German Expressionism: An Introduction
Posted by Katie | Posted in | Posted on 4:51 PM
I. History and Philosophy: 1918 - 1933
The defeat of Germany in the first World War resulted in political and social upheaval. What had been a strong empire was hacked apart by the territory reallocation demanded in the Treaty of Versailles and the Kaiserdom was replaced by the progressive Weimar Republic. The Weimarers enacted a constitution which established a democracy with universal suffrage. However, the new republic was unstable and saw hyperinflation in its first years.
Anti-government agitation from the German public was prevalent, stemming from the plummeting value of the Papiermark and the shame of defeat in the Great War. The art of the time certainly portrayed anti-authoritarian sentiments. Particularly in literature, Kafka's The Trial tells the story of a young bank teller who is arrested for no discernible reason and has to navigate the frustrating maze of judicial bureaucracy.
Inflation was finally staunched in 1923 and for the remainder of the decade Germany's culture paralleled the Roaring Twenties of the United States. Art flourished and followed the liberalism of the public, spiting the morals and social norms of the 19th century.
The golden era of the late 1920's also cultivated philosophical culture, generating some of the greatest minds of the century. One such thinker is Friedrich Nietzsche, most well known for his principle of the "will to power," submitting oneself to struggle in order to achieve self-mastery. Or, more colloquially, "what doesn't kill me, makes me stronger." Nietzsche was also a firm supporter of the arts, stating that art is not just a form of human activity but is rather the highest expression of the human spirit.
Expressionism was a key movement that took place in Europe, mainly Germany, in the early twentieth century. The expressionist movement peaked in the 1920’s in Berlin, and influenced culture everywhere. Art, music, literature, film, dance, and even architecture were impacted by the movement.
Expressionists focus on personal emotions rather than outside reality. Theycounteract against naturalism and realism and incorporate feelings into their work. To an expressionist, it is more important to display a sensation then to simply capture the image of a landscape. This difference in focus is portrayed by the artists' use of extravagant colors. Vincent Van Gogh and Edvard Munch inspired the expressionist movement, and are famous artists today. Van Gogh wrote about his own work, “Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I see before my eyes, I use color more arbitrarily to express myself forcibly.” He was able to sum the expressionist movement into one sentence.
There were two major expressionist groups that formed in the early 20th century. The Die Brϋke that originated in Dresden, but moved to Berlin, and the Der Blaue Reiter that was mainly in Munich. The Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) was a group of expressionists that wrote an almanac comparing different ways of creating art. They were more wide range in their group that the others. Sections like Abstract art branched off from the Der Blaue Reiter after they died off, which was rather quickly. The Die Brϋke (The Bridge) believed that their work formed the ‘bridge’ between the old naturalist focused art and new, expressionist German art. Their woodcut style of art is perhaps most memorable.
Expressionism also extended to literature, with authors focusing on the individual state of mind. The literature focused on the feelings and emotions of the characters, rather than characters' surroundings. Particularly in Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, Highsmith continues to describe the intense and frequent emotions and thoughts of protagonaist Guy Haines; she conveys his inner consciousness to the audience. Guy is also caught not paying attention during conversations a number of times. This emphasis on the personal again displays the characteristics of expressionism.
German Expressionism directly impacted Hollywood back through the 20s, 30s, and 40s. The German silent cinema was said to be more ahead of Hollywood. Expressionist films were notedly stylized, with asymmetrical camera angles and harsh contrast between dark and light. The plots of these films hinged on dark, vague surroundings and disillusioned characters often painting sombre picture of a corrupt underworld. These hallmarks of German Expressionism are clearly evident in the film noir of the 1940s and the horror of Alfred Hitchcock.
In 1924 Hitchcock was actually sent by his film company to work as an assistant at a German film company to film a move called The Background. This direct impact of German Expressionism can be seen throughout his career in films such as The Maltese Falcon, Psycho, and The Lodger. Hitchcock said, "I have acquired a strong German influence by working at the UFA studios Berlin."
In Psycho, Norman Bates’ blurred image in the shower scene is reminiscent of the German film Nosferatu. German Expressionism also has reflected on contemporary films such as Dark City. It was influenced by German Expressionism's stark contrast, rigid movements, and fantastic elements.
- Do you think that Expressionism is still alive in modern society? Have you observed it on campus?
- Has Nietzsche's philosophy of "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger" influenced your life? Do you think the idea of self-mastery is worthwhile?
- What aspects of German Expressionist film did you notice in "Laura" or "The Maltese Falcon"?
- Stanford Encyclopedia, Friedrich Nietzsche. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nietzsche/#NieInfUpo20tCenTho> This encyclopedia provides an in-depth description of Nietzsche's life and works.
- German Expressionism: Expressionist Art in 20th Century Germany <http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/german-expressionism.htm> Introduces Expressionism and the different schools of art and thought associated with it. This page also includes many images.
