The Haunted Screen: Expressionism in the German Cinema and the Influence of Max Reinhardt
The Golden Age of German cinema began at the end of the First World War and ended shortly after the coming of sound. From The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari onwards the principal films of this period were characterized by two influences: literary Expressionism, and the innovations of the theatre directors of this period, in particular Max Reinhardt. This book demonstrates the connection between German Romanticism and the cinema through Expressionist writings. It discusses the influence of the...
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The Golden Age of German cinema began at the end of the First World War and ended shortly after the coming of sound. From The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari onwards the principal films of this period were characterized by two influences: literary Expressionism, and the innovations of the theatre directors of this period, in particular Max Reinhardt. This book demonstrates the connection between German Romanticism and the cinema through Expressionist writings. It discusses the influence of the theatre: the handling of crowds; the use of different levels, and of selective lighting on a predominately dark stage; the reliance on formalized gesture; the innovation of the intimate theatre. Against this background the principal films of the period are examined in detail. The author explains the key critical concepts of the time, and surveys not only the work of the great directors, such as Fritz Lang and F. W. Murnau, but also the contribution of their writers, cameramen, and designers. As The Times Literary Supplement wrote, 'Mme. Eisner is first and foremost a film critic, and one of the best in the world. She has all the necessary gifts.' And it described the original French edition of this book as 'one of the very few classics of writing on the film and arguably the best book on the cinema yet written.'
Foreword to the English language edition1. The Predisposition towards Expressionism2. The Beginnings of the Expressionist Film3. The Spell of Light: the Influence of Max Reinhardt4. Lubitsch and the Costume Film5. The Stylized Fantastic6. The Symphonies of Horror7. 'Decorative' Expressionism8. The World of Shadows and Mirrors9. Studio Architecture and Landscape10. The Expressionist Debut of a 'Realistic' Director11. Kammerspielfilm and Stimmung12. Murnau and the Kammerspielfilm13. The Handling of Crowds14. The Fritz Lang Thriller15. Tragedies of the Street16. The Evolution of the Costume Film17. The Eye of the Camera in E. A. Dupont18. The Climax of the Chiaroscuro19. Pabst and the Miracle of Louise Brooks20. The Decline of the German FilmAppendix: The Dreigroschenoper Lawsuit Principal Works Mentioned in the Text Selective Filmography, 1913-33Index Sources of Illustration
