German Expressionism

German Cinema

German expressionism was the first artistic film movement, valuing film as an art form and attempting to establish itself as artistically legitimate. This largely set the German film industry apart from other countries at the time and it could’ve become the largest film industry to date if not for the migration of filmmakers to America and the rise of Hollywood.

The films made between 1918 and the 1930's were largely a metaphor for issues of the day surrounding the struggles of people in Germany transitioning from World War 1 into the years leading to World War 2. New styles of film-making that reflected the mood of the citizens were introduced. German Expressionism brought about a form of escapist fantasy, depicting areas that in no way resembled Germany, allowing audiences to escape the horror of the present day and as well as creating a sense of nostalgia for the glory days before the war.

German Expressionism can largely be understood as an art form through its unique aesthetic and the narrative created through the subjective eye of the character. The films would often produce a sense of paranoia and sit on the border between fantasy and reality, creating a distorted reality through the exaggerated use of mise-en-scene. Some of the techniques and styles of German expressionism include, utilised chiaroscuro lighting – a high contrast between dark and light, angular and crowded skyline, the doppelganger, cinematic lyricism, abstract imagery and animating objects. Exaggerated movements of characters and unusual dark makeup is used to reflect the psychological state of the characters. These techniques are used to portray a gloomy, depressing atmosphere and subvert naturalism in horror using lighting, makeup, costume, and cinematography for emotional effect.

This new style influenced many directors and films afterwards. Fritz Lang was one of the most influential directors of German expressionism. In Fritz Lang’s 1927 film Metropolis, devices are used to portray the madness and torture of the world. One of the main themes of the film is the relationship between the machines and humans. In the factory scene the jerky, puppet-like movements of the workers are all in sync. They are working like a clock and are a part of the machine rather than individuals. This is often used in the film to portray how the working class is controlled by the society and upper class as well as creating a sense of unease and horror.

In the creation of Metropolis, Lang combined his interest in special effects with techniques of German expressionism. For example, Lang utilised the Shuftan technique; which was a special effect process to create a sense of depth in the image by placing a mirror in front of the lens. He combined real scenery and hand-made models and used a mirror in order to magnify and reflect the image of the model onto the scene. This effect was used to both make the actors appear larger and smaller in the scene and create a larger backdrop than what was available.

In scenes of the skyscrapers and various building the use of lighting creates a high contrast between the brightness coming from the windows and the darkness of the black walls. Lang depicts grand spaces and a futuristic society where the rich live a lavish lifestyle through his use of chiaroscuro lighting which draws attention to the differences between the upper and lower class. Shots of the upper class are seen through bright lighting, whereas shots of the lower working class feature darker lighting and more shadows to create a gloomy atmosphere. He also used lighting to draw a contrast between the real and untrue.

Fritz Lang used a multitude of mise-en-scene techniques to create meaning and convey the story while creating a unique looking film, unlike that of the Hollywood mainstream that to this day audiences value as a form of art. 

Overall, German expressionist cinema strongly rejects the conventions of Hollywood cinema in favour of recognition as an art form. The films are designed to look artificial and surreal rather than realistic to convey a feeling of the Uncanny and are more focused on the narrative of the film as well as characters experiences. To this day, German expressionism has influenced some of the most important filmmakers of the 20^th century such as Alfred Hitchcock who uses harsh shadows and angles to convey psychological states.