German Expressionism and its influence on Robert Weine

Das Kabinett der Dr. Caligari (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) is a 1920 German thriller drama directed by Robert Weine and starring Werner Strauss as the eponymous character and Conrad Veidt as Cesare. Caligari is seen as the de facto standard of a peculiar period in German cinema christened German Expressionism. This new direction in German cinema was mostly an expression of a greater intellectual cum social movement called Expressionism - a cry against Impressionism and Naturalism but I’m getting ahead of myself. This post aims to investigate (to a considerable degree) the reasons for the emergence of Expressionism, its influence on German cinema with an emphasis on Caligari, and its legacy. In short, to figure out the big deal about it.

What is Expressionism?

Any form of artistic or creative endeavour stems from the conscience of the artist. And this conscience comprises his/her experiences, apprehensions, or desires. Thus, it is imperative to start at the historical circumstances prevalent during that time to understand any given work. Accordingly, we’ll begin in the tumultuous decade of 1910-20 in war-torn Germany.

Germans were often critiqued (whether it was self-criticism, I don’t know) as the “race of poets and thinkers”. And truly, anyone looking at the sheer volume of intellectual and scientific output of the land beside the Rhine would be befuddled at the beginning of the twentieth century. Some of the greatest minds on the planet - Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Goethe, Einstein, Planck, etc. were Germans. The defeat in WW1 left the common man confused and humiliated. Not only had their long standing belief of exclusivity been broken but they have been left to deal with the outrageous clauses of the Treaty of Versailles. The German concept of Weltanschauung or their “world-view” has been compromised. To make the matters worse, the war indemnity was causing inflation and widespread poverty. The German youth found itself in a crisis - hungry, unemployed, and confused.

Among all this chaos, a new school of thought was emerging. One that borrowed, quite subtly, from “mysticism and magic” - ideas that are known to appeal to the Germans. It held itself in contrast to the prevailing philosophies of Impressionism and Naturalism. Impressionists saw the world as lively and splendid, they believed in the blossoming diversity of objects. The Naturalists believed in the originality of the world and representing it as it is in forms of media and art. They rejoiced in the apparent exhibition of objects and emotions. Edschmind defined Expressionism in his Uber den Expressionismus in der Literatur, as “a reaction against the atom-splitting of Impressionism, which reflects the iridescent ambiguities, disquieting diversity, and ephemeral hues of nature”.

Individualism vs Non-individualism

Individualism referred to paying attention to the petty logic of day-to-day causality. An individualist would be concerned about the apparent tendency of objects and environments and would be satisfied with it. An Expressionist, on the other hand, would believe that reality is created in them and the “world-image” exists solely in them. They can question, inspect, and suspect the world and yet, the truth would be a projection of everything in their mind. Now, how does it matter? A personal interpretation goes like this - taken with abhorrence towards individualism, I think the idea of expressionism stands too grand and ambitious. It is because once the expressionist understands that the outside reality can be wholly rejected, they can begin to realise unimagined realities and eventually turn those inspirations and thoughts into the “reality”.

Expressionistic ideas were radical for some people (as has always been the case with the introduction of some new idea). Interpreting non-individualism as being anti-materialistic and thus, by extension, anti-bourgeois, the first group of Expressionists combined Expressionism with intellectualism. They were headed by Franz Pfemfert and called themselves Aktion (the ones to take action). The second group was more visceral in its mode of expression and believed in “visions” to guide their creative outputs. This group, called Strum (storm), ws headed by Herwart Walden.

The Expressionists believed in “dynamism” and movement. They were concerned with the dynamism of energies, thoughts, and conveniently of objects as they nicely lent themselves to expression on the screen. The Expressionists rejected paying attention to petty social ambitions and condemned conformism and compliance.

The Expressionists were nicknamed “apocalyptic adolescents” for their love for youth and abhorrence towards old people in sync with their greater philosophy of non-conformism. I believe there is a seed for juvenile angst somewhere there and this attitude would lend itself very well in cultivating an original form of expression and as mentioned before “to imagine unimagined realities” which would not be the case if one refuses to question and walk the uncharted path. At the same time, by its very nature, this would lead to more mistakes and destruction through the process. Both have their pros and cons but given the state of German youth and the intense need to make sense of the confusion, it was only imperative that this idea would find a wider audience. Acclaimed works from that era seem to bring this non-conformism and tension between the ages such as Metamorphosis and The Judgement by Franz Kafka, Werfel’s Vater und Sohn, Der Sohn by Hasenclever, and Vatermord by Bronnen.

In general, Expressionists put emphasis on the metaphysical such as psychic events, ghosts, and nightmares.

