the horrible news of Alan’s death. It’s clear how an anxious Germany could respond to this scene. The expressionist setting leads the viewer to see that Alan is faced with a distorted and aloof social structure, and that he and Jane must confront their own anxious existence alone. In one scene a lone girl is walking through the carnival looking for a man and we see Caligari draw her into the tent. The actors exhibit typical silent film style melodramatic gestures, but they take on an expressionist quality that can be construed as an anxious dichotomy. The girl is eventually frightened by Caligari and runs away. The scene carries little value for the overall plot and it’s as if it functions on a purely subconscious or symbolic level. Here, the older Caligari represents the established order, and the younger woman -- through her expressionistic gestures of terror -- is indicating revulsion at the industrialized environment. The carnival seems to signify a number of things within the film. For Germany it represents the chaos and absurdity of industrialized existence, where citizens are searching answers to their urban psychic qualms. Frequently the fair is introduced by small iris shots that display a merry-go-round that continually circles. Critics have identified this as the symbolic disorder of society. In From Caligari to Hitler (2004), Kracauer writes, “The circle becomes a symbol of chaos. While freedom resembles a river, chaos resembles a whirpool.” (p. 163) The closing act of the film finds Francis uncovering the director as actually the infamous Caligari. Reaching Dr. Caligari’s office is even a matter of symbolic political authority as visitors must traverse three sets of parallel stairs, harking back to the same use of such a technique with the setting in the police office. The signification of the nefarious authoritarian regime as a ploy to corrupt the unsuspecting youth is painted so blatantly that it seems like it’s attempting to exculpate the German psyche. Francis discovers Dr. Caligari’s main medical specialization was somnambulism and in a flashback sequence we see the doctor reveling at the arrival of Cesare so he can now conduct his eccentric experiments. It’s as if Caligari has been waiting in patience to corrupt the unsuspecting youth, and because of the political climate found the perfect opportunity. If writer Hans Janowitz purposely intended the film to reflect the authoritarian older generation preying on the unsuspecting youth, inter-titles like these blatantly reflect the point. The youth are positioned like Cesare, naive and innocent subjects who are hypnotized by the evil government -- in this case Caligari. It’s appropriate that Caligari has Cesare commit murders as this parallels the similar occurrence of the authoritarian regime recruiting the masses of youth to kill in World War I. The final scene finds Francis, Jane and Cesare grouped together in the asylum with Francis warning his friend to not ask Cesare to tell his fortune as it will result in Cesare murdering him. Oblique lines extend throughout the ground. These expressionistic lines seem to represent the fractured psyche of post-war Germany, with different fractions carrying on their own interpretation of events and trying to piece together a sane whole. It’s here that the viewer understands that the film has been the psychological delusion of Francis and that Caligari is actually the director of the asylum. While this is supposed to offer closure and vindicate Caligari, the inclusion of the expressionist setting leads the viewer to continue to question the validity of the doctor, and wonder if Francis’ suspicions are somehow justified. At the end he still appears as the authoritarian older generation preying on the unsuspecting Francis, it’s just that now the lunatic is running the asylum. Another seminal German Expressionist film Metropolis is set 100 years in the future. A young man named Freder, who is the son of Joh Frederson, the ruler of the gigantic city of Metropolis, chases after a girl named Maria, and finds himself in a machine room in the lower city. He witnesses an accident at one of the large machines, and sees the machine as a demonic beast. Having witnessed this accident, he feels that it is his duty to inform his Father of what he has seen. His Father is indifferent to his son's reaction, choosing to ignore what he has been told. Freder, however, feels guilty, and decides that he must help the workers to escape their plight. In the meantime, Joh Frederson meets with the mad inventor Rotwang. Rotwang shows him his latest invention, a robot that will replace the inefficient workers in the machine rooms. Rotwang then takes Frederson to observe one of the workers' secret meetings, which is run by Maria. Maria wonders whether their savior will be Freder, who is present at the meeting. Rotwang then captures Maria and creates a robot in her exact image, in order to thwart the workers uprising. The robot Maria incites the workers to revolt prematurely. They destroy some of the machines, not realizing that this will flood the low-lying area where they live. The real Maria eventually escapes, and she and Freder help to save the workers from the flood. The workers burn Maria the robot at the stake. The film closes with the workers marching into a church towards Frederson. The film portrays not only massive skyscrapers, but also a vast underground network, populated by the underclass, and housing like factories where they work long hours for little reward. The film seems to indicate a future where urbanism has encroached drastically into the daily life of humanity (Minden 2002). Metropolis is a fine example of German Expressionism. German Expressionism gave directors to express their feelings concerning the society in which they found themselves. (Raabe 1986) His ability to give the impression that there were hundreds of thousands of workers marching into the devouring body of Moloch is achieved through his clever use of mirrors, which give the impression of masses of people struggling through their tiresome industrial routines. Without intending to, Lang was giving a chilling prophetic warning of what was to come in the near future. When Freder informs his Father of the accident he has witnessed in one of the machines, his Father does not seem to care. He knows that there will be a man there to replace the man lost in the accident. And when he dies there will be another. Conclusion In conclusion, it’s clear that German Expressionism was a 20th century artistic movement in Germany that broadly extended from the pre-World War I era through the 1920s. While the movement began in Germany, it was influenced by European Expressionism and would later go to influence American filmmaking. The essay has also demonstrated that German Expressionism developed its own stylistic tendencies as a response to Hollywood cinema. Finally, through an analysis of German Expressionist filmmaking, the essay demonstrated that German Expressionism had a nihilistic concern with industrialization and modernization. References Elsaesser, Thomas (2000). Weimar Cinema and After, London: Routledge; German edition: 1999. Kracauer, Siegfried (2004). From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film. New York: Princeton University Press, 2004. Minden, Michael. (2002). Fritz Lang's Metropolis: Cinematic Visions of Technology and Fear. Camden House. Raabe, Paul. (1986) The Era of German Expressionism. Overlook. Read More