FromGermanExpressionismtoFilmNoir

ThetermExpressionismhasadeepresonanceinthehistoryofthecinema.As ThomasElsaesserexplainsinWeimarCinemaandAfter,itisnotjusta stylistictermforsomeofthefilmsfromtheearly1920s,buta genericterm formostoftheartcinemaoftheWeimarRepublicinGermany,andbeyond Germany,echoingdownfilmhistoryacrosstheperiodsandgenres,turning upinthedescriptionofUniversalhorrorfilmsofthe1930sandfilmnoirofthe 1940s.

Clips mentionedinthissectionarenotavailabletoviewonthewebsitebutare readily availabletobuyorrent fromtheusualoutletsorfromothermentionedsources. ThejourneyofGermanExpressionismfromartcinematotheHollywoodmainstreambeganwith theexileandexpulsionofmanyfilmproducers,directors,writers,actors,andmusiccomposersfrom GermanyafterHitlercametopowerinJanuary1933.SettlinginCalifornia,theseGermanemigres hadasignificantartisticinfluenceonHollywoodfilmmaking.Thisinfluencewasmostclearlyfelt, ThomasElsaesserwrites,intheexistenceofthatfamous'Expressionist'genre,thefilmnoir, combiningthehauntedscreenoftheearly1920swiththelureofthesinfulmetropolisBerlinofthe late1920s(thefemmefatales,LouiseBrooksandMarleneDietrich)mixedwiththeangstofGerman emigresduringthe1930sand40sastheycontemplatedpersonaltragediesandnationaldisaster. ThetermfilmnoirwasfirstcoinedbyFrenchfilmcriticsinAugust1946todescribeadaringand stylishnewtypeofHollywoodcrimethriller,filmssuchasTheMalteseFalcon,DoubleIndemnity, LauraandMurder,MySweet.Standardhistoriesdescribefilmnoirasasynthesisofhardboiled crimefictionandGermanexpressionism.Thetermisalsoassociated,JamesNaremorewritesin MoreThanNight:FilmNoiranditscontexts,withcertainvisualandnarrativetraits,includinglow keyphotography,imagesofwetcitystreetsandromanticfascinationwithfemmefatales.Most commentatorslocatetheperiodoffilmnoirasbeginningin1941withTheMalteseFalconand culminatingin1958withOrsonWellesTouchofEvil.Somecommentatorsbelievethatnoirbegan muchearlierandthatithasnevergoneaway. ThehardboiledprivateeyestoriesofauthorsDashiellHammett,RaymondChandler,JamesM.Cain andCornellWoolrichprovidedthenarrativesourceformanyclassicfilmnoirs.JohnHustonbegan thetrendofcrimenoveladaptationswithhis1941versionofTheMalteseFalcon.This wasquickly followedbyDoubleIndemnity(directedbyGermanmigr,BillyWilderwhowentontowriteand directSunsetBoulevard),ThePostmanAlwaysRingsTwice,MildredPierceandtheRaymond Chandleradaptations,TheBigSleepandMurder,MySweet.Otherclassicfilmnoirsthatfeaturean investigativenarrativestructureincludeTheKillers,OutofthePast,TheBigHeat,KissMeDeadly andtheBigCombo.

AdirectconnectionbetweenthecrimefilmsoftheGermanExpressionistcinemaandtheAmerican privateeyemovieismadeintheworkofFritzLang,theGermanmigrdirectorwhofledintoexile in1933.LangbroughtthedarkvisionofcriminalityofhisExpressionisticclassics,DrMabuse,the GamblerandMtoHollywoodandbecameoneofthemostprolificdirectorsofthenoirgenre.His filmsincludeTheWomanintheWindow,ScarletStreet,TheBigHeat,TheBlueGardenia,TheSecret BeyondtheDoor,WhiletheCitySleepsandBeyondaReasonableDoubt.Langsspecialsubjectwas theparanoidmentality.AccordingtoMartinRubin,Nofilmmakerhasconveyedmorepowerfully thanLangasenseofoverwhelmingentrapment,ofaworldwhoseeverycircumstance,everytwist andturning,everycornerandcorridor,seemtoconspireagainsttheindividualanddrawhimorher moredeeplyintoaspidersweb. Itisthevisualstyleoffilmnoir,ratherthanstoryorcharactertype,thatisseenasitsdefining characteristic.Thenoirlookwascreatedbycinematographers,costumedesigners,artdirectorsand productiondesigners.ItsenduringinfluenceonallgenresofHollywoodfilmmakingcanbeseen todayinfilmsasdiverseasBladerunner,Seven,BartonFinkandSinCity. Thevisualstyleoffilmnoir,JamesNaremorewrites,ischaracterisedbyunbalancedand disturbing framecompositions,strongcontrastsoflightanddark,theprevalenceofshadowsandareasof darknesswithintheframe,thevisualtensioncreatedbycuriouscameraanglesandsoforth. Moreover,infilmnoir,thesestrainedcompositionsand anglesarenotmerelyembellishmentsor rhetoricalflourishes,butformtheverysubstanceofthefilm. Thenoirworldiscorrupt,threateningandviolent.Frenchfilmcriticssawthetypicalnoirnarrativeas anexistentialnightmarefromwhichtheprotagonistcanneverawaken.Heisadoomedfigure journeyingthroughanunderworldofcrimeanddeceptionuntilthefinalbetrayalbythefemme fatalethathehasfallenfor.Expressionistlightingschemesandcameraanglesconveyasenseof entrapmentastheheromakeshiswaythroughanoftenlabyrinthineplot. Infilmnoir,ExpressionismfoundaworthysubjectinthearchetypalAmericanantiheroasfilm scholarJaneyPlaceexplains:"Thevisualstyleoffilmnoirconveysthedominantmood(male psychologicalinstabilityandmoraluncertainty,paranoia,claustrophobia,asenseofdoomand hopelessness,etc)throughexpressiveuseofdarknesss:bothreal,inpredominantlyunderlitand nighttimescenes,andpsychologicallythroughshadowsandclaustrophobic compositionswhich overwhelmthecharacterinexterioraswellasinteriorsettings.Characters(andweintheaudience) aregivenlittleopportunitytoorientatethemselvestothethreateningandshiftingshadowy environment.Silhouettes,shadows,mirrorsandreflections(generallydarkerthanthereflected person)indicatehislackofbothunityandcontrol.Theysuggestadoppelganger,adarkghost,alter egoordistortedsideofman'spersonalitythatwillemergeinthedarkstreetatnighttodestroy him. Thesexual,dangerouswomanlivesinthisdarkness,andisthepsychologicalexpressionofhisown internalfearsofsexuality,andhisneedtocontrolandrepressit. APersonalJourneythroughAmericanMovies:(02:06:36 02:28:00)

TheBFIDVDA PersonalJourneythroughAmericanMovies,containsa22minutededicatedtofilm noir.MartinScorsesediscussestheworkofkeymigrdirectorssuchFritzLang TheAmericanCinematelevisionseries(availableonvideo) Thesecondvolumeinthisseriescontainsa50minuteprogrammeonfilmnoir.Adedicatedsection oftheprogrammeexploresnoirlightingtechniques.