A Psychological History of the German Film - Essay Example

Development of Motion Picture Development of Motion Picture Quaresima, L. (2004). From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film, Revised and Expanded Edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton. The article is about a fictional horror narrative originally done by Janowitz and Mayer and later by Wiene. At the beginning of the article, Janowitz, a youthful film poet is portrayed pursuing a beautiful girl whom he follows into the wilderness through a laughter he thinks is hers.

The laughter disappears in shrubbery before Janowitz sees a shadow as he walks past it. The following day’s news has it that a girl, apparently the charming lady pursued by Janowitz, has been assassinated. The story is basically about horror film dubbed Caligari, which depicts a serial murderer. Janowitz and Mayer developed the original version, which is later screened in a new version by Wiene. However, in the new coverage, the objective of the film’s original authors seemed distorted. In Wiene’s version, the story is screened with Caligari more of a conformist rather than Janowitz’s and Mayer’s intention of portraying the film as a revolutionary one.

Wiene’s version of the film Caligari utilizes pictorial presentation to demonstrate the fantasies of a madman. The use of pictures bonds well with the audience, who develop clear understanding of the background and gestures used. The film is basically a blatant expression of psychological issues. Caligari depicts how the film industry has developed from ancient periods. It uses motion pictorial presentation to convey the themes covered to its audience. Caligari portrays life amidst and after war, exhibiting the error of Hitler.

The film covers the reality that the Germans had gone through during the war and the illumination of the scenes was such that it appeared soul-oriented. Caligari presents the evolution of cinema in the 19th century as new techniques emerged.