Watch F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu and compare and contrast it with The Cabiniet of Dr. Caligari. ReadRoger Ebert's essay on Munau's masterpiece as well as his essay on Caligari and use at least one quote from each. Your response should be at least 2 well-developed paragraphs.
If you want to re-watch Caligari, go here. Nosferatu can be found here.
Due: Friday, October 18
If you want to re-watch Caligari, go here. Nosferatu can be found here.
Due: Friday, October 18
“Nosferatu” and “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” share some characteristics that were common during the period of German Expressionism. They both contributed greatly to cinematic history and are said to have been firsts of their kind, “Nosferatu” being the first vampire movie and “Caligari” as a precursor to Frankenstein. Both films involve innocent people coming face to face with a monster. Factors of German Expressionism that are prevalent in both films are the actors’ heavy makeup, dramatic movements, and the tinting of the film in order to represent different atmospheres and times of day. These two films are alike in that they are of the horror genre and that they employ some similar aspects common to German Expressionist films, but they are extremely different when it comes to setting and meaning.
ReplyDeleteIn Roger Ebert’s essay on “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” he says, “‘Caligari’ creates a mindscape, a subjective psychological fantasy. In this world, unspeakable horror becomes possible.” The set was designed to be antirealistic, “denying the characters any place of safety or rest”. This differs from “Nosferatu”, which takes place in a normal society in which the only bizarre place is the Count’s castle. Unlike “Caligari”, in which all characters wear intense eye makeup, in “Nosferatu” only Knock and Count Orlock have dramatic appearances. The way that each of these films influenced society differs. On “Nosferatu”, Ebert says, ”The cure for vampirism is obviously not a stake through the heart, but nuclear families and bourgeois values.” The vampire was a symbol for premarital sex and its supposed danger to Victorian society. “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” has been interpreted as some sort of forewarning about Hitler’s rise to power, but more importantly than that, it was the first horror film. “Nosferatu” and “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” were both ingenious films made by directors who were far ahead of their time.
“The Cabinet of Dr Caligari” and “Nosferatu” changed and, in some senses streamlined the horror genre for the rest of the film world. The most noticeable aspect present in both Caligari and Nosferatu that helped to solidify both films in history was the element of fantasy. The use of emotions and horror by directors Wiene and Murau, showed viewers the true meaning of German Expressionism. The lighting in both films was key in allowing each screenshot to be viewed as individual artistic representation. By getting rid of the back light and creating a two-point lighting system, the three-dimensional depth that we see in reality is also eliminated. This dream/nightmarish radiance imprints each scene with the expressionist trademark and, in many ways, comes together with the stories. Examples of this synthesis can be found in Caligari and Nosferatu, in fact, many will argue that the lighting plays the primary role in making the dual nature of the films' characters apparent. One could argue that the use of black and white with the lighting on characters iterates the duality of people and how everyone has a darkside. For Wiene, it was a direct beam on Cesare, the murderous somnambulist. During Cesare's awakening, the audience is treated to a close-up shot of the mortifying actor's contorting face, complete with makeup, in a shot that is nothing less than nightmarish. And that’s not saying that Nosferatu, is any better looking. With Murnau's use of strong beams on the actor, strong shadows are cast and supernaturalism is brought about in a manner that is pleasantly frightening.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that could possibly be more critical to the films than lighting is scenery. For expressionism to do its job, it is imperative that the director of a respected film transport the viewer directly into the world they have created. Wiene and Murau do this perfectly. The difference in scenery between the two films is immense. Wiene's Caligari contains radically warped backdrops that differ greatly from the natural more orthodox scenery presented in Murau’s Nosferatu. These differences, though great, in their own way contribute to the synthesis seen between the two films.
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and Nosferatu are two silent films that were produced by the German Expressionist movement of the early 1920s. Both films were created with similar thoughts in mind, the director wanted to create a horrific atmosphere. Wiene and Murnau both succeeded in this and took filmmaking to another level. The two films were similar in that they both took advantage of the technique of hand tinting the film. The color in the film played the role of telling the viewer what time of day it was, but also caused certain emotional responses to the film. Such as the scene in Nosferatu where he arrives on the boat, the blue surroundings make the viewer feel cold but also let us know that it is at night. This adds a sense of fear to the scene. The plot of the two films also follow a similar story, people are faced to deal with a monster that is presented to them. Similarly the films both follow many of the German Expressionism guidelines. Both Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr Caligari use very sudden and dramatic movements.
