European Cinema Minutes

January 24, 2001

  Today's minutes are about films from Germany, France and Italy during the 1920s to 1930s. On Monday, we will talk about the films during the 1940s and 1950s.

 Germany:

          Robert Wiene's film "Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" was the best known of German Historical because because (1) it was Germany art film and (2) it gave the title to one of the best known books on German film, "From Caligari to Hitler." Bu Siegfried Kracauer.  In this book, Kraucauer was to give psychological profile of the US military using the German films of the twenties. This film was known then as a philosophical film. It started with Dr. Caligari producing someone like Hitler.

          The film was remade in the nineties as "Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez" but the remake was never released widely.  The original Caligari received notoriety because of its style.  It had the best example of expressions-an over the top of exaggeration. The film was dark, scary and had music that provided a sense of mystery.  There were shadow frame just focusing on the killer. The killer was in all black and cast in a shadow. The girl was wearing white, symbolizing angelic, innocent and purity.  She was also lying on a white bedspread and bed and lights all shined on her. Every time they showed the killer, there was fast music.  Tension was created along with music and the masking of the killer present into just a diamond shape.  Lighting and shadow was an emphasis for expressionist. If there were no shadow, Wiene would draw it in. An oblique angle dominated through out the film. There was a mirror image, with the bed angle to angle. We would typically sleep with the beds along each other. The music was first slow as the killer was walking on the street and climbing to the window.  However, as he got hold of the girl, it was fast. 

      To a student's inquiry about the background music, Dr. Reimer said we should keep in mind that the music was not there originally.  Any music in the pre-1926 (so-called silent) films, were all added in later. In response to another question about the ratings system at the time, Dr Reimer remined us that each country has its own system.  Moreover theses systems change through history.  In the twenties, films were not generally censored or subjected to a ratings review board. 

      The background scenery of Caligari was extremely staged. The director was not trying to say this was a real bedroom or street. Everything was artificial. At first, the street scene seemed real because of the shadowing. When the killer was entering the window, it was at an angle and the frame was jagged. The knife reflected the shape of the wall, which made it more staged. There was also the artificial acting by the girl and killer. The film on the set echoed the theme of madness and murder. However, to the audience outside of the theatre, this was making a political comment about what is going on in Germany. The studio said this film was too political and critical of the government. This was because a psychiatrist was directing the killer to do things. The psychiatrist is like the authority figure. This made it obvious that the director wanted to criticize the German authority.

 French:

           The French attempted to not capture the psychological but rather the surface of life.  If we wish to describe them in art history terms, French films of the period were impressionistic and German films were expressionistic.

          Director Abel Gance filmed an old man awaiting death. The frame was more straightforward than the German. There was a sense of sadness because he was alone during Christmas. "Les Miserales" (1925) was filmed at location. Gance felt this filming on location brought a sense of reality that the German did not provide with their studio stage scene.

 Sweden:

          Although they were a small country, they were well established in cinema.

           "The Outlaw and His Wife," (1918) was filmed at Cranyon, located in Northern Sweden. The husband is on the run from the law. The wife gets pregnant and then kills the baby instead of having it get caught. The scenery is taken in the high mountain during the winter snow. Sweden likes to film their people and their love for the outdoor.

      While watching some Hollywood films, have you ever wondered where it is being filmed? When watching something, it is stated to be filmed somewhere, but the actually filming is at another location. As a general rule, European national cinemas like to capture their people in real, recognizable situations and settings.

  By the late 1920s, silent films are for the most part no longer being filmed.

 Germany:

           "Blue Angel" is about a professor looking for his students in a nightclub, that they were known to hang out. The director is trying to create depth through layering sets. The professor was outside looking through the window. Then as he tried to enter, there was a screen curtain blocking his path. This was as if it is telling us that the professor should not enter, that there is a sense of danger.

           "Blue Angel" in English, the singer (main actress) is speaking English, which means they had to change her nationality to make this an English film. When the professor met up with the singer, by accidentally walking into her dressing room, he speaks German. She told him to speak in her language in order for her to understand him. He then speaks in English, but with a heavy accent.

 The actress, Marlene Dietrich  left Germany before the Nazis took over Germany.  They wanted  her to come back and she refused, deciding instead to support the Allies.

 Dr. Reimer wanted to show the English and Spanish versions of Dracula (1931) but we ran out of time.