.
I would like to propose an experiment if I may. Go find a few random strangers (who claim at least some knowledge of film) and ask them what comes to their minds when they think of “classic Gothic horror movies.” I would be willing to bet that most answers you get will refer either to the films produced by Universal Pictures in Hollywood in the 1930’s, or to the Hammer horror features of the 1960’s produced in London. While I agree they are classics and I thoroughly enjoy both, it is a shame that the public has largely forgotten the roots from which both these branches sprang. Those roots reach back to the early twentieth century. And the birthplace of the horror film is neither Hollywood nor London, but Berlin.
Not all of the earliest of the horror genre were German. Indeed some the first truly noteworthy Gothic films were made in the United States. One of the best examples is “Avenging Conscience” (also under the title "Thou Shalt Not Kill") which was released in 1914 and is loosely based upon multiple works of Edgar Allen Poe. It was directed by D. W. Griffith, who is known historically as the father of the epic film. But despite what could have been a promising start, such dark films were not destined to really thrive in America for nearly another two decades. The seed of Gothic film took root in the richer soil of post war Germany.
Germany’s defeat in 1918 created an atmosphere of overall melancholic despair. Among the socially elite this led to a revival of the decadent movement that had previously flourished in Paris in the 1890’s. From the decadent point of view, the world is bound to go to hell so why not indulge every vice and disorder you may have and get to hell first! But it takes a lot of money to be that self destructive. The less well off citizens of Berlin were just as disillusioned and pessimistic but couldn’t afford the same drugs. So what to turn to? How about REALLY dark films! The same feeling of despair that plagued the masses also inspired some of the most brilliant writers and directors in Berlins burgeoning film industry. These new artists saw film as an ideal new means of conveying the expressionism found in literature and theater. In this context, "expressionism" is a means of storytelling wherein atmosphere, mood, and other psychological aspects are more important than realism. And this would become the hallmark of German film making for decades.
One of the earliest of this genre actually pre-dated the end of the war. Released in 1914 “The Golem,” was directed by Henrik Galee. In Hebrew mythology a golem is a zombie like creature that is made entirely of inert mater, usually clay. It is brought to life by sorcery and used to do the bidding of its master. In the movie the golem is a clay statue which is discovered by a workman who is digging a shaft for a well. The statue is magically brought to life by an antique dealer who uses it to break up an affair between his daughter and a count. A remake of The Golem was done in the 1920’s and seems to have made a vivid impression on a very young Vincent Price. Price said that this movie frightened him to the point of wetting his pants.
A better known example of expressionistic cinema is one that is more directly related to the tragedy of the First World War. Directed by the legendary Robert Wiene, and co-written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” is considered by my most to be the definitive work of the expressionist film era. It is also one of the most groundbreaking silent films of any genre. Described by one critic as “A madman’s vision of the world,” this movie creates a sense of dreamlike unreality through the use of disproportionately sized props, highly stylized sets, and abstract, jaggedly shaped backgrounds. In addition to the sets, the actors contributed to the dreamlike atmosphere by using unrealistic movement techniques that resembled jerky dance motions. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is also noteworthy for having the first “twist ending” in movie history. The surprise at the end still takes the first time watcher by surprise to this day. If you have not seen this film I won’t spoil it for you…just see it!
Much of the plot of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari revolves around the concepts of madness, murder and mind control. The story involves an evil hypnotist who goes by the name of Dr. Caligari. Caligari has a somnambulist (sleepwalker) named Cesare (pictured below) who is completely in his power. He uses Cesare as part of a traveling side show act and forces him to commit horrific crimes against his will. The writing duo of Janowitz and Mayer drew upon their own life experiences to develop the script. Janowitz’s writing was influenced by memories of a night when he was walking home from a carnival. While leaving the show he walked through a park where he witnessed a man emerge from the bushes and disappear into the shadows. The next morning, the body of a murdered and raped young woman was found there. The secret, nocturnal crimes that the character Cesare is forced to commit are very reminiscent of this.