ReplyDeleteDifferences in the two films are also abundant. The setting of each film differ greatly. The Cabinet of Dr Caligari is filmed all in a studio, the surroundings are 100% artificial. All of the backdrops are painted on to the walls, not even in an attempt to make them feel realistic but to make the viewer feel out of place. The setting of Nosferatu are real places. Most likely filmed on a ship and filmed in the real world. These use of real world sets made it much easier for the viewer to identify with the film. The make up in the films are different. In Nosferatu the vampire is used as an extreme example of makeup use, Schreck being given the teeth and the ears. Although all of the other characters have fairly normal looks to them. In The Cabinet of Dr Caligari all of the characters have heavy eyeshadow their faces are covered in makeup. This makes the characters harder to relate to but also gets the directors point across much better.
Two of the most recognized films to come from the German Expressionist era in the 1920's, are "Nosferatu" and "The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari". Though both films were from the same time period and have distinct similarities, there are abundant differences between them. The biggest difference is in how unrealistic "Caligari" is when compared to "Nosferatu". The expressionist influences are certainly not subtle in "Caligari". As Roger Ebert stated, "The first thing everyone notices and best remembers about "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920) is the film's bizarre look." The entire film does indeed feel strange, this comes from set design. The people who made "Caligari" focused heavily on making their sets imaginative and abstract by building them out of paper and even painting on shadows. In "Nosferatu", the sets are less extravagant than those of "Caligari". The towns are realistic and mundane. The one set piece that really is similar to "Caligari" is Nosferatu's castle. This place screams German Expressionism through its Gothic architecture, sharp angles, and it’s large, open, interior.
ReplyDeleteThe second most prominent attribute of these two films are the movements of actors within the screen. Nosferatu’s movements are strikingly similar to those of Cesare in “Caligari”. The directors of both films thought this stiff, bizarre, character movement style would amplify the uneasiness these two characters would make the audience feel. “The vampire should come across not like a flamboyant actor, but like a man suffering from a dread curse,” said Roger Ebert in his review of “Nosferatu”. Another thing about the actors that stands out, is make up. All of the shadows on Cesare’s face are painted on, which gives him a very unnerving look, especially his painted on eye shadow. Nosferatu was not painted to make him look frightening, instead, the actor’s physical appearance was changed in only two ways. The director gave him bat-like ears, and long claw-like fingernails. Character appearance and movement is another achievement brought about from the expressionist era that can still be seen in modern film. For example, Edward’s movements and makeup in “Edward Scissorhands” make him look very similar to Cesare and this is no coincidence. Tim Burton’s character was clearly influenced by German Expressionism.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Nosferatu are two very important films from the German Expressionist movement. In fact, M.B. White wrote that, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is usually identified as the first significant German Expressionist film, exemplifying the narrative and visual traits of that movement." Both films have very expressionistic qualities to them, especially noticeable when it comes to visual aspects. For instance, both films create an uneasy, frightening appearance to the monster characters, Cesare and Nosferatu, by giving them dark hair and heavy black eye makeup, then contrasting it with pale white skin. This contrast is very dramatic, which is a very German Expressionistic quality. In addition to this, they both have very stiff, awkward movements which adds to the fear we feel towards them. The set design of both films contributes greatly to their mise-en-scenes. Because the sets really emphasize the contrast between light and dark, just like the makeup, distorted angles, and painted backdrops and shadows. Every aspect of the set designs were planned and intentional, made to create emotions of fear and discomfort inside of us. All of these elements come together to create very well done German Expressionist films.
ReplyDeleteDespite all of these similarities, the two films have some contrasts, including in set design. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is much less realistic than Nosferatu. While Nosferatu takes place in a diegetic world that is more similar to the real world than Caligari. A great part of this is due to setting. While Nosferatu was created more in the real world, and therefore with a more realistic set, Caligari's set was created by painting every aspect of it, giving it a more artificial feeling. This artificial appearance is more uncomfortable than a realistic one, and because of it's more fantastic appearance, it is extremely frightening in a much different way from Nosferatu.
