Visual Narrative Analysis Essay
History of GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM
German Expressionism emerged in the 1910s and had a outstanding impact on painting, film, theatre and sculpture as well. It was a revolt against the established Impressionist style, which centered on the artist’s interpretation of the subject. Instead, Expressionism was based in the artist’s own state of mind or vision. German Expressionism was more involved with the relationships between art and society, politics and popular culture, German Expressionism developed during a time of huge social, economic and political upheaval following Germany’s defeat in World War I. The predominance of German Expressionism in Cinema needed different situations in Germany to gain power during those days. The domestic situations and the requirement to activate their industry allowed for the formation of many kind of films in the decade that enhanced the mise-én-scene which became the general interest for directors in this movement. In the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Germany, 1920, Weine), the film that started the movement, and furthermore Metropolis (Germany, 1927, Weine) that provide an example of how mise-én-scene can be exploited in such manner that it becomes part of the plot and interact with the characters, even becoming another character. It is in these films that mise-én-scene transmits emotions and sentiments to the spectator by avoiding the reality of the world and creating an inner world of the German situation in celluloid. After the confrontation of European nations in World War I, Germany fell in a moral and economic depression which was the reason that the newly born Weimar Republic struggled to aid the nation and their internal industry. One policy that the government adopted to help the film industry to grow and gain prestige among Germans and countries abroad was the establishment of the Universum Film Aktiengesellchaft (UFA), which
German Expressionism emerged in the 1910s and had a outstanding impact on painting, film, theatre and sculpture as well. It was a revolt against the established Impressionist style, which centered on the artist’s interpretation of the subject. Instead, Expressionism was based in the artist’s own state of mind or vision. German Expressionism was more involved with the relationships between art and society, politics and popular culture, German Expressionism developed during a time of huge social, economic and political upheaval following Germany’s defeat in World War I. The predominance of German Expressionism in Cinema needed different situations in Germany to gain power during those days. The domestic situations and the requirement to activate their industry allowed for the formation of many kind of films in the decade that enhanced the mise-én-scene which became the general interest for directors in this movement. In the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Germany, 1920, Weine), the film that started the movement, and furthermore Metropolis (Germany, 1927, Weine) that provide an example of how mise-én-scene can be exploited in such manner that it becomes part of the plot and interact with the characters, even becoming another character. It is in these films that mise-én-scene transmits emotions and sentiments to the spectator by avoiding the reality of the world and creating an inner world of the German situation in celluloid. After the confrontation of European nations in World War I, Germany fell in a moral and economic depression which was the reason that the newly born Weimar Republic struggled to aid the nation and their internal industry. One policy that the government adopted to help the film industry to grow and gain prestige among Germans and countries abroad was the establishment of the Universum Film Aktiengesellchaft (UFA), which