Even Before The Jazz Singer…

1. Even Before The Jazz Singer… • We have a little ‘ol genre called “Expressionism” that dominated international film. • By 1914, the industrial revolution was in full swing, with one man in a tractor doing the work of fifty farmers. So what did all these ex-farmers do? Well, there were plenty of new jobs in the modern factories. What did these factories do? Assemble pots and pans, automobiles, or maybe ammunition, lots of ammunition. What did they need so much ammunition for? To put in the newly invented machine guns and warplanes and tanks. Yes, technology can make things very convenient, but it has always had a dark side. In just a few years, more people died in World War I than any previous war. So after the war, things were looking pretty bleak in Europe. So bleak that painting pictures of beautiful people doing beautiful things just didn't seem to cut it anymore. Instead, artists like Edward Munch went more in this direction:

2. What is Expressionism? • German Expressionism is an artistic genre that originated in Europe in the 1920s, and is broadly defined as the rejection of Western conventions, and the depiction of reality that is widely distorted for emotional effect. Heavily influenced by artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, and El Greco, Expressionists were less concerned with producing aesthetically pleasing compositions as they were with creating powerful reactions to their work through the use of bright, clashing colors, flat shapes, and jagged brushstrokes. In its nature, the movement was interested in the relationship between art and society, and encompassed a broad range of fields, including architecture, painting, and film. Expressionist films were initially born out of Germany’s relative isolation during the 1910s, and quickly generated high demand due to the government’s ban on foreign films. The films’ appeal soon spread to an international audience, and by the early 1920s, many European filmmakers had begun experimenting with the absurd and wild aesthetics of German cinema. Two of the most influential films of the era were Metropolis (1927), by Fritz Lang (Austrian, 1877–1961), and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), by Robert Wiene (German, 1873–1938). Similar to Expressionist paintings, Expressionist films sought to convey the inner, subjective experience of its subjects.

3. German Expressionism Germany 1919-1926/7 (approx) Expressionism= “Expressing the essence of things.”

4. History • Start of WWI – output of German film small. America & France had banned German films but Germany could not reciprocate because the output of home-grown product wasn’t large enough. • To combat the competition the German Government began to support the film industry and recognised its ability to serve propaganda • Production increased rapidly – from a dozen to well over 100 companies within 7 years.

5. By the end of the war, the need for overt militarist propaganda disappeared and the film industry began to tire of mimicking the success of foreign countries • 1919 – two unconventional, unknown directors, Carl Mayer and Hans Janowitz, sought to make a film in an unprecedented, stylised fashion. • Expressionist style chosen as already proven successful in theatre, literature and architecture.

6. These film makers devloped methods of compensating for the lack of high budgets, by using symbolism and mise-en-scene to insert mood and deeper meaning into the film

7. Form “The film must become graphic art”

8. Acting has a strange jerky quality, over-exaggerated angular gestures. • Made-up for a lack of budget by using wildly non-realistic, geometrically absurd sets, along with designs painted on walls and floors to represent lights, shadows and objects.

9. The décor becomes overpowering -sets dominate the film and its characters. -strong interrelation between the characters and sets.

10. Architecture is at impossible angles (matching the acting) e.g. crooked housing, leaning windows. • Set designers were often out of work architects due to WW1 and were paid as much as directors.

11. Characters • The function of expressionist pieces is to convey the distorted viewpoint of a madman • The audience sees the world as the hero does

12. Themes: • Horror • Science Fiction • The Supernatural • Madness, insanity • Betrayal • “Intellectual” topics

13. Some characteristics of expressionism: • Purposefully unrealistic, dreamlike or nightmare quality • Exaggerated sets, costumes, acting • Dark/ominous subject and tone • Lots of darkness and shadows • Main character has some kind of unfulfilled spiritual hunger • A search for meaning in an industrial world (often ends in failure) • Fear of being overwhelmed or overtaken by technologyHave you seen any of these patterns going on in modern films? You can tell • Tim Burton is a huge fan of the stuff. Who else?

14. Key Films and Directors: • The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (Robert Weine 1921) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuocVLKdSqQ • Nosferatu (192_) F.W.Murnau (The 1st Dracula/vampire film) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC6jFoYm3xs • Metropolis (Fritz Lang 1927) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1kxfiY_1DA