German Expressionism (Cultural Movement)

  • Mad Woman

    Soutine painted two known versions of Mad Woman (using a different woman for each), and this was unquestionably the darkest of the pair. His violent brushstrokes and contorted lines communicate an almost unnerving tension, but nevertheless do not deny his subject a rich depth of character
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    ACTION

    Action in Expressionist films rarely progresses smoothly. The film moves at an odd rate because the narrative will pause or slow to emphasize the mise-en-scène elements when they align perfectly.
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    Mise-en-Scène

    Mise-en-scène is the most distinctive feature of German expressionism films. The makers wanted films to be a visual art, and therefore stressed composition of individual shots over all else.
  • Algol:Tragedy of Power

    Directed by Hans Werckmeister, Algol contains many examples of symmetry in the scenogprahy of the film. The symmetry provides futuristic tones to the screen which invokes the audience to think about what the future may look like.
  • Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari

    This real was immediately recognized as something very different in cinema. The backgrounds for the film are painted on canvas backdrops or flats and are very stylized, which displayed how studio built sets could approach the stylization of Expressionist art. The actors do not try to act "normal" instead their actions are very jerky or dancelike.
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    LIGHTING

    Most lighting in German Expressionism films is very simple, from the front and sides evenly and flatly. This stressed the links between the figures and the sets. In some cases, like Nosferatu, shadows were used to create additional distortion.
  • "Destiny"

    "Destiny"
    "Destiny" is a slient German film
  • Kriemhild's Revenge" Released

    Kriemhild's Revenge is part of a series of two silent fantsy films created in 1924 by Fritz Lang, an Austrian director.
  • Metropolis

    Metropolis
    It is considered one of the best works of German Expressionist Cinema. The plot consists of a rich son who falls in love with a girl and tries to overcome the classicist nature of their city, which is an example of inner emotional reality being portrayed in the era of the film.
  • End of the movement

    Due in part to the excessive budgets of later films and the departure of of filmmakers to Hollywood the true expressionism movement had ended. The release of "Metropolis" actually marked the end of the German Expressionism movement.