By Ryan Reynolds
German Expression was an artistic movement that held considerable influence on German cinema in the early 20th century. The movement rejected realism and instead embraced exaggeration as a way to accentuate the mood of a film. This exaggeration primarily expressed itself in a film’s production design and the performances of its actors, both of which were embellished in order to better express the emotions of the film and its characters. This embellishment included jagged edges and distorted shapes in the films’ set design and presentational, symbolic performances on the part of the films’ actors. German Expressionist films would often deal with dark or sinister subject matter, such as murder, insanity, and betrayal, which is now considered a reaction to the horrors of World War I, specifically those that were wrought on Germany.
German Expressionism as a movement was active throughout the 1910s, 20s, and 30s, though by the time the Nazis took power in 1933, the movement had essentially dissipated, its influence confined to German filmmakers who emigrated to the United States.
The influence of German Expression is far-reaching, not only in Germany but across the globe. Many of German Expressionism’s exaggerative techniques were integrated into American cinema in the early 1930s, especially in horror and gangster films. This can be attributed to many of the prominent figures in the German Expression movement, such as Fritz Lang and Karl Freund, moving to America after the Nazis took power. There, they continued their film careers and had great influence on some of the most iconic movies of the era, including 1931’s Dracula (shot by cinematographer Karl Freund) and the other Universal Monster movies. Fritz Lang, the director of some of the most influential and beloved German Expressionist films (Metropolis, M, and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse), had great success in America, directing some foundational film noirs, including The Woman in the Window and Scarlet Street. Both classic horror and film noir take many stylistic cues from German Expression, particularly in their harsh lighting and often dark subject matter. Perhaps the most famous film to take influence from German Expressionism is 1941’s Citizen Kane, a film whose ground-breaking aesthetic qualities derived in part from German Expressionism. Consider for instance the film’s unrealistic, expressive lighting and extreme camera angles, both of which, like in German Expressionist films, emphasizes the drama and mood of the story beyond what could be achieved using more low-key and realistic techniques.
Since the 1930s and 40s, German Expressionism has retained an iconic place in film culture, with some like director Tim Burton taking significant artistic cues from the movement and achieving great success with that approach. Some of Burton’s films, like Edward Scissorhands or Batman Returns could fit in nicely with the rest of the movement’s output, only separated by 60 years of history. In addition to the more overt influence taken by people like Tim Burton, the film has more subtly influenced other extremely iconic films, such as Blade Runner, which was influenced by Metropolis, and Shutter Island, which was influenced by the Gothicism and final twist of the legendary Cabinet of the Dr. Caligari.
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