German Expressionalist Films

1)Last Laugh

2)

       

3) 1924

4) F.W. Murnau

5) This is one of the first movies to be credited with using prominent camera movements, such as tracing the characters up and down the elevator. The interesting usage of these movements is that they are employed to tell a story that definitely does not classify as horror. 

6) This film is described as a reaction against the sensational movement that Caligari brought forth. A distinct characteristic of this film is that it utilized expresionalist styles associated with horror films "to tell a different type of story.

1) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
2) 

3) 1920
4) Robert Weine is the director.
5) The film employs the element of a main character who is negative since the protagonist is marked by paranoia which becomes the main focus of the film. This film is often credited as being a pioneer for other German expressionist films with the same elements of dark and twisted visuals and elaborate sets designed to evoke an ominous feeling.
6) The film is greatly respected and showcased in many museums. It inspired later Expressionist films such as The Last Laugh and Metrapolis. Additionally, there have been many remakes of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari itself.


1) The Bride of Frankenstein
2)
3) 1935
4) James Whale
5) This sequel to Frankenstein (1931) is noted for using the horror style. Additionally, it has the very same idea as Caligari in that this film has a main character who is not completely positive and easy for the reader to identify with. There is also an elaborate set used for the laboratory setting which classifies this film as being an German expressionist one.
6) The film came out to much acclaim and just as much critique, but its legacy continues to live on. It is consistently voted as one of the best horror films from anywhere such as The New York Times to the United States National Film Registry.

Chase Scene Reflection

Several camera movements in this film have interesting effects. The initial panning shot that travels from the first anchor to the second anchor, and it creates a change in the mood. This change in the mood occurs because the first anchor is positive and content with the turnout, so the audience feels positive. However, the panning shot reveals that the second anchor rather disappointed with the first anchor so there is now an atmosphere of tension. The tracking shot allows the viewer to explicitly view the progression of the action and understand that the scene is becoming more serious. Lastly, the dolly in shot creates a dramatic atmosphere which emphasizes the climax of the movie because the reaction of the actor is slowly revealed.

In addition to camera movements, we also used certain camera angles with specific intent. For example, we used a two shot to start off. In the next frame, however, we separate the two anchors in order to show an increased distance between the anchors as a reflection of their disagreement. Next, at 0:27, we used a close up of the second anchor's face to create drama. We used this drama in order to establish the conflict which would drive our film. At 0:36, we utilized a framing shot to create a larger setting than the desk itself in order to flow into the next part of our film, which begins our actual chase. The stair scene, with the interlacing of the shots in birds eye and worms eye, creates confusion and anticipation within the viewer. The final shot, which is a point of view shot, resolves the movie because the second anchor has accomplished her goal.

Overall, our film came out decently. We struggled a little bit in the beginning arranging all our shot types, and we spent more than the needed amount of type stressing over having every one planned out. I think it would definitely work better next time if we let our scene flow more naturally, and if we chose to add the shots we needed as we were filming. Costuming worked smoothly because we chose to keep it very simple, and the actors had their needed materials everyday. Next time, I think we would benefit the interest of our film to add more props and more intriguing costuming. An area we definitely struggled with was learning to use the new camera movements on the equipment. As a result, some of the movement shots(such as the tracking shot) turned out very shaky. We can easily improve this next time because we understand how to stabilize and level the shots. Something that did not work very well for us was lighting, since some spots of the school were not suitable for filming but we had no choice because we needed continuity. We can fix this by planning beforehand where certain spots may not look visually appealing. In total, our cinematography was satisfactory but not as polished as it could be, but our planning was very good and critical for the success of our film.