German Civilization and Expressionism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

German Civilization and Expressionism - Essay Example The essay "German Civilization and Expressionism " will examine the evolution of the Expressionist movement in film, and how this influence has impacted the world in terms of visual arts. As the film attracted a large audience in the U.S. and France, it became imperative to comprehend the nature of the Expressionist movement that had taken over Germany. It became clear that film could only be classified as art if the film’s image could be differentiated from pragmatic realism. Expressionism in film has the uncanny ability to rework and alter realism or reality. This is what the German film did in the 1920s, enabling the film industry to construct and create an emblematic world, which was completely separated from what is seen in everyday life. The influential power of the film, and as such the Expressionist movement, was brought out in the non-repetition of the world as seen every day. The general characteristics of Expressionism can be used to relate to Wiene’s film, w hich came at a time when Germany had already faced defeat during the First World War. It was at a time when the region was faced with poverty, discord, and anger among its people. Expressionism was used as a means to describe the mentality that most people had about the region. The notable themes of horror, insanity, and death in the film; The Cabinet of Caligari, are just but examples of the way the film was influential in the evolution of film at that point in Germany’s history. There is a perverted and warped perception of the world.