Janowitz’s co-writer Carl Mayer had been a soldier in the Austrian army and served in World War I. He was wounded in battle and sent up for psychiatric evaluation after challenging the orders of his superiors. His experiences in combat led him to see war as madness. He became a staunch pacifist and found an outlet for these views in writing. Much of the storyline of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari embodies his feelings about the events of the war he saw. To Mayer, Caligari is a one man representation of the insane world leaders of his time who sent millions of brainwashed young men, represented by Cesare, to commit the greatest evil of his time.
Perhapse the best known and most influential film of the German expressionistic era is one that very nearly did not survive to the modern age. Plagued with financial difficulties and copyright problems, it would prove to be both the birth and death of the Prana film production company, founded by Enrico Dieckmann and Albin Grau in 1921. Grau had also been a soldier. While fighting in Serbia in 1916 he met a farmer who had told him that his father was a vampire. This exposure to Eastern European folklore, and the apparent conviction with which it was believed, inspired Grau. Grau wanted to make a feature film about vampires. He teamed up with Diekmann and the two of them decided to base their first film on the novel Dracula by Bram stoker. Perhaps a bit too enthusiastic, they commissioned the writing of a script based upon the novel despite not having yet obtained the legal rights to do so from the Stoker estate. In an attempt to avoid copyright violation lawsuits, the film was entitled “Nosferatu.” This is an archaic central European word for Vampire. Count Dracula’s name was also changed to “Count Graf Orlock.” Other character and place names were changed as well, along with certain plot details. The role of Count Orlock was played by the enigmatic German actor Max Schreck. “Schreck” was actually a stage name and means “fear” in German. Schreck’s performance was so eerily convincing that rumors soon spread that he was actually a vampire. Physically Schreck presented his character in a very different way from the character of Dracula as described in the novel. He is bald and rat like in appearance. In this way he is more like the vampire of eastern European myth than the popular modern day romanticized vision of the vampire.
Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau was hired to direct the film. For budgetary reasons, only one camera was available for use throughout the entire filming stage of production. For this reason, only one scene could be shot at a time. This made the work schedule very tight. It also meant that when filming was complete the crew had to carefully guard the only negative that existed. The low production budget made Murnau rely upon the use of lighting, camera angles, and editing rather than production design to create effective cinematographic effects. Unlike other films of the expressionistic era, few sets were used. Rather scenes were shot at real outdoor locations to create a creepy gothic atmosphere. Again, this is partly due to limited production budget. However, the genuine medieval castles and villages made the look of the film realistic while invoking a feeling of fear in the viewer. Simple effects, such as speeded-up motion and negative film were used to suggest an eerie, unnatural feel.
Dieckmann and Grau had high hopes for their first movie, and for Prana films. To launch their flagship movie they embarked on an elaborate advertisement campaign. Nosferatu's preview premiered on 4 March 1922 at the Marmorsaal of the Berlin Zoological Garden. It was planned out as a large cultural event entitled Das Fest des Nosferatu (Festival of Nosferatu). Guests were encouraged to attend in period costume. The premiere itself took place at the prestigious Primus-Palast. Despite all the hype, however, Nosferatu was not to make a success of Prana films. Legal battles over copyright infringement were destined to drive a stake through the fledgling production company’s heart. Florence Stoker, Bram Stokers widow, sued for infringement and won. This forced Prana films into bankruptcy. All copies of the film were destroyed by court order, except for one that mysteriously escaped the fire. All existing copies of this landmark film were made from that one surviving print.
Though largely ignored by fans of film today, expressionistic films have found an important niche with Goths. Because of their eerie atmospheric style and lack of soundtracks, they have been regular staple at Goth clubs as projected backdrops for the music that they seem to mix so well with. They have also served as a source of inspiration to Goth bands for lyrics and visual styles. And personally, my weekend isn’t really complete if I haven’t spent a little time sitting on the couch watching something dark, eerie and silent on Netflix. Morbid Monday to ya!
No comments:
Post a Comment