Film noir had many influences. If you want a refresher, the influences section of What is Film Noir? is a great place to start. But why does film noir LOOK the way it does? Where did the dramatic lighting, camerawork, and framing come from? While several cinematic foundations have been identified and analyzed, German Expressionism usually rises to the top as the primary influence.
Being an enormous topic in itself, in addition to its massive impact on film noir, German Expressionism deserves extensive discussion. Much more than could be written into a short article. But as a primer for the future, and to give anyone new to the subject an overview, we wanted to touch on some significant areas in German Expressionism.
The Foundation for Expressionism
Often referred to as a movement, German Expressionism can be described as a large scale collective shift in the visual style of German films. It came on the heels of World War I, amidst turmoil and a newly formed national film studio. Among the troubles and industry change, came a unique blending of art forms. And in short time, the relatively new medium of motion pictures began to employ trends from contemporary art and theater. Changing not only the look of German films at the time, but leaving an indelible mark on film history.
Artistic Roots
Prior to the end of World War I, the world of film in Germany had not gained much recognition. There were a few notable films prior to 1918, but the industry was relatively small compared to other countries. Theater was significant though. As was a newer form of literature and art called Expressionism. Growing in popularity, Expressionism was an art form that rejected reality, naturalism, and the rules of other styles. In other words, it was not concerned with showing things as they are usually seen.
It was producer-director Max Reinhardt who is widely credited with bringing Expressionism to the theater. His plays took many tenets of Expressionistic art right to the stage, in the form of innovative set design and lighting. His plays changed the landscape of German theater, and foreshadowed the visual style that would soon make its way into motion pictures. Â
Ufa
Meanwhile, still with an underdeveloped film industry, the German government began to see – by way of its World War I opponents – just how powerful the medium of motion pictures could be. So in November 1917, the German government consolidated the existing film companies into one entity. The move was intended for the interest of nation, so that the government could control the image of Germany and promote the government’s objectives. The entity was named Ufa (Universal Film A.G.). And it soon recruited the most talented producers and directors for the effort.
With the end of the war in 1918, and with the government selling its stake in the company, the pursuits of Ufa became largely commercial. By the early 1920s, it was producing most feature films in the country and quickly acquiring remaining competitors. Eventually, Ufa would produce films by many of Germany’s most decorated directors including: F.W. Murnau, Fritz Lang, Ernst Lubitsch, Paul Leni, and  Josef Von Sternberg.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
With Ufa growing, feature films were becoming more mainstream in Germany. Expressionism was already a large part of Max Reinhardt’s theater, but up until 1920, it had not made a major splash into the realm of motion pictures. That changed in February 1920 however, as a smaller studio with an unusual script debuted a radically new picture. The film, which has since reached mythical status, was called The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Caligari took the tenets of Expressionism to new heights in cinema. It told a dark story, in a particularly disorienting way. The sets were wildly unnatural, with walls, doors, and windows cut in bizarre ways. Painting and lighting exaggerated the already strange set pieces. Shadows engulfing the characters, amplifying their performances. Superimpositions distorted reality even further, taking the viewer away from the natural and farther in the expressionistic.
It was so profoundly innovative, that it gave rise to a whole new cinematic term, Caligarism. And it was this catalyst film that helped pave the road for the rest of the German Expressionist movies.
Notable Films
With the pieces in place and Caligari setting the stage, the masterpieces of German Expressionist cinema started to churn out. The methods of filmmaking evolved and more sophisticated and experimental film techniques were used. Yet the effect remained the same. To discard reality and show things in unnatural ways.Â
The list of films is far too long to include here, but for those who want to see what sets these films apart, here are some of the most famous:
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Decla-Film, 1920)
Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (Nedelandsche Bioscoop Trust, 1922)
Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler (Ufa, 1922)
Warning Shadows (Pan Film, 1923)
Waxworks (Ufa, 1924)Â
The Last Laugh (Ufa, 1924)
The Hands of Orlac (Berolina Film, 1924)
Faust (Ufa, 1926)
Metropolis (Ufa, 1927)
Pandora’s Box (Süd-Film, 1929)
M (Vereinigte Star-Film, 1931)
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (Nero-Film, 1933)
Recognizing that even this notable list is a lot, there are three films highlighted in particular. If you are interested in German Expressionism and looking for a place to begin, we would recommend: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, and M. This also yields a good mix of prominent Expressionist directors with Robert Wiene, F.W. Murnau, and Fritz Lang, respectively.
German Expressionism & Film Noir
Expressionism significantly changed German film throughout the 1920s. It was quite the movement, and in retrospect, some of the notable films above have been discussed as some of the finest ever made. But around 1933, the era of German Expressionism had ended. Once again, geopolitical factors bled into the world of film, as the Nazi party rose to power. By 1933 when the party gained control, the majority of Germany’s best filmmakers had already fled the country. Most landed in the US, despite their filmmaking techniques being at odds with the conventional Hollywood style of the time. It would be a few years, but eventually, those German filmmakers were able to make their mark. As they helped usher in the classic era of film noir, with its unmistakeable visual style.Â
Translation to Film Noir
As film noir began to sprout in the early 1940s, and the movie storylines got darker, the gloomy filmmaking style of German Expressionism had a resurgence. Ex-Expressionist filmmakers went to their roots, and Hollywood newcomers payed homage to the style to accentuate the grim plots. Expressionistic low-key lighting for strong contrasts and dark shadows grew in popularity. And that soft touch which used to glamorize the movie stars, made way for harsh, gritty, hard lighting.Â
Directors of photography utilized wide-angle camera lenses to increase the depth of field. It allowed foreground and background objects to be in focus at the same time, giving scenes a deeper look. Cameras were raised and lowered more frequently, angling the shot for specific effects. The camera even tilted sideways to move the scene farther from reality. Actors and actresses became less likely to be perfectly positioned in the middle of the frame. And film noir strayed farther away from the Hollywood style of preceding years.
Just as Expressionism evolved over the years, so did film noir. Through the 1940s and 1950s, the noir style got more emphatic and extreme. And as the 1950s wound down, many of the limits had been pushed as far as they would go. Another era in film history soon concluded, but just like Expressionism before it, the imprint would be felt for a long time.
Only a Primer
As we mentioned, German Expressionism is an enormous topic. Especially as it relates to our focus in film noir. It was a fascinating film movement, full of technological innovations, talented filmmakers, and geopolitical influences. The best we can do in a short article is scratch the surface. But more in-depth discussion is definitely planned. Keep an eye out for a special podcast series on the subject, and maybe even an online course digging into it further.Â