German Expressionisms Influence On Film Noir

1974 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How has german expressionism effected film making

German Expressionisms’ Influence on Film Noir and Their Differences German Expressionism and Film Noir are two genres of film that are often confused and labelled as the same thing, although there are similarities, there are also major differences between the two. When examining the narrative of the two, German Expressionism depicts the mood of a country; this leads to internal feelings of shame, anger, and depression being expressed externally through films. While with Film Noir the narrative usually follows rebellion, violence, bribery, and bad romances which is the exact opposite of what the country needs from its citizens. Audiences who aren’t looking that in depth into the moods of films and their narratives will bypass those major differences. …show more content…

Researchers state that his films are directly influenced by German Expressionism because of the set lighting, the distortion of buildings, people, and character attitudes (Film History, 2013). While German directors like Robert Siodmak also had great influence from German Expressionism, he was known for his blended strategies from both German Expressionism and American styled films like Film Noir. With this, he could create a variety of chilling thrillers that included the moods of despair which was seen in both genres, this established a signature in his films. Not only did German Expressionism have a great influence on directors producing Film Noir films within America but the influence trickled to horror films within America as well. The dark, chilling moods seen in these films motivated directors like Orson Welles to explore different moods in film. Although, his films similar to ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” demonstrated the distortion that is popular within the genre, he was sure to incorporate scenes that had the audience on the edge of their seats. Lastly, the plot of the film in relation to the colors used in the different scenes aided in the “horror-like” feeling while watching the

Show More
Related

  • Confronting Reality: How Nosferatu Exemplifies Film Horror Tactics

    2551 Words  | 6 Pages

    Many films, and sometimes film genres, are dismissed as being part of the cinema of escapism. This assumes that in times of particular social or economic hardship (often on a national or international level), people go to movies for the sole purpose of “getting away from it all.” While some films may follow this overall trend, it is important to note that it cannot be a generalization made for all films. During the Weimar era in Germany, the nation was in the midst of a national struggle on many fronts. As a people, Germans attempted to deal with their past (the problems during World War I as well as the consequences of their loss) and move toward the future (finding a solution for their economic struggles and defining themselves culturally and socially). This period saw a resurgence of the horror genre, this time adapted to the new medium of film. However, the way horror was portrayed via film is the interesting part: it drew specifically on the struggles of the nation to instill horror. This is an exact reversal of the idea of cinematic escapism, since many Weimar era horror films used relatable struggles in order to both entertain and terrify (in this case, existing concurrently as well as dependently on each other). One of the clearest examples of this is through the film Nosferatu, a cinematic retelling of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula directed by F.W. Murnau. The budding horror genre of the Weimar era, as exemplified by Nosferatu, succeeded because it drew parallels to the German people’s collective post-World War I mindset, including references to the terrible nature of the war itself and the fearful prospect of how to move forward.

    Read More

  • The Other in Nosferatu and Dr. Mabuse the Gambler

    1822 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the Early years of film one can easily say that Germany lead the way in experimentation, with such striking examples as Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu and Dr. Mabuse the Gambler. How when looking at two of these film, Nosferatu and Dr Mabuse the Gambler one can find a similar theme that run throughout. This theme is that of Weimar’s insecurity about outsiders and otherness different cultures. While both films have different stories at their very simplest both films see someone come into the idyllic lives of the protagonist not only wrecking their lives but the lives of ordinary people as well. It’s worth noting that borth Nosferatu and Dr. Mabuse the Gambler were filmed in the turbulent early 20’s of the Weimar period where Germany was still dealing with the aftermath of the war and outside powers such as France encroaching on German territory and at the same time political unrest had reached its high. With all these changes going on it easy to see why Germany might have felt that outsider were at work trying to remold modern Germany. This is why in these turbulent early years befor the Weimar Golden age we see such strong use of the other/outsider as a stand in for events taken place in Germany

    Read More

  • Comparing Dark Water and The Mothman Prophecies

    2352 Words  | 5 Pages

    Horror genre conventions are evident in both films and the way they are directed has given me obvious indications on the effect the horror conventions can have on a film when used well, and the adverse effect when not used well. Both Japanese and American society are evident in these films, and the style of the films are similar to the nationality of the two directors. Horror conventions are used in both films, but the way they are used are quite different, and these contrasting styles are key in how effective the two films are to their audience.

    Read More

  • Paint It Black: The Evolution of Film Noir

    1564 Words  | 4 Pages

    The term film noir means, “black film” and was originally coined by French critic Nino Frank in 1946.. The author of “Film Noir”, Bruce Crowther, points out that “in some cases, the movies were based upon the work of such novelists and short-story writes as James M. Cain, Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. The work of these and other American writers of the tough-guy and hard-boiled schools were published in France…The prevailing atmosphere of pessimism and doom in these new romans noire translated with ease to the medium of film and prompted the coinage of the term film noir.

    Read More

  • Opening Sequence Of Halloween Essay

    540 Words  | 2 Pages

    How the Opening Sequence of Halloween Captures the Attention of the Audience ' 'Halloween' was made in 1978 and is a good example of the 'Slasher' movies from that time and this is an interesting piece of cinema as it can be related to the German expressionism of the late 1920's which used jerky camera shots and high contrast lighting to enthrall the viewer .In this essay I will discuss how the opening to Halloween captures the audiences attention and how codes and conventions create suspense and tension for the audience.

