German Expressionism
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German Expressionism
In this assignment I hope to explore the German Expressionist movement in film as well as find out how it relates to and influences the modern day work by contemporary directors. I will study one film from the Expressionist movement and other films that have been influenced by the movement and portray this influence through different characteristics, mainly Seven.
German Expressionism: An Introduction
The German Expressionist movement in film originated in the early 20th Century, around 1920, along with the Expressionist movement in painting, literature and theatre. It developed after the loss of World War 1 when people turned to new artistic styles and ideas.
Expressionism brought the focus on to the artist rather than the subject, and so turning upside-down the theory that the artist should portray realism and naturalism in their work.
Such artists in film during this movement were Murnau (Nosferatu, 1922), and Wiene (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1919).
This movement in film lead to a change in style toward more gothic and surreal visuals. Filmmakers exaggerated emotion and mood through the use of chiaroscuro lighting and heavy shadows, low or tilted camera angles, non-realistic and surreal sets and extreme stylisation of mise en scene to create atmosphere. These distinctive characteristics were also brought about due to the low budgets available at the time...