German Expressionism

 Megan Kettler

02/02/2023

German Expressionism

German Expressionism can be identified by bright colors, dark lines, and contrast images. It is filled with a lot of artists with different styles, so each artist's interpretation of expressionism and what they choose to do with it is unique. Although the filmmakers use facial expressions and visual distortions, they use them in different ways. The movie The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari is the perfect example of German Expressionism. As I learned in the lesson from this week, the film was visually inspired by the artistic movement of expressionism. The influence that this film had on popular filmmakers like F.W Murnau, who directed The Last Laugh, started the German Expressionism movement in film. 

“German Expressionist filmmakers used a lot of visual distortion and hyper-expressive performance to show inner turmoil's, fears and desires of that era.”(Movementsinfilm.com). In the movie The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari uses a lot of visual distortion and expressive faces. From eleven minutes to thirteen minutes in the movie when Dr.Caligari is waking up Cesare, With the use of close ups and facial expressions, the audience can see and feel exactly what Cesare is feeling. You are able to see the confusion and surprise very clearly on his face. Then we see the visual distortion that is very popular in German Expressionism in the sets being used. Specifically at thirty-five minutes in when they are walking up the path. The path looks distorted giving it more depth and adding shadows to make it more realistic. 

Another film that is a great example of German expressionism is The Last Laugh by F.W Murnau. In The Last Laugh, you see a lot of the exaggerated facial expressions as well. For example, at twelve minutes in, when the actors are having a conversation, they use a lot of facial expressions. Since it is a silent film and we cannot hear what is being said in the conversation, they use a lot of facial expressions as a way of showing emotions and feelings. The Last Laugh also achieved German Expressionism by the use of extreme camera angles, special effects, and exaggerated movements. The Last Laugh is about an older doorman who is demoted from his position to bathroom attendant and how he handles that emotionally. The use of camera angles and close ups do a great job of showing us the doorman's inner emotions. 

The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari and The Last Laugh are both great examples of German Expressionism. Their use of close ups, facial expressions, and visual distortions helped shape and inspire other Expressionist filmmakers during that time period. German expressionism was important to more than just Germany, as World War 2 began, many German Expressionist filmmakers fled the country. Some of them went to the United States and they influenced two American film genres, Horror and film noir, or “dark film.” So German Expressionism was not only important to Germany, but also to other countries because of the movement of German expressionist Filmmakers to many different countries at the start of the war. 

Wagner, Sam. “Expressionist Techniques in the Last Laugh - Narrative Film Technique.” Jukola Art Community, 22 Dec. 2022, https://www.jukolart.us/narrative-film-technique/expressionist-techniques-in-the-last-laugh.html.

“What Is German Expressionism? A Beginner's Guide.” Movements In Film, https://www.movementsinfilm.com/german-expressionism.