German Expressionism In Metropolis

Throughout the essay, many references and comparisons are made to other films. Also incorporated in the essay is the use of advance terminology; Giving indication that the author is very knowledge about film. Haslem mentions in her essay “Neon Gothic: Lost in Translation”, “In many ways Coppola’s film exhibits marks of classic European art cinema. Specifically, in her interest in stillness rather than action, Coppola recreates a similar impressionistic resonance that was initially established by filmmakers like Carl Dreyer in The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) and elaborated by Michelangelo Antonioni in films like L’Eclisse (1962) and L’Avventura (1960)”

Film noir is a cinematic style that began in the early 1940s that focused on the crime and corruption that occurs in everyday life. Film noir was influenced by two major film movements, German Expressionism and French poetic realism (Schrader 8). While German Expressionism influenced lighting techniques, realism affected narrative and cinematography. The Great Depression and World War II shaped film noir’s cynical tone that fate is uncontrollable. A classic example of film noir is the 1945 film Detour, directed by Edgar G. Ulmer.

The French New Wave was a film movement in the 1950’ and 60’s that consisted of an explosion of new film techniques, values, and styles that became a defining moment of cinematic innovation that’s impact is still present in the modern film industry. An influx of new, young directors sought to narratively, ideologically and stylistically veer off from the dominant, traditional mainstream cinema production standards and redefine the French film industry. The movement didn’t happen overnight and its origins and influences stem back to the occupation of France by Nazi-Germany during World War II, the subsequent Italian Neo-Realism movement, and a combination of previous film periods. During World War II, Paris was occupied by the Germans. This was a

The crime scene at the beginning of the film, for example, used a low angle view to show the body floating from underwater. Low key lighting is often represented when scenes are shot inside Norma’s home. The interior shots are also tightly framed shots with extreme camera angles it gives off a depressed, claustrophobic environment. In the exterior shot, the scenes are in high key lighting and use realistic lighting to give off a lively atmosphere that Joe does not experience while inside the home.

Mise-en-scéne is crucial to classical Hollywood as it defined an era ‘that in its primary sense and effect, shows us something; it is a means of display. ' (Martin 2014, p.XV). Billy Wilder 's Sunset Boulevard (Wilder 1950) will be analysed and explored with its techniques and styles of mise-en-scéne and how this aspect of filmmaking establishes together as a cohesive whole with the narrative themes as classical Hollywood storytelling. Features of the film 's sense of space and time, setting, motifs, characters, and character goals will be explored and how they affect the characterisation, structure, and three-act organisation.

The lighting in Donnie Darko movie is a key component of composition which creates our sense of illuminating for people and things. This movie uses two sources of lighting; natural light, such as daylight, when the scene is in an outdoor area for example, walking from school, at home, waiting at bus stop, or playing outside of the school on sunny days. Another source of light is artificial spotlight which is used in the movie indoors to cut and shape the light at the dining table, in the classroom or in the psychotherapist's house. Also, distinct shadows are used as an essentially smooth surface that reflects hard light in the Halloween party to feature deep shadows and scary areas in function of the plot. Three-points of lighting create ominous shadows in the horror genre for all the actors at Donnie and Elizabeth's Halloween party with lighting from below the cast to create monstrous objects in real life.

The imagery in Metropolis can be observed as very dark, as Ake Bergvall demonstrates in his writings on such. First off, Freder runs into a man named Georgy underneath Metropolis. Freder decides to switch roles with him and see what it is like to be in Georgy’s place and so then Georgy can see what it is like to be in Freder’s place. Having Georgy be a worker underneath Metropolis, he works on the clock machine. When Freder takes his place to work on the clock machine, he eventually succumbs to exhaustion, as he is shown holding the hands of the clock almost visually looking as though he is being crucified.

Of some of the many early films, Frankenstein (James Whale, 1931), can be noted for its impact on film history as being one of the first films of its kind. This new genre of film inspired many more films to come in the Universal Hollywood film era, due to its vast amount of new techniques that were used to support German Expressionist film production. German Expressionist film production occurred after World War One, and had the primary goal to create a world much different from which the creator lives in. Frankenstein, itself, also created strong ties to German Expressionism, which called for a new way of cinema. This new wave of Cinema was noted for its “great burst of artistic activity” (Mast, Kawin 104).

The colors and lighting are very unchanging much like the town Endora. The only exception is when there are strong emotions within the film. There is a warm glow of lighting by the sunlight or fire whenever there is a time of love, be it brotherly or in a romantic way. During the melancholy times of the story, the lighting is either dim when it relates to death, but when a character is feels lost in their emotions the director

These different lighting techniques are applied in the movie to help set the tone and mood for the film scene. The

The film Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring makes use of low key and high key lighting. The low key lighting is seen when Gollum is first introduced in an ominous dark blue lighting that creates suspense and suggests an air of mystery. Further on the unnatural chiaroscuro is created when the Nazgul on his horse stands on a cliff with a lit up background surrounded by a dark forest. This makes the Nazgul seem more mysterious and threatening to the audience.

Directed by Fritz Lang, the silent film Metropolis (1927) served and still continues to serve as an inspiration to many successful filmmakers and aspiring filmmakers alike. The techniques and editing skills used for this film pretty much lead to the development of the skills and techniques used today. Other notable people who helped make this film a success include Lang’s wife, Thea Von Harbou as the screenwriter and author of the book, Metropolis, Karl Freund and Günther Rittau as the cinematographers, Otto Hunte, Erich Kettlehunt and Karl Volbrecht for their remarkable set design, Gottfried Huppertz for the music, and Walter Schultze- Mittendorf as the sculptor. The major characters in this film include Alfred Abel as Joh Fredersen, Gustav

Baz Luhrmann is widely acknowledged for his Red Curtain Trilogy which are films aimed at heightening an artificial nature and for engaging the audience. Through an examination of the films Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby, the evolution and adaptation of his techniques become evident. Luhrmann’s belief in a ‘theatrical cinema’ can be observed to varying degrees through the three films and his choice to employ cinematic techniques such as self-reflexivity, pastiche and hyperbolic hyperbole. The cinematic technique of self-reflexivity allows a film to draw attention to itself as ‘not about naturalism’ and asks the audience to suspend their disbelief and believe in the fictional construct of the film.

After its defeat in the First World War, Germany was left in a miserable state; there was a massive shortage of resources and thousands of German people died. The morale and spirits of those who survived were shattered, many were left in disarray and forced to deal with devastation in any way possible. Many artists, including creators of the film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, served in the war and were forever changed after witnessing the horrors of war. The effects of the war caused them to turn inward and seek ways to try to explain their emotional states. A key movement that came out of Germany is this period was German Expressionism.

This gives the audience an ominous feeling whenever there is a scene in the industrial area. The lighting in Romeo and Juliet is used to create a more direct tension for specific events. When Mercuito dies the weather immediately picks up and turns into a storm. The lighting is dark and direful and this heightens the tension at this point in the film as well as indicates to the audience how serious the consequences of this death will be. Because the lighting is used to add to the dramatics of the movie is makes it easier for the audience to feel the