New German Cinema is a term used to describe a loose grouping of films that were made in West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) during the 1960s, 70s and early 80s. Although usually grouped together, these films resist clear generic delineation and are in fact marked by their stylistic and thematic diversity. There are three common elements that unite them. First, all the directors were born in or around the time of WWII, growing up in a post-war divided Germany and therefore characterized as a generation. Second, the ‘new cinema’ was based on an artisanal mode of production, which facilitated close collaborations and a high degree of experimentation due to funding criteria and opportunities. Third and last, all the films shared the same concern with contemporary West Germany reality on the one hand and a search for audience and markets on the other.
Although the directors of the New German Cinema were undoubtedly highly talented, there were a number of historically specific factors, which set up some of the essential pre-conditions for the emergence of the new cinema. Something of quite particular importance is the way in which the Allies handled the fledging West German film industry in the years immediately after WWII.
At the end of WWII the western Allies felt it was extremely vital to “re-educate” the German people in order to both “denazify” German as well as a way to build up the western zones of Germany as a buffer to the Soviet influence in eastern Europe; and American films were quickly identified as an effective was of disseminating western notions of freedom, democracy and capitalist enterprise.
Nevertheless, as revision to the film subsidy system during the 70s began to substantially improve production op...
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...st exclusively in terms of their directors’ personal visions. Thus, New German Cinema became predominantly known as “cinéma des auteurs” along with the likes of America and Britain. But, as subsequent studies have shown, however, an auteurist approach only gives a partial understanding of how and why particular cinema movements come into being and flourish at particular times.
It was by the mid-80s that innumerable critics pronounced the demise of New German Cinema. This was mostly likely due to the fact that many of the directors most closely associated with it had moved abroad. The likes of Herzog, Schlöndorff, von Trotta, Wenders, Straub and Huillet had either spent periods working in other countries or emigrated. Fassbiner, who was by far the most prolific of the cinema’s directors died in 1982, which was added to the list of things that led to its demise.
Kracauer, Siegfried. From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film. Princeton University Press: Princeton and Oxford, 2004.
With the loss of its centralized structure, the film industry produced filmmakers with radical new ideas. The unique nature of these films was a product of the loss of unified identity.
German Cinema since Unification. Edited by David Clarke. Continuum, in association with University of Birmingham Press. 2006
German cinema was greatly affected during the Nazi movement between 1933 and 1945. Once appointed Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933 Hitler wasted no time and almost immediately began working on his propaganda strategy. Typically “propaganda targets a mass audience and relies on mass media to persuade. Propaganda is aimed at large numbers of people and, as such, relies on mass communication to reach its audience” (Gass, 14). The Nazi party used film propaganda to brainwash the German people, distract them from the harsh reality of the Nazi party, and attempt to intimidate the enemy. Hitler knew propaganda entailed mass persuasion and he knew just how to get his message out there; film. It was through the use of propaganda, largely film that made the Nazi party so powerful as they redefined propaganda.
Kracauer, Siegfried. From Caligari to Hitler A Psychological History of The German Film. New Jersey, Princeton University Press. 1947
Classic film noir originated after World War II. This is the time where post World War II pessimism, anxiety, and suspicion was taking the world by storm. Many films that were released in the U.S. Between 1939s and 1940s were considered propaganda films that were designed for entertainment during the Depression and World War II. During the 1930s many German and Europeans immigrated to the U.S. and helped the American film industry with powerf...
Both The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, produced by Robert Wiene, and The Last Laugh, produced by F.W. Murnau, are excellent examples of films created in the golden age of German cinema. These two films make use of the camera in order to see inside a character's mind, a technique greatly refined throughout German Expressionism. The ideas, feelings, thoughts, and dreams of a character are carefully shown in a first-person view, and the tone and mood of the characters and plot are mirrored in the surrounding environment. The German films of this time, as well as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and The Last Laugh, were either fantasy or psychological type films. The fantasy type of film was distinguished by the revolving of action around the strange and bizarre, as was portrayed by Wiene. The psychological film's action, on the other hand, revolves around the particulars of the characters, such as the importance of the doorman's job and his status in Murnau's film. A discussion of these two films and their place in German cinema is the topic of this critique.