Rise of Expressionism in German Cinema

The reasons for the flourishing of the German Cinema are opposite to what lead to the popularisation of the French New Wave. Rather than a retort to the increasing American dominance in French cinema as a result of globalisation, German cinema proliferated as a result of opening the German markets to the world. As Germany began exporting its films overseas post WW1, the revenue and reputation provided the impetus for the evolution of a new style of cinema.

The decade beginning 1910 was a period of carefree attitude among the German youth as inflation was on a steady roll and people finding more money became more prodigal. Expressionism was capturing the attention of promising young minds and thus, the German filmmakers were faced with the question of expressing Expressionism on the moving image. The contemporary German found insanity and horror relatable because it called out to the horrors of war and humiliation on a global scale which was nothing short of a traumatising nightmare for many Germans. The usage of oblique shapes and chiaroscuro or lights and shadow gave a ghastly appearance to the films of this period. Music morphed from the symphonies to disturbing staccatos that seemed to claw the soul rather than relieve it.

The plot of Caligari is essentially a thriller of the highest calibre. The opening shot shows one distressed man recounting a past experience to an elderly man who is confused. At the risk of spoiling the film for you (if you haven’t watched it), we come full circle at the end of the movie and it is revealed that both men are, in fact, in an asylum. What horrible thing must have happened to them that has turned them insane? The suspense and fear is held till the last shot of the film.

But what is the meaning of Caligari? Can we provide a justification to the actions of the titular character? Who is Caligari? What does he stand for? Who is Cesare, his accomplice? Unsurprisingly, there are many interpretations and I present just one of them here. Dr. Caligari, the asylum owner, represents the vicious dominating force that wishes to control and manipulate everything around it. The ambitious and volatile German spirit of ignoring all advice and fail-safes and to adhere to an idea, however absurd, radical, or destructive (as it is in this case). Perhaps, this is best captured by the timeless phrase:

“I must become Caligari!”

The movie explores themes of identity and spiritual possession as shown by the overpowering of the asylum owner and his gradual transition into becoming Caligari. On the other hand, there is Cesare, the somnambulist who is summoned by Caligari to commit murders while he’s asleep! As noted, Expressionist films appeal to the inner, darker conscience of humanity. Caligari explores the metaphysical and romances with the paranormal.

In spite of Germany’s obsession with the paranormal, the story was deemed too radical to be shown as a narrative. Hence, it was shot as a frame story (where someone starts recounting a past experience) to provide an interpretation that the narration was simply gibberish from the ravaged mind of a lunatic.

SET DESIGN OF CALIGARI

A commentary of German expressionism must not be concluded without making a note of the set design. Long hours of deliberation and meticulous attention to details augmented the truly horrific images that Expressionist films are known to conjure in the mind of the modern movie-goer. Attempts were made to shock and terrorise. Dynamism is employed amply to give the expression of constantly morphing landscapes and architecture. Disfigurement is another idea repeatedly invoked to create disturbing images that stay with the viewer for a longer time.

Caligari is a fine example of distortions and dynamism. The village fair shot is essentially a painting drawn on a canvas but the dark, twisted, and swirling towns with the roofs like flames rising towards the sky, gives the expression of an ominous town. It seems like the horrifying remains of a misshapen nightmare. Another great example is seen in the prison cell where the innocent petty thief has been arrested. The towering white stripes drawn on the walls all converge to the centre of the room where the chained prisoner is seated with a disgruntled look. Town streets, rooftops, windows, and doors, nothing seemed to be aligned on purpose. Perhaps, the rooftop shot of Cesare kidnapping the girl and walking over the zig-zag rooftop is the consolidating image for the film.

It should not be assumed that Caligari is the best expression of Expressionism because as much as it is hated, there is a constant battle between the director and the producer over accounts and budgeting. It seems like Caligari, being as ambitious as it is, couldn’t escape this fate either. There are gaps and glitches where the “Expressionist” nightmare is broken. Perhaps, the reader will be reminded of the image of the asylum itself, with its pristine Victorian architecture.

CONCLUSION

This has undoubtedly been a long (and perhaps, boring) post. This was also a challenge for me to research along with my schedule but I hope I have managed to give you a flavour of what Expressionism is all about and why Caligari is so “great”. And if not, then, perhaps, ignited a curiosity in you to learn more. This post began with examining the historical context in which Expressionism was born as a movement and its ideals. Then, we moved to the influence of Expressionism on German cinema with an emphasis on the film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and finally dissected various interpretations, aspects, and elements of the film.

REFERENCES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1. Eisner, H. Lotte, et. al: The Haunted House (2008)

All images belong to the respective owner and none to the author.