German Expressionism: Crash Course Film History #7

Summary

This script explores the impact of World War I on the global film industry, focusing on the rise of German Expressionism. It discusses how pre-war German cinema evolved from spectacle to narrative filmmaking, influenced by the French 'film d'art' movement. The war led to the creation of UFA, a state-sponsored film entity, which later produced films like 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari', known for its distorted mise-en-scène reflecting characters' psychology. The script also covers the work of directors like Ernst Lubitsch, Fritz Lang, and F.W. Murnau, whose techniques influenced future film genres. Despite the decline of Germany's film industry post-Dawes Plan, German Expressionism left a lasting impact on cinema.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The early days of cinema were its most global due to the lack of synchronous sound, allowing for visual storytelling that transcended language barriers.
• 🎬 European film cultures, particularly in Germany, were significantly impacted by World War I, leading to a shift in film styles and themes.
• 🇩🇪 German Expressionism emerged as a distinctive film style post-WWI, characterized by its psychological depth and distorted mise-en-scène to reflect characters' inner states.
• 🏰 The Weimar Period in Germany saw the rise of UFA, a state-sponsored film entity that aimed to consolidate film production and promote nationalist cinema.
• 📈 Despite the economic turmoil, Germany's film industry grew during the Weimar Period, becoming the only one capable of competing with Hollywood at the time.
• 🎭 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was a groundbreaking film that introduced expressionistic techniques and an unreliable narrator, influencing future cinema.
• 👑 Ernst Lubitsch became a master of the 'Kostumfilme' genre, known for his crowd scenes and artificial lighting, before moving to Hollywood.
• 🏙️ Fritz Lang's Metropolis combined German Expressionist techniques with special effects, foreshadowing dystopian narratives in later films.
• 🧛‍♂️ F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu, inspired by Caligari, focused on lighting and special effects to convey the psychological aspects of its characters.
• 📉 The Dawes Plan, while beneficial for the German economy, negatively impacted the film industry by making it harder for German films to be exported and financed.

Q & A

What was a significant characteristic of early cinema that allowed it to be understood across cultures?

Early cinema was characterized by the absence of synchronous sound, which led filmmakers to tell stories visually using tools like framing, shot size, and editing. This visual storytelling made films universally comprehensible.

How did World War I impact the film industry in countries like France, Italy, and the U.K.?

World War I brought feature film production in countries like France, Italy, and the U.K. to a near-standstill due to the destruction of infrastructure and facilities or the conscription of filmmakers and their equipment into the war effort.

What changes did World War I bring to German cinema?

World War I led to German cinema becoming stranger and darker as filmmakers attempted to disorient the audience and immerse them in the heads of their main characters, marking the beginning of German Expressionism.

What was the role of UFA in the German film industry during World War I?

In 1917, the German military supreme command took control of all major film studios and production companies, consolidating them under UFA, a state-sponsored entity aimed at producing nationalist films to support the war effort.

How did the Weimar Period affect the German film industry?

The Weimar Period, characterized by hyperinflation, political extremism, and violence, left Germany with a robust film production infrastructure that grew during the war while the rest of the economy declined, positioning Germany to compete with Hollywood.

What was Ernst Lubitsch's contribution to German cinema?

Ernst Lubitsch became the master of the Kostumfilme genre, known for his large crowd scenes and mastery of artificial lighting, with his first major international hit being 'Madame DuBarry' (also known as 'Passion') in 1919.

How did the film 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' influence German cinema?

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari introduced German Expressionism to the world with its distorted mise-en-scène, reflecting the inner psychology of the characters and pioneering subjective filmmaking, which influenced the look and tone of Hollywood genre movies.

What is the significance of Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis' in the history of cinema?

Metropolis, Fritz Lang's sci-fi epic, combined German Expressionist techniques with special effects and was a precursor to many dystopian films. Despite being a financial failure at the time, it is now hailed as a dark and sinister classic.

How did F.W. Murnau's approach to filmmaking differ from that of other German Expressionist directors?

F.W. Murnau, inspired by German Expressionism, focused more on lighting, staging, special effects, and makeup to convey characters' inner psychology, rather than relying on exaggerated sets like other directors.

What was the impact of the Dawes Plan on the German film industry?

The Dawes Plan, implemented to help Germany pay for war damages, inadvertently hurt the German film industry by making it harder for German films to find distribution outside the country, leading to a decline in the industry's global leadership.

What techniques from the Weimar Period of German cinema continue to influence films today?

Techniques such as exaggerated mise-en-scène from German Expressionism and Murnau's 'unchained camera' continue to influence modern films, particularly in genres like horror, film noir, and dystopian narratives.