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Essay: The Influence of Expressionism on German Culture and Politics

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  • Published: 1 February 2018*
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  • Words: 759 (approx)
  • Number of pages: 4 (approx)

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Throughout history, good times and bad, the cultural influences reflect the sociopolitical atmosphere. Conversely, the culture also affects the political attitudes and social environment. An artistic movement known as Expressionism spread exclusively throughout Germany as it experienced isolation before the war. As an inevitable war encroached, this movement affected more and more European countries. Specifically, it shaped how Germans felt throughout the duration and aftermath of World War 1. Expressionism broke the traditional aspects of art, literature, and theater, and stimulated a bold, new modern energy. In Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, the use of distinct visual effects reflects the growing expressionist philosophy. The political ambience of Germany during the beginnings of Expressionism was optimistic and craved for change. Towards the end of the Expressionism in the early 1920’s, a certain social vulnerability ultimately allowed Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party to rise to power.

Expressionism began to noticeably accumulate support as early as 1905. Unlike most artistic movements, Expressionism was not a distinct type of work. Expressionism echoed artists’ state of mind, and particularly during this time in German history, it was the backlash of an increasingly materialistic country. The movement was comprised of art, literature, drama, and film, and was almost exclusively a German movement. Before World War 1, Germans longed to be unified, in addition to being respected on a world stage along with their European counterparts. This desire for change translated to German art. In particular, expressionist pieces of art pre-World War 1 emulated a “bold, free flowing energy” and “abstract forms” (Strathausen). New colors, new designs, and moving away from the established way proved to be a common theme among all artists during this period of time. Artists at this time strongly believed “cutting chains from reified past ways” and “eliminat[ing] all [the] preexisting forms of vision” was crucial to make significant advances as a society (Strathausen). It was this attitude along with legislation lifting the ban on foreign propaganda that exponentially increased film production, including Wiene’s notable film The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari.

Silent films rely heavily on visual affects to get the audience to feel certain emotions and to add an element to the plot. Wiene’s film comprised of complex characters and specific details including several staircases and shadows. Doctor Caligari, the character who is advertising Cesare, who we later find out is a mentally insane patient, and his abilities to “see the future.” Doctor Caligari, according to Kracauer, embodies an authoritative figure that “idolizes power, [has a] lust for domination, [and] violates all human rights and values”  (Kracauer). Cesare, the mentally insane man, depicted the common German man, “who under the pressure of military service, [is] drilled to kill and be killed” (Kracauer). These two characters in particular were a crucial part of how this film deemed to be war propaganda. Doctor Caligari’s aggressive authoritarian persona mirrored the war government and therefore was in complete control of Cesare, also known as the common citizen of Germany. At the end of the film, Caligari is put into a straight-jacket, symbolizing how any harsh authority figure should be driven away from Germany. Ironically, this foreshadowed Hitler’s extreme manipulation tactics in response to Germany’s overall sense of vulnerability following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. In conjunction with Wiene’s symbolic cast, the film’s expressionist visual aspect contributed to the success. During a scene in the film, Caligari races up several sets of staircases, indicated his hierarchal power over the people. The lighting, which was particularly dark or filled with shadows, created an ominous picture for the audience. It was intended for an unsettling sense throughout the film, just how Wiene wanted an audience to feel about the war.

At the peak of Expressionism, a nationalistic, domineering government was in charge. During the war, several expressionist propaganda was used to attack the government, and the fate of their actions on the country as a whole. Wiene’s film was revolutionary not only because of the schematic visual influences and the allegorical characters he portrayed, but also because of the use of the arts to get a certain message across to an audience. Despite the changing perspectives before, during, and after World War 1, they continued to express their messages in art, theater, and film. Expressionistic art was a revolutionary tactic for the common man to voice their opinion with an aggressive government system, but deemed to be a continuing problem as Hitler represented everything the common people, as seen in The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, were afraid of.

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