From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film
A landmark, now classic, study of the rich cinematic history of the Weimar Republic, From Caligari to Hitler was first published by Princeton University Press in 1947. Siegfried Kracauer—a prominent German film critic and member of Walter Benjamin's and Theodor Adorno's intellectual circle—broke new ground in exploring the connections between film aesthetics, the prevailing psychological state of Germans in the Weimar era, and the evolving social and political reality of the time. Kracauer's...
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"An undisputed classic of modern film historiography, Kracauer's From Caligari to Hitler had a major impact on the way we relate movies to history and society. Although Kracauer is not afraid of using such contested concepts as collective psychology and German 'soul,' his productive readings of Weimar films as harbingers of emerging fascism still resonate today. Leonardo Quaresima's engaging and erudite introduction is critical in situating Kracauer's project both in its historical moment and in our time."--Anton Kaes, University of California, Berkeley Nation The thesis of this unusually interesting book is that the German films of the twenties were filled with premonitions of the German totalitarianism of the thirties.
List of illustrationsEditor's noteIntroduction to the 2004 editionPrefaceIntroduction3IThe archaic period (1895-1918)1Peace and war152Forebodings283Genesis of ufa35IIThe postwar period (1918-1924)4The shock of freedom435Caligari616Procession of tyrants777Destiny888Mute chaos969Crucial dilemma10710From rebellion to submission115IIIThe stabilized period (1924-1929)11Decline13112Frozen ground13813The prostitute and the adolescent15314The new realism16515Montage18116Brief reveille190IVThe pre-Hitler period (1930-1933)17Songs and illusions20318Murderer among us21519Timid heresies22320For a better world23221National epic251Supplement : propaganda and the Nazi war film1Nazi views and measures2752Film devices2773The Swastika world2804Screen dramaturgy2885Conflict with reality297Note on the inaccuracies309Bibliography315Updated bibliography327Name index333Film index339
\ Toronto Globe & MailOne of the great works of film history, this look at early German cinema, first published in 1947, is still a must-have for cineastes and scholars alike.\ — H.J. Kirchhoff\ \ \ \ \ Toronto Globe and Mail\ One of the great works of film history, this look at early German cinema, first published in 1947, is still a must-have for cineastes and scholars alike.\ — H.J. Kirchhoff\ \ \ Toronto Globe and MailOne of the great works of film history, this look at early German cinema, first published in 1947, is still a must-have for cineastes and scholars alike.\ \ \ \ \ The TimesThe book is an invaluable guide to a golden period of cinema.\ \ \ \ \ NationThe thesis of this unusually interesting book is that the German films of the twenties were filled with premonitions of the German totalitarianism of the thirties.\ \ \ \ \ The TimesThe book is an invaluable guide to a golden period of cinema.\ — Christopher Wood\ \