The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari and Murnau's Nosferatu were both highly important expressionist films in the German Expressionist period and cast their influence and genius onto the filmmakers of today. Caligari was unique in it’s almost complete expressionism. The set designers shaded in every shadow and created each jagged edged building in the set. The jagged, shadowy and artificial appearance of the film’s set was very critical in the understanding of the plot. At some points the diagonals and sharp angles actually cause a feeling of uneasiness and sometimes terror. At first we identify the look as an expression of the uneasiness and terror caused by the somnambulist and the dooming of the town but in the end we discover it is actually Francis’s mind. He has imagined the entire story of Caligari and this realization causes us to notice why the set was both artificial and very unsettlingly crafted. Similar to the use of setting to express motion, F.W Murnau’s Nosferatu utilizes a similar technique. In the castle, we can’t help but notice the high chairs, ceilings and large, almost eerie size of the rooms. Also, in Hutter’s room, the ceilings feel sloped, almost like Nosferatu is closing in. But in this film however, the actual costume and character design plays a much larger role in the film. The average looking Hutter is completely contrasted with the large, lanky, and bat-like appearance of the Count. Also, in Nosferatu, set and costume work much more closely. For example, Roger Egbert notices that at one point “[Nosferatu] advances and retreats through an archway shaped to frame his bat-like head”. The use of this was not only revolutionary but very effective in expressing the odd looks of Orlok and how his humble abode reinforces his bizarre and terrifying nature.
ReplyDeleteIn Caligari, costume plays a much more astute tole, but the makeup of the somnambulist creates a very terrifying sight. His face is white and eyes are highlighted black to create a high contrast look and piercing eys that stare at their victim in a way that says “You’re done for”. Both Films use these elemnts to express the mind of the character and the terror of characters but in terms of its horror, Caligari takes the cake. The closed framing used to depict the doctor in moments of suspense, the somnambulist highly contrasted makeup and terrifying glare, and of course the actual setting all create a much higher sense of terror. “A case can be made that "Caligari" was the first true horror film.” said Egbert in another essay regarding The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari. He acknowledges that “There had been earlier ghost stories and the eerie serial "Fantomas" made in 1913-14...” but acknowledges that “their characters were inhabiting a recognizable world.”, much like in Nosferatu. Because of this reason Nosferatu was not quite as terrifying but still scary in its time. Egbert concludes quite poignantly that “‘Caligari’ creates a mindscape, a subjective psychological fantasy. In this world, unspeakable horror becomes possible.”. I could not have found words for this idea but Egbert certainly is utterly correct. The story itself is quite terrifying but the setting, an artificial world based on ours, I believe, is the most unsettling part of it all.
“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” and “Nosferatu” are both films created during the German expressionist movement, one marking the beginning of the movement, one created at the end. Both films were made roughly in the same time period with being heavily influenced by German expressionist movement. They are very surreal in their presentation and mise-en-scene, the heavy make-up and distorted sets are all designed to make the worlds the films take place feel as though there is something that is off kilter with it. Both films also utilize the effect of tinting the film stock to set the tone of each scene (whether it took place at night, in-doors, etc.) which go that one step further in creating the mise-en-scene in both films. These two films are also credited with being to powerhouses in the horror genre as well as the monster movie genre, Nosferatu is praised as the first vampire film, and Caligari regarded as one of the first true horror films ever made, as well as setting the ground work for films like Frankenstein.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that sticks out the most in Caligari is the surreal and bizarre set. Everything in Caligari looks jagged and razor sharp, to the houses, to the trees and leaves, even the “lighting” (which is simulated through shading) looks sharp and distorted. The makeup is heavy on all the characters, giving it a feeling that would be considered gothic today. It also acted as a precursor to the other German expressionist films that would come later, as Rodger Ebert said, “ its over-all attitude certainly cleared the way for "The Golem," "Nosferatu," "Metropolis" and "M." Nosferatu’s sets are nowhere near as surreal as the set pieces in Caligari, Murnau goes for a more realistic setting with houses and figures less distorted but still supplying a surrealistic feeling to it all. The makeup, costumes, and acting is not as over-dramatized as it is in Caligari (except for maybe Nosferatu himself) but Murnau also implements some special effects into his work, these effects included fast motion and the illusion of levitation. Although both films are not considered to be ‘scary’ by today’s modern standards, but it seems that these two films “don’t scare us, but it haunts us.”
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and Nosferatu, were both films made during the German expressionist era in film. Caligari was released in 1920, and Nosferatu was released nine years later. They both have strong characteristics of German expressionism. Caligari and nosferatu, both used a lot of makeup on actors, and exaggerated movements in acting. For example in Caligari the killer would take big stabs, and in Nosferatu he would creep up on people ridiculously. Both films are noted for their contribution to the horror genre.
ReplyDeleteCaligari had more of a Frankenstein vibe,while Nosferatu had more of a vampire/ Dracula vibe. Caligari also was more exaggerated in movements, make up, and set design than Nosferatu. In Caligari the setts were painted and places were made to look like they were jagged and rough. They weren’t necessarily striving for realism, because it was the expressionistic era. Nosferatu was made closer to the end of the expressionist era, while Caligari, was closer to the beginning.