Film:101BV Essay: Influence of German Expressionism on Film Noir

This essay, written for Film:101BV, examines the significant influence of German Expressionism on the stylistic and thematic elements of Film Noir. The author, Paramvir Kaur, analyzes the characteristics of Film Noir, including its pessimistic tone, use of shadows, and themes of paranoia and betrayal, and contrasts them with the visual and narrative techniques of German Expressionism, such as sharp angles, dramatic lighting, and the exploration of psychological states. The essay specifically compares Robert Wiene's 1920 silent film 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' and Rudolph Maté's 1949 film noir 'D.O.A.' to illustrate how Mis-en-scene, urban landscapes, and thematic concerns were adopted and adapted. The analysis delves into the use of setting, costume, lighting, and acting to convey mood, character consciousness, and the anxieties of post-war society, demonstrating how German Expressionism laid the groundwork for the visual and narrative style of Film Noir, reflecting themes of distrust, loneliness, and moral conflict.

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Paramvir Kaur
090135
Professor Molly Lewis
Date: 13th Nov 2018
Film:101BV
Topic: Film Art
The term Film noir that means black film or cinema is a type of film that is characterized
by an aura of pessimism, menace and fatalism. The term was first coined by a French critic
called Nino Frank in 1946 who observed how dark the film were in terms of its theme and
treatment of the subject. A group of French critics applied this term to American thrillers and
detective movies made in the period between 1944 to 1954. It refers to the works of directors like
Orson Welles, Billy Wilder and Fritz Lang. Classic film noir developed during and after the
Second World War that reflected the ambience of the Post Second World War period and
reflected the pessimism, anxiety and suspicion of the times. An example of a film noir films
include ‘Touch of Evil’ made in 1958 by Orson Welles. German Expressionism arose in
Germany during the 1920s just before the First World War. The cinematic style that German
Expressionism brought about, included sharp angles, dramatic shadows, harsh lighting, jagged
shapes and high contrasts. The cinematographers used Chiaroscuro lighting using a
monochromatic palette. The faces of characters were often obscured using shadows to create
dark casts over them, which symbolized the idea of deception and show that everybody has a
dark side to their personalities. The landscapes that were shown in the film reflected the state of
the country and the mind of the people at that time that was filled with uncertainty and paranoia.
The use of a monochromatic palette using only black and white colours had a direct influence on
film noir. The film’s narratives delved into topics such as paranoia, betrayal and insanity
reflecting the mood of the times. The subject of these German Expressionist films also had an
influence on film noirs. Characters from a scientific background such as professors and doctors

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were also prevalent such as the famous film, ‘The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari’ which featured a
hypnotist who is also a murderer. There are visual similarities between German Expressionism
and Film Noir. The sharp lines and shadows are common in both styles of films with film Noir
being influenced by German Expressionism. In terms of theme, both film noir and German
Expressionism share similar elements with paranoia and skepticism recurring in both types of
films. This essay will attempt to show how German Expressionism influenced film noir
stylistically and will take into account Robert Wiene’s 1920 silent Expressionist film ‘The
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’ and compare it with Rudolph Mate’s 1949 film noir D.O.A.
In terms of Expressionism, Mis-en-scene is used to represent the consciousness of a
character, emotions and thought process. There are four aspects of Mis-en-scene. They include
Setting, Costume and make-up, Lighting and Acting. Setting refers to those elements in a frame
that seeks to define space, place and the time period.
Setting can take on an active role in films. Setting also includes props or properties that
function within the ongoing action. Costume and make-up refers to the clothing and attire of
characters in the film. Costume and make-up can function to express the situation of characters,
mood or consciousness. Costume functions through three properties i.e. colour, texture and
movement. Costumes can also play a causal and a motivating role in the narrative of a film.
Costume can also function as props. Make-up is also very important as it helps to bring about a
sense of realism to a character. Lighting conveys textures, it helps to shape objects by creating
light and shadows. There are four characteristics to lighting such as quality, direction, source and
colour.Acting refers to the physical performance of a character including expressions, actions
and gestures. Acting helps a character to express his or her thoughts and feelings.
In the film, entitled ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’ director Robert Wiene uses angular
sets, makeup that is highly contrasted and mis-en-scene to create a mood of conclusion and
chaos. Film noir uses urban landscape of cities to add to the anxiety and chaos that is perceived
by many of the characters in the films (Timeless Classic Movies). In films like D.O.A. by
Rudolph Mate and Double Indemnity by Billy Wilder, the characters are always trying to harm
people and are untrustworthy characters that are not heroic in nature (Thiel). Distrust, deceit and
murder are played out against the backdrop of large cities that seems to be the perfect landscape
for these events. With sharp angles and stylized sets the films of the German Expressionist

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Movement make the cities a confusing chaotic place that is unfriendly. The city is presented as
an oppressive character in many of the movies of film noir. The tall buildings and on location
shots lead to the feeling of being lost lonely and alone. In both films, the urban landscape mirrors
the anxiety of people who live in it. In both films, architecture can be read as political, historical
and social discourse. Architecture in both the films mirror the anxieties and fears of the time
period which were prisons, bomb shelters and even abandoned buildings. According to Jean-
Jacques Rousseau, cities are the abyss of human species. In the film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,
the leaning jagged buildings show what the cities may have looked like in Germany after the
First World War (Timeless Classic Movies) and in the film D.O.A, the city is an evil place where
crime runs rampant pervaded by a sense of loneliness and misery (Thiel).
Thus both films are reflective of a post-War society and mirror the fear, anxiety and
loneliness of the people. Fear, despair, mistrust, paranoia, bleakness and loss of innocence are
reflected in these films that reflects the Cold War period with the fear of nuclear annihilation.
The violent misogynistic anti-heroes in these films were an allusion, a metaphoric symptom to
the evils of society with an underlying moral conflict, lack of purpose and a sense of injustice.
There wasn’t any happy or optimistic endings to either of these films. Thus it reflects how
German Expressionism influenced film noir in terms of technique and treatment of the subject by
taking into account Robert Wiene’s 1920 silent Expressionist film ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’
and compare it with Rudolph Mate’s 1949 film noir D.O.A.

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REFERENCES:
Timeless Classic Movies The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aimAeeDx2p4 [Accessed on: 13-11-2018]
Thiel, David. D.O.A. (1950) by Rudolph Maté Full Movie Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouqvcwjww-E [Accessed on: 13-11-2018]