History Main / GermanExpressionism

Much modern art, and modern film in particular, is heavily influenced by German Expressionism: films like ''EdwardScissorhands'', ''DarkCity'', and ''Film/BatmanReturns'' are extremely expressionist, and almost any movie that have a nightmarish city, a machine-like bureaucratic government, or an [[AIIsACrapshoot evil AI]] owes a little to German Expressionism.

German Expressionism was an artistic movement that started before WorldWarI in Germany, and culminated in the 20s with Expressionist cinema. It was an extremely influential genre that demonstrated cinema could be an art form, and not just entertainment. These films were major contributor to the {{Horror}} genre and important precursors of FilmNoir.

Expressionism tends to be characterized by showing the subconscious feelings of the characters and making them the surface of the work. The audience will be shown not what is strictly, naturalistically real, but an abstract view what the characters feel is real. This is generally portrayed as fairly dark. This usually involves surreal set designs, dialog that dispenses with naturalism to let the characters inner motivations and thoughts be stated with brutal honesty, and stark lighting effects. A strong nightmarish atmosphere tends to prevail.

Much modern art, and modern film in particular, is heavily influenced by German Expressionism: films like ''EdwardScissorhands'', ''DarkCity'', and ''Film/BatmanReturns'' are extremely expressionist, and almost any movie that have a nightmarish city, a machine-like bureaucratic government, or an evil AI owes a little to German Expressionism.

NeedsABetterDescription

Much modern art, and modern film in particular, is heavily influenced by German Expressionism: films like ''EdwardScissorhands'', ''DarkCity'', and ''BatmanReturns'' are extremely expressionist, and almost any movie that have a nightmarish city, a machine-like bureaucratic government, or an evil AI owes a little to German Expressionism.

Much modern art, and modern film in particular, is heavily influenced by GermanExpressionism: films like EdwardScissorhands, DarkCity, and BatmanReturns are extremely expressionist, and almost any movie that have a nightmarish city, a machine-like bureaucratic government, or an evil AI owes a little to GermanExpressionism.

* Film/TheCabinetOfDrCaligari (1920)
* Film/TheGolem (1920)
* Destiny (1921)
* Film/{{Nosferatu}} (1922)
* Phantom (1922)
* [[Film/DrMabuseTheGambler Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler]] (1922)
* Faust (1926)
* Film/{{Metropolis}} (1927)
* Film/{{M}} (1931)
* Vampyr (1932)
* The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)

* [[DrMabuseTheGambler Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler]] (1922)

* {{Metropolis}} (1927)

[[quoteright:326:[[TheCabinetOfDrCaligari http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/caligari_poster_9886.jpg]]]]

* TheCabinetOfDrCaligari (1920)

* TheGolem (1920)

* {{Film/Nosferatu}} (1922)

* {{Film/M}} (1931)

* WretchedHive

* Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (1922)

* {{M}} (1931)

While the movement thrived in Weimar Germany, the [[NaziGermany Nazis]] were virulently opposed to expressionism, and even had a huge touring art exhibit dedicated to making fun of expressionist art. Persecution led to the movement's decline, and many expressionist artists fled to the States or other friendly countries to escape oppression.

German Expressionism was an artistic movement that started before WorldWarI in Germany, and culminated in the 20s with Expressionist cinema, an extremely influential genre that demonstrated cinema could be an art form, and not just entertainment. These films were major contributor to the {{Horror}} genre and important precursors of FilmNoir.

Expressionism tends to be characterized by showing the subconscious feelings of the characters and making them the surface of the work. The audience will be shown not what is strictly, naturalistically real, but an abstract view what the characters feel is real. This is generally portrayed as fairly dark. This usually involves surreal set designs, dialog that dispenses with naturalism to let the characters inner motivations and thoughts be stated with brutal honesty, and stark lighting effects. A strong nightmarish atmosphere tends to prevail.

erman Expressionism was an artistic movement that started before WorldWarI in Germany, and culminated in the 20s with Expressionist cinema, an extremely influential genre that demonstrated cinema could be an art form, and not just entertainment. These films were major contributor to the {{Horror}} genre and important precusors of FilmNoir.

http://www.leninimports.com/caligari31.jpg

German Expressionism was an artistic movement that started before WorldWarI in Germany, and culminated in the 20s with Expressionist cinema, an extremely influential genre that demonstrated cinema could be an art form, and not just entertainment. These films were major contributor to the {{Horror}} genre and important precusors of FilmNoir.

* SurrealHorror

German Expressionism was an artistic movement that started before WorldWarI in Germany, and culminated in the 20s with Expressionist cinema, an extremely influential genre that demonstrated cinema could be an art form, and not just entertainment. These films were major contributor to the {{Horror}} genre and important precusors of FilmNoir. By the end of the 20s however, the movement started to fade, and with the arrival of [[NaziGermany the nazis]], most of the prominent directors of the movement fled to Hollywood.

Expressionism was never a unified movement with a coherent philosophy, but its visual aesthetic is easy to spot.

Expressionism tends to be characterized by showing the subconscious feelings of the characters and making them the surface of the work. The audience will be shown not what is strictly, naturalistically real, but an abstract view what the characters feel is real. This is generally portrayed as fairly dark. This usually involves surreal set designs, dialog that dispenses with naturalism to let the characters inner motivations and thoughts be stated with brutal honesty, and stark lighting effects. A strong nightmarish atmosphere tends to prevail. Apparently, nobody ever made happy, cheerful expressionism. Although there's no reason it couldn't be done.

!!Notable directors included:

Expressionism was never a unified movement with a coherent philosophy, but it's visual aesthetic is easy to spot.

Expressionism tends to be characterized by showing the subconscious feelings of the characters and making them the surface of the work. The audience will be shown not what's real, but an abstract view what the characters feel is real. This is generally portrayed as fairly dark. This usually involves surreal set designs, dialog that dispenses with naturalism to let the characters inner motivations and thoughts be stated with brutal honesty, and stark lighting effects. A strong nightmarish atmosphere tends to prevail. It isn't required, but it seems to happen anyway.

Expressionism tends to be characterized by showing the subconscious feelings of the characters and making them the surface of the work. The audience will be shown not what's real, but what the characters feel is real. Generally on a fairly primal level. This usually involves surreal set designs, dialog that dispenses with naturalism to let the characters inner motivations and thoughts be stated with brutal honesty, and stark lighting effects. A strong nightmarish atmosphere tends to prevail. It isn't required, but it seems to happen anyway.

Expressionism tends to be characterized by showing the subconscious feelings of the characters and making it the surface of the work. The audience will be shown not what's real, but what the characters feel is real. Generally on a fairly primal level. This usually involves surreal set designs, dialog that dispenses with naturalism to let the characters inner motivations and thoughts be stated with brutal honesty, and stark lighting effects. A strong nightmarish atmosphere tends to prevail. It isn't required, but it seems to happen anyway.