German Expressionism V.S. French Impressionism

ANALYZING FILMS THROUGH THE LENS OF GERMAN AND FRENCH IMPRESSIONISM Your Name Subject and Section Professor University Date INTRODUCTION TO GERMAN AND FRENCH IMPRESSIONISM German and French Impressionism are two movements that have played a crucial role in the development of film history. In the early period of 20th century Europe, each movement introduced new theories in the art of motion pictures and the corresponding changes in cinemas' aesthetic beliefs and practices. The German Expressionists produced intense shadow pictures with marked contrasts. They were famous for their post-World War I film, which depicted the losers’ torment and general spiritual confusion over a new modern world (Bello, 2023; University of Maryland, n.d.). On the other hand, French Impressionism, which emerged simultaneously, was interested in the play of light and obtaining the real as such, striving to depict moments charged with transient qualities. This is because a whole generation of French filmmakers who emerged after World War I were willing and ready to experiment with the possibilities of film as an art form. (Crawford, n.d.). “Metropolis,” directed by Fritz Lang, is a fine example of German Expressionism, where an extreme set design portrays emotions and features the battle between conformity, elitism, and freedom. In contrast, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," by director Robert Wiene, demonstrates French Impressionism and presents the aspect of a subjectively seen reality through abstract imagery and a somewhat fragmented plot. While the execution of both movements is somewhat different, both are marked by the artists' turning away from more traditional modes of film narrative and representation in favor of portraying more complex psychological and existential concepts and ideas through creating new cinematic languages. German Expressionism's images are more orator, daring, and full of black imagination than French Impressionism's graceful play with lights and shadows. However, both styles have equally contributed significantly to the growth of the expression medium of art called film. Analyzing these movements with paradigmatic films such as “Metropolis” and “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari not only underlines the formative nature of the movements in the formation of cinema but also provides important information about the cultural and historical context of the emergence of these movements. GERMAN IMPRESSIONISM AND FRITZ LANG’S “METROPOLIS” Far from the ideal world, German Expressionism depicts a society in conflict with itself over the ravages of war and changes in civilization. This cinematic style is defined by high contrast, the most simple and dramatic lighting, distorted figures, and architectural lines that depict the character's emotional and psychological conditions (Bello, 2023). A classic work of this movement is “Metropolis” by Fritz Lang, which not only has characteristic elements of Expressionism both in terms of plot and visuals that depict the mechanisms of society and future mega-cities but also in the representation of the clash of classes and repression in a dystopian society (Lang, 1927). The appearance of contrasting black-and-white episodes and the huge epic architectural designs represent the intellectual view of the film on the social constructs and depersonalization in the world of industrialized civilizations. These are not merely visual decisions but are firmly inscribed in the film's narrative, symbolizing the contrast between the cold and elitist upper classes and the suffering working people who continuously work in inhuman, Gothic-like factories beneath the city. Furthermore, the grotesque amplification of the Metropolis's settings, sky-high buildings, and vast halls is a stunning representation of the chasm between the upper and lower classes, both visually and metaphorically. These architectural features are made to encourage people to be afraid and have a sense of powerlessness, as the focus is on a totalitarian regime of the elites over the working class. These gargantuan forms are employed in the mise-en-scène of the film in such a way that the figure of the individual worker appears negligible and unimportant. Hence, the aesthetic aspect of the film enhances the theme of dehumanization. This portrayal is highly useful in visual and performing arts, majoring in finding how space and size could be employed in portraying social issues or raw emotion. 499110267751400 Figure 1. “The Tower of Babel" in the Film "Metropolis" (1927) Depicts the Film's Iconic Massive Scale and Architectural Marvels Particularly, Lang's (1927) "Metropolis," as shown in Figure 1, represents the Tower of Babel and reflects the movie's dystopia themes of significant societal stratification and huge egos as a result of attempting the impossible as narrated in the holy bible. Its architecture is expressionistic, dark, and overpowering; it radiates the setting of power and detachment, which are key defining features of German Expressionism as a movement that, in its work, focused on the darkness within man and the inhumanity of the modern age. center1079500 Figure 2. The “Machine Man” in the Film “Metropolis” Depicts the Combination of Man and Machine In the same vein, the "Machine Man" in Lang's (1927) "Metropolis," as depicted in Figure 2, is an amalgamation of technology and human suffering that further explores the Expressionist apprehension of people becoming mere machines in the development of the mechanical world. The mechanical and rigid appearance, along with the unnatural and rigid movement of th...