- Info on German Expressionist Films <http://foreignfilms.suite101.com/article.cfm/info_on_german_expressionist_films> Covers techniques used in Expressionist film and discusses its influence on horror and film noir.
- "Berlin: The City as Body The City as Metaphor." Stanford University. Web. 22 Feb. 2010.
- Don Kornits (1999-06-02). "Alex Proyas - Director, Dark City" <http://efilmcritic.com/
feature.php?feature=54 >. eFilmCritic. Retrieved - "Expressionism - the nature of Expressionist art." Free art lessons - learn how to draw, paint and design. Web. 22 Feb. 2010.
- "Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)." Web. 20 Feb 2010. <http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/nietzsche/section3.rhtml>
- Jones, Kristin. "Dark Cynicism, British Style." Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition, 254.41 (2009): D7--1. 2007-07-06.
- Kolb, Eberhard. Weimar Republic. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2004. Google Books. 20 Feb 2010.
- Street with No Name: A History of the Classic Film Noir. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press. ISBN 0813122430, pp. 9-34.
Personal Response
Bobby Baskette
Expressionism is mainly expressing feelings and emotions into works of art, but there is also another side in literature that is not as obvious. The author Franz Kafka wrote about issues with society that he thought could use some work. He depicted the bad side of human nature and applied them to the inner workings of feelings.
This side of expressionism takes a whole new path when looking at books. It does maintain the same intensity of feelings of the individual, but adds another aspect to characters. In Strangers on a Train, there are strong emotions depicted from the characters when they address the downfalls of humanity. Bruno and Guy both get irritated when addressing how his father takes advantage of Bruno and his mother, how Miriam takes advantage of Guy.
I find the whole idea of displaying feelings in different ways interesting. There seems to be an unlimited amount of methods to do it. People are able to say what they want without actually saying it. That can be useful for propaganda along with other stuff.
Expressionism is so common today that I overlook it on a daily basis. I do not even think about how expressionism came to be or how artists can manipulate their work to express something. I just know that it is there, and now I can point it out from things and know what is going on.
German Expressionism was not simply an artistic movement, but also a movement that responded to the politics and philosophy of the time. The Weimar Republic was liberal almost to the point of embracing communism, however the social culture during the 1920s was one of decadence and materialism, mirroring that of the Roaring Twenties in the U.S. The German Expressionist movement sought to counteract such materialism, instead focusing on the aspects of human nature that truly define humans - emotion.
The philosophy of Nietzsche is well reflected by the Expressionist artists. Nietzsche discouraged materialism in favor of self-mastering. Nietzsche also argued that humanity, or simply 'man', is a bridge between animal and the Uebermensch, or Overman - just as the artists of Die Bruecke fashioned themselves as a bridge between old Victorian art and new, Expressionist art.
I hadn't previously connected art with philosophy, but the Expressionism movement certainly combines the two. The art produced during that decade was strongly influenced by political and social change. Although I had read "The Trial," I had no concept of the environment in which Kafka wrote the book. The works of an author or artist are certainly better understood by having an understanding of the surroundings of that author or artist.
Before doing this research, I had overwhelming misconceptions about the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. Having read excerpts and analyses of his writings, I've found that I really connect with his principles. The Uebermensch (or Ueberfrau, I assume) is someone who embraces life and revels in his or her successes and struggles and consistently reevaluates his or her perspectives. I find such fluid morals fascinating and I'll strive to incorporate the self-criticism into my own life.
German Expressionism is the reason behind the success of film in Hollywood to date. Throughout research it became more and more prevelant that a films success was directly related to a German film or other films which were inspired by other German films in that era. German expressionism introduced dark qualities to films and added suspense in American film. At the beginning of this time it directly influenced film noir.
It was interesting to read about how different producers had actually been taught over in Germany through assisting films. They actually learned first hand not by just watching a movie from that time period. In particularly throughout Hitchcock's films it was interesting to catch all of the relation to his studying in Germany in 1924. In almost every film he included a stark contrast to German film. For example, in Psycho the eluding blur through the shower curtain scene directly related to Nosferatu.
I did not previously know the prominent origination of horror films until doing this research. The German expressionist style film really brought life to horror films. The film Nosferatu, was about a vampire named Count Orlok and the encounters a Mr. Hutter has with him. During this time the film was considered a horror film and by the name Nosferatu which translates to A Symphony of Terror. This gave rise to suspense and horror in the U.S.
German expressionism has really opened my eyes to where film has come from. I had no idea that so many movies I have enjoyed, such as Psycho, were influenced by this movement. Overall American film would not be the same as it is today if it weren't for the German pioneers who helped invent it. Throughout research I have become more engrossed into the films from this time and believe that everyone should take part into this genre as it is the reason for film today.