During the course of this essay it is my intention to discuss the differences between Classical Hollywood and post-Classical Hollywood. Although these terms refer to theoretical movements of which they are not definitive it is my goal to show that they are applicable in a broad way to a cinema tradition that dominated Hollywood production between 1916 and 1960 and which also pervaded Western Mainstream Cinema (Classical Hollywood or Classic Narrative Cinema) and to the movement and changes that came about following this time period (Post-Classical or New Hollywood). I intend to do this by first analysing and defining aspects of Classical Hollywood and having done that, examining post classical at which time the relationship between them will become evident. It is my intention to reference films from both movements and also published texts relative to the subject matter. In order to illustrate the structures involved I will be writing about the subjects of genre and genre transformation, the representation of gender, postmodernism and the relationship between style, form and content.
France during World War II was a dark place for a film industry that had once experienced such successes. As a result of Nazi Germany’s occupation, the selection of films available in France was severely limited. With Hollywood films strictly banned, theatres during the war mostly exhibited German imports and only a handful of domestically produced and heavily censored features. Immediately following WWII the French film industry was in ruins like the rest of the country’s industry.
Think about your favorite movie. When watching that movie, was there anything about the style of the movie that makes it your favorite? Have you ever thought about why that movie is just so darn good? The answer is because of the the Auteur. An Auteur is the artists behind the movie. They have and individual style and control over all elements of production, which make their movies exclusively unique. If you could put a finger on who the director of a movie is without even seeing the whole film, then the person that made the movie is most likely an auteur director. They have a unique stamp on each of their movies. This essay will be covering Martin Scorsese, you will soon find out that he is one of the best auteur directors in the film industry. This paper will include, but is not limited to two of his movies, Good Fellas, and The Wolf of Wall Street. We will also cover the details on what makes Martin Scorsese's movies unique, such as the common themes, recurring motifs, and filming practices found in their work. Then on
Star Wars (1977) is one of the world’s most successful films of all time. It has made a terrific impact on popular culture since its release. Furthermore, Star Wars changed the narrative and aesthetic style of future Hollywood films. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, illustrates how cinema has evolved since Fred Ott’s Sneeze (1894). Ultimately, this essay will explain the set up of Star Wars and how it connects to cinema history, in the point of views of the: narrative and cinematic style, genre, auteur theory and the global film industry.
Thompson, K 2003, ‘The struggle for the expanding american film industry’, in Film history : an introduction, 2nd ed, McGraw-Hill, Boston, pp. 37-54
It is no doubt that Martin Scorsese has heavily influenced the emulating of American film making from European influences. He is a prime example of a ‘New Hollywood Cinema’ director, not only from his ethnicity and background, but from his sheer interest in this form
German Expressionism is an artistic movement that rose from the smouldering ashes of World War |. This movement would change the film industry and it's approach to filmmaking. Expressionism was a response to a widespread anxiety about humanities increasing discordant relationship with the world. During this time the German nation had been virtually destroyed. The war introduced death in staggering numbers and highlighted the barbarism of humanity. The chaotic results of the war inspired an artistic revolution that would impact cinema for a century later. More than ninety years after it's development the movement known as German Expressionism is still influencing the minds and actions of filmmakers and artists. Born out of despair and tragedy this movement has grown so readily that many modern icons can find their roots in German durning the 1920's. The minds of Fritz Lang, F.W Marnau, Robert Weine, Er...
Reich, J. and Garofalo, P. (ed.) (2002), Re-viewing Fascism: Italian Cinema, 1922-1943, Indiana: Indiana University Press.