History Main / GermanExpressionism

German Expressionism was an artistic movement that began in Germany during the first years of the 20th century and held sway during its first three decades. The term applies to several artistic disciplines, including visual art, film, music, literature, and dance. Despite its name, the genre found adherents worldwide.

The term also is applied to some ClassicalMusic examples from the first few decades of the 20th century, especially by members of the Second Viennese School (Music/ArnoldSchoenberg, Music/AlbanBerg, and Music/AntonWebern). Its culmination was found in the serial works by these three composers. Stylistic fingerprints include a non-triadic idiom that avoids Common Practice Period functional harmony but often retains classical structure, as well as settings of [[{{Symbolism}} Symbolist]] or [[{{Surrealism}} Surrealist]] poetry by writers such as Creator/StefanGeorge and Creator/AlbertGiraud.

German Expressionism was an artistic movement that started before UsefulNotes/WorldWarI in Germany, and culminated in the [[TheRoaringTwenties 1920s]] with Expressionist cinema. It was an extremely influential genre that demonstrated cinema could be an art form, and not just entertainment. These films were a major contributor to the {{Horror}} genre and important precursors of FilmNoir.

* ''Film/Waxworks'' (1924)

* ''Film/TheWaxworks'' (1924)

* ''Warning Shadows'' (1923)

* ''The Hands of Orlac'' (1924)

!!Notable tropes [[TropeMakers made by]], [[TropeCodifier codified by]] or [[TropeNamers named after]] GermanExpressionism include:

* {{Chiaroscuro}}

* ''The Waxworks'' (1924)

While the movement thrived in WeimarGermany, the [[UsefulNotes/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.

* UsefulNotes/WeimarRepublic: Similar to UsefulNotes/Dada, the style was largely born out of German artists' reactions to the horror that was UsefulNotes/WorldWarOne. Themes of devistation and questioning authority abound in many films.

* Friedrich W. Murnau

* Carl T. Dreyer

* ''Vampyr'' (1932)

* TheGreatDepression: Though the genre went to decline during that time, and Hitler's takeover finished him, early examples strongly resemble the atmosphere.

German Expressionism was an artistic movement that started before UsefulNotes/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 a major contributor to the {{Horror}} genre and important precursors of FilmNoir.

Translating this art style into movies usually involved 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. In German cinema of the 20s, Expressionism was actually part of the director's attempts to emphasize the subjective perspective and try and portray psychological complexity within the limits of the silent film medium. Creator/FritzLang noted that the ItWasHisSled aspect of ''Film/TheCabinetOfDrCaligari'' stemmed from their attempts to ground the entire film in a believable reality. As camera techniques improved and actors developed a way of acting for silent films, directors gradually pushed to greater realism in the 20s. Even ''Nosferatu'' was largely shot on real locations, as a deliberate contrast to the LooksLikeOrlok vampire who is even more creepy in that believable landscape.

Translating this art style into movies usually involved 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. In German cinema of the 20s, Expressionism was actually part of the director's attempts to emphasize the subjective perspective and try and portray psychological complexity within the limits of the silent film medium. Creator/FritzLang noted that the ItWasHisSled aspect of ''TheCabinetOfDrCaligari'' stemmed from their attempts to ground the entire film in a believable reality. As camera techniques improved and actors developed a way of acting for silent films, directors gradually pushed to greater realism in the 20s. Even ''Nosferatu'' was largely shot on real locations, as a deliberate contrast to the LooksLikeOrlok vampire who is even more creepy in that believable landscape.

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 a major contributor to the {{Horror}} genre and important precursors of FilmNoir.

While the movement thrived in WeimarGermany, 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.

Translating this art style into movies usually involved 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. In German cinema of the 20s, Expressionism was actually part of the director's attempts to emphasize the subjective perspective and try and portray psychological complexity within the limits of the silent film medium. FritzLang noted that the ItWasHisSled aspect of ''TheCabinetOfDrCaligari'' stemmed from their attempts to ground the entire film in a believable reality. As camera techniques improved and actors developed a way of acting for silent films, directors gradually pushed to greater realism in the 20s. Even ''Nosferatu'' was largely shot on real locations, as a deliberate contrast to the LooksLikeOrlok vampire who is even more creepy in that believable landscape.

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, naturally real (in fact, painters intentionally '''avoided''' it), but an abstract view of what the characters feel is real. Artists preferred to use large shapes and thick outlines rather than natural shading and colors. Shapes are stretched and twisted, and the subjects are portrayed in grim, tense poses. Such art is generally portrayed as fairly dark.

Translating this art style into movies usually involved 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.

* ''The Testament of Dr. Mabuse'' (1933)

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 [[CityNoir nightmarish city,]] a [[TheGovernment machine-like bureaucratic government]], or an [[AIIsACrapshoot evil AI]] owes a little to German Expressionism.

[[/index]]

* FritzLang