German Expressionism & Soviet Montage
Before World War I, the cinema was largely an international affair. The war, however, disrupted the free flow of films across borders. Domestic production rose in countries like Germany and Russia. Cinema became largely influenced by the prominence of fine arts (e.g. painting) movements, referred to collectively as Avant-garde. Avant-grade contained styles that rejected the realistic depiction of a concrete world, movements such as German Expressionism and Soviet Montage. German Expressionism attempted to express raw, extreme emotions, in painting through garish colors and distortion and in theatre through “emphasized gestures, loud declamation of lines, staring eyes, and choreographed movements” (Thompson and Bordwell 69. During WWI, Germany experienced industry success through expansion, largely due to the government’s isolation and ban of foreign films in 1916. This led to the rise of producing companies: 25 in 1914 to 130 in 1918, and 300 by 1921 (Thompson and Bordwell 87). The ban on imports also gave producers minimal competition in the domestic market. After WWI, Germany suffered greatly politically and economically. The “war guilt” clause signed by the nation left them solely responsible for the war, and expected to pay all wartime damages caused, this left Germany in financial crisis, eventually causing hyperinflation (Thompson and Bordwell 88). The grief of the economy left wage earners sorrowful. In turn, film attendance rose and more theatres were built, ultimately increasing success of the industry.
The German expressionist style grew and made its way into cinema during this time as a reaction to the largely defeated economy as well as a reaction to the dominating cinema that Hollywood produced. By 1922, German cinema became famous internationally, especially through the new stylistic attributes of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The unique German expressionist film used stylized sets, with strange, distorted buildings painted on canvas
The German expressionist style grew and made its way into cinema during this time as a reaction to the largely defeated economy as well as a reaction to the dominating cinema that Hollywood produced. By 1922, German cinema became famous internationally, especially through the new stylistic attributes of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The unique German expressionist film used stylized sets, with strange, distorted buildings painted on canvas
Citations: 1. Thompson, , and Bordwell. Film History. 3rd. McGraw Hill, 42-127. Print.