German Expressionism

"The definition of Expressionist film is sometimes used broadly to include the entire period of silent German film and sometimes applies to only a handful of films." (Leonardo Quaresima German Expressionism: Art & Society. 91)

For the purpose of this course we will focus on only the handful of films that meet the criteria of the term "Expressionism" in that they incorporate the specific elements described on the previous page.

Expressionism film began through the collaboration of some leading literary and theater figures of the time, including: playwright Arthur Schnitzler, poet Hugo Hofmannsthal, theater director Max Reinhardt, and actor Alexander Moissi.

Below you will find a list of and links to the most influential of the German Expressionism films, and...in the case of Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari...you can view the films online if you have RealVideo!

But before studying the films themselves, here are links to some online essays on German Expressionism cinema.

German Espressionism at silentmoviemonsters.com
German Expressionism & Frtiz Lang's Metropolis
Terms to Know
The Golden Age of German Film