    Read More

  • What Are Gender Roles In The Blue Angel

    581 Words  | 2 Pages

    The film illustrates the common social and sexual anxieties that the Germans were undergoing at that period of time. It also employs cinematic aesthetics alongside with new technology to create what would be considered as one of Germany’s first sound-supported films. Furthermore, it was the film that popularized its star Marlene Dietrich. The film is also known for combining elements of earlier expressionist works into its setting without becoming an expressionist film itself. It is important also to point out that the visual element has helped to balance the film easily against the backdrop the nightclub lifestyle that Lola leads the professor to fall into.

    Read More

  • German Expressionism In Metropolis

    874 Words  | 2 Pages

    Specific techniques of German expressionism, such as dark vs. light, religious themes and spirituality, and the use

    Read More

  • The Historical Context of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligar

    871 Words  | 2 Pages

    The German Expressionist movement was a number of movements that began in Germany during the start of the 20th century. It mainly dealt with poetry, painting, art and cinema. The success of expressionist films helped Germany seen as the most technically advanced in the world. The expressionist style can be...

    Read More

  • The Use of Expressionism in Das Kabinett des Doctor Caligari and Shutter Island

    1657 Words  | 4 Pages

    The link between expressionism and horror quickly became a dominant feature in many films and continues to be prominent in contemporary films mainly due to the German expressionist masterpiece Das Kabinett des Doctor Caligari. Wiene’s 1920 Das Kabinett des Doctor Caligari utilized a distinctive creepiness and the uncanny throughout the film that became one the most distinctive features of externalising inner mental and emotional states of protagonists through various expressionist methods. Its revolutionary and innovative new art was heavily influenced by the German state and its populace in conjunction with their experience of war; Caligari took a clear cue from what was happening in Germany at the time. It was this film that set cinematic conventions that still apply today, heavily influencing the later Hollywood film noir genre as well as the psychological thrillers that has led several film audiences to engage with a film, its character, its plot and anticipate its outcome, only to question whether the entire movie was a dream, a story of a crazy man, or an elaborate role play. This concept of the familiar and the strange, the reality, the illusion and the dream developed in Das Kabinett des Doctor Caligari, is once again present in Scorsese’s 2010 film Shutter Island.

    Read More

  • Color Coded Wonders In The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad

    1299 Words  | 3 Pages

    I contribute to a local newspaper with short articles on new films. I have a strong interest in the history of cinema, particularly in regards to horror films. In this short paper I wish to explain how colors interact with the idea of what horror is, and what monsters are. I will do this through the film The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Color Coded Wonders in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad

    Read More

  • The Influence Of New Hollywood Cinema

    1150 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of Life in Communist East Germany in Goodbye, Lenin

    2212 Words  | 5 Pages

    Where Schlondorff, Wenders, Herzog, Fassbinder and Kluge once investigated the extremities of the German character and the Americana that infested West German culture through the New German Cinema of the late 60s, 70s and early 80s, the Germany of today has through its cinema acknowledged past hardships but with a more positive emphasis placed on the possibilities of forgiveness, redemption and hope for what can be made of tomorrow. Bibliography A Reversal of Fortunes? Women, work and change in East Germany. Rachel Alsop.

    Read More

  • Thematic and Stylistic Devices in Neo-noir Film

    763 Words  | 2 Pages

    While there are many different ways to classify a Neo-noir film, Roman Polanski’s, Chinatown captures many. The 1974 movie consists of many of these elements, including both thematic and stylistic devices. One of the main themes of neo-noir film that is constant throughout the film is the deceptive plot that questions the viewers’ ideas and perceptions of what is actually happening in the film. Every scene of Chinatown leads to a twist or another turn that challenges the practicability of the film’s reality. All of the never-ending surprises and revelations lead up to the significant themes the movie is trying to convey in the conclusion of the film.

    Read More

  • German Expressionism In German Expressionism

    1650 Words  | 4 Pages

    When a person feels sad, they sit by a rainy windowsill, bathe in despondency, and belt along to Celine Dion’s 1996 hit, “All By Myself”; when they turn terrified by the circumstances surrounding them in the post-WWi era, wrought with unemployment and economic ruin, they invent art-house, pastiche horrors that influences large-scale branches of cinema. In Robert Wiene’s ground-breaking German Expressionist, Das Cabinet des Dr.Caligari (The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari) (1922), and F.W. Murnau’s Expressionistic-Kammerspielfilm, Der letzte Mann (The Last Laugh) (1924), a range of audience-broadening experiments are taken within silent film; rooted in the up rise of German expressionism, socio-political horrors of post-war Germany are exploited in

    Read More

  • Film Analysis Of Full Metal Jacket, By Stanley Kubrick

    1038 Words  | 3 Pages

    Therefore, it is possible to notice how the cinematography, the mise-en-scene and the editing are used to resemble the peculiarities of the space in which the actions are taking place. For instance, the first part is characterized by long pan or tilt shots, the camera is steady but still manages to follow the characters actions. The editing points to the linear occurring of the events. Also, the characters and the objects are usually methodically placed in the scene. All of the elements are used to convey the rigid organization, efficiency and control typical of the military environment. On the other hand, in the second part, there are usually shorter shots and steadicam shots. The camera is free to investigate the space of action. Here, the editing is used to create a dynamic perception of the events. In this way Kubrick is able to bring in the spectators’ minds the chaotic reality of the war. Moreover, colors become another tool to communicate to the audience this sort of split within the film. In fact, after Pyle’s death the viewer can notice how those metallic and cold colors, that are present at the beginning of the film, shift into wormer colors. It is actually through Pyle’s suicide that the the spectator gets this switch. In that scene the dark red blood stains, and ideologically violates, the cold white tiles of the bathroom. This film is also different on

    Read More

More about German Expressionisms Influence On Film Noir

Open Document