Expressions in Horror: Dr Caligari and Nosferatu Essay

Two of the earliest examples of German Expressionism in fritter, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Nosferatu are classics remembered as to a greater extent or less of the best horror films of all time. These d shabbiness films, directed by Robert Wiene and F. W. Murnau respectively, share several(prenominal) key aspects in third estate, while appease retaining their own uniqueness that has left batch debating which film is paramount, even n beforehand(predicate) a century after their releases. This paper impart examine these similarities and differences, and will seek care for them in light of the German expressionist vogue they distributively resonate.The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Nosferatu twain tell the story of a new(a) German mans seduction to the madness of a unsung passe-partout with seemingly supernatural powers. In Caligari, a young man named Cesare, who is a somnambulist (or sleep walker) is controlled by the powers of a round the bend doctor, who orders h im to kill innocent victims. In Nosferatu, a young man named Thomas Harker is direct to sell property to take Dracula, a vampire who haves to haunt his life and township after becoming obsessed with Hutters wife, Nina.Though while these films share most key comp onenessnts in common, no one could ever call the two films the same. Robert Wienes The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is defined by the films stage-like quality, due(p) mostly to the unique set it is beam on. An example of German Expressionism, the director stimulates a world of stark lines, sharp angles, darkness, and fannys speech the viewer into a surreal world. by artificial means angled houses line crooked sett roads. Misshapen rooms contain unhinged furniture. Rooftops are acutely angled to the sides.It is radically warped scenery, and helps realise a legitimate expressionist set. F. W Murnaus Nosferatu, however, is peter in real world environments, only employs shadows to make small rooms stick to the fore larger then life, adding suspense and a scent of supernaturalism to the movie. The turn overs castle perhaps best conveys the expressionistic form, with its gothic architecture and abundance of shadow. Or, repair unflustered, the Count himself embodies the expressionist form, with his exaggerated features. His ears, get up and teeth are all pointed, and his summit is unique, hunched and very thin of frame.His eyes, a lot like Wienes Cesare, are in darkness shaded, and his nails are long giving him a distinctly monster like quality. both(prenominal) films successfully impress a dark mood by exaggerating the films dark aesthetic, drawing viewers into the mindscape of German Expressionism. The films also share in common a walk theme, and perhaps it was upright Murnau paying homage to Wienes Caligari. Partway by Nosferatu, Harkers wife Nina is described as being in a sleepwalking trance, specifically calling it somnambulistic.In fact, the source Nina looks surprisingly simil ar to how the character Jane looks in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. I dont believe it is too extreme to intimate that perhaps Marnau played off trustworthy motifs holdd by Wiene in wanting to create a horror film. However, Marnaus moving picture of Count Dracula is unsettling to this day, and many still believe that it remains the most terrifying portrayal of the character ever on film, perhaps only second to the iconic Dracula played by Bela Lugosi. Murnau sure created his own sort of horror, so it could non be suggested Nosferatu is unoriginal.The use of shadows, especially when it comes to scenes involving the Count, create a horrifying imagine on the screen. While having never seen Nosferatu before deciding to write this paper, I immediately recognise a scene towards the end of the film, when the Count ascended a staircase to Ninas room. mayhap one of the most iconic scenes of early horror films, you see the shadow of the Count as he makes his climb up the staircase, hunc hed form, long fingernails, offsetting movement and all. It is his shadow you see climbing the steps, never his real(a) form, which may possibly hint at a metaphor.The German Expressionist movement was born out of the anguish pursual the Great War and before the bear of Hilters Germany. Perhaps, as suggested by pack Franklin in The Shadow in early(a) German Cinema, shadows acted as a sort of visual metaphor for evil or for the dark and threatening forces that allegedly lurked in the pre-Hitler German psyche or soul . Both films use melody to add suspense to the plot, however each film approaches its use in separate ways. Caligari is distinctively jazzy in nature, where as Nosferatu is more classical. Both films, however, create music that mirrors and changes with the action on the screen.In Nosferatu, music creates a terrifying feel to the movie, shaping the most horrific scenes remembered from the film. in that respect are several instances throughout the film where silence is broken by a quite sound, almost like a heartbeat in the background, yet more off putting. While I am in no position to fight which film is the better, both have come to be the best examples of horror films to come out of this time period. Classic examples of German Expressionism at work, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Nosferatu play with the posture of shadow, the distortion of nature, and the imaginations of audiences, even today.