German Expressionism was an influential but overlooked art movement in early 20th century Germany that explored emotional and psychological themes through distorted and exaggerated settings and characters. It influenced many films, plays, paintings and other artistic mediums. Expressionism grew popular in the 1920s but declined under Nazi rule, as Hitler favored classical styles and Expressionism was deemed anti-German. Many German Expressionist artists fled to America and continued developing the style, which went on to influence later films noir and Hollywood works through immigrant artists and techniques. Key Expressionist films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Nosferatu helped establish the horror and science fiction genres.

1. GERMAN
EXPRESSIONISM

2. Brief History
German Expressionism is an important but sadly overlooked field
in the history of art in the twentieth century. It was very
complex, different, off-beat and probably the most depressive
and emotion exploiting of all art forms. German Expressionism
was not just in movies, but also overall generally in drama, stage
theater, paintings, dance, and many other artistic movements.
In the beginning the term “Expressionism” was used to show that
their interpretation of Art was different from other peoples. But
eventually the phrase would eventually start to be given to
anyone showing a disturbing point of view or showing some
mental illnesses in their work according to critics. Basically
anything that was different from other movies started to be
called Expressionism.

3. Brief History
Popular themes were madness, betrayal, insanity, and such
topics as they appealed to an intellectual fan base and eventually
by the 1920s, German film industry had become very popular in
Europe and encouraged film movements across the world to start
experimenting with different ideals and emotional states. In fact,
the influenced crossed the oceans over into America when Hitler
came into power, because all the Expressionist actors, directors,
producers, went to America. So this was a very influential
movement as well.
But the artists involved in Expressionism never concerned
themselves with what the term might mean, which is why it
continued to evolve and take upon different new meanings until
it effectively became an umbrella term. The main idea was
always artistic expression. In fact, many expressionists had
voluntarily joined the first World War in the hope that it would
inspire them and their art and create social change as well. By
the end of the 2nd World War, there were 3 main schools in
Expressionism.

4. However, it was before the 2nd World
War when their downfall started.
When Hitler came in power, he
preferred old Greek and Roman style
art which showed racial superiority.
Expressionists were deemed anti-
German and a threat to German
culture and racial superiority, and
many fled to America where they
continued to further develop their art.
By this point, Expressionism had went
from personal to social to political
themes and was now a very diverse
genre that would influence Film Noir
and New Hollywood in the future.

5. INFLUENCE
 It is no question that German cinema from
1910 to 1940 was far ahead of American
cinema and other cinemas in Europe and
worldwide. Along with German expressionist
films, it was the number of German
immigrants to America as well as to other
countries, who helped develop film
techniques and provide more intellectual
strength to film movements. British Alfred
Hitchcock was also influenced by the
Expressionist movement, using their
techniques and direct homages in several of
his films as well as acknowledging the
influence in interviews. Hitchcock's film
making in turn influenced far more film
makers and shows the Expressionist's overall
reach in terms of film influence.

6. INFLUENCE
 Tim Burton's dark characteristics in his films
are also influenced by German
Expressionism. Stylistic elements from
German Expressionist films are very common
regardless, being seen in everything from
Batman movies to films like Shutter Island.

7. INFLUENCE
 Some of the more influencial films of the movement was Cabinet
of Dr. Caligari. That film set the tone for many of the features of
the movement. That included evil characters in the plot who
usually had madness and obsessions, with the story told from
very subjective angles. And instead of high and mighty buildings
and artificial lifestyles, it showed dark and gritty urban
underworld and lifestyles of people. Areas were structures with
angled archways, staircases, windows, connected together in
strange ways to create different atmospheres – with shadows
being used often.

8. INFLUENCE
 Other famous films
include Nosferatu
which created the
horror genre, and
Metropolis which
created the science
fiction genre. Also,
today most films
have unconventional
plot lines, heroes,
and a lot of other
things that one can
attribute to the
German Expressionist
movement.

9. Reasons for Downfall
 Though the ideas still stand the test of time due to their
universal appeal to people of all generations and times, the
portrayal of the other side of life and that everything is not
happy and things are bad, the specific movement of German
Expressionism died mostly due to politics. Hitler and his Nazi
party deemed the expressionists as immoral, people who had
destroyed art and culture, unpatriotic people, and the fact that
most Expressionists were Jews did not help matters either. The
ideas of the Expressionists as a result started to spread out
farther and farther to other areas instead of Germany during
Hitler's regime and the tone became more and more political in
nature.

10. Reasons for Downfall
 Some of the potential was not fulfilled because of the limitations
of technology at the time. If you compare Science Fiction and
Horror of today to German Expressionism you see both the big
influence, but also the limitations of German Expressionists. The
ideas were great but were just not ready for mass consumption
at the time. But from a purely artistic and creative perspective
they are timeless just for the same reasons. With limited things
they still managed to stretch limits of human imagination with
their works.

11. GERMAN
EXPRESSIONISM
Designed by: JAMAL AKHTAR
Submitted to : ZIA AHMAD