In Friday's lesson within the unit, Film Genres and National Cinemas, students enjoyed the lesson that I had been ‘on the edge of my seat level’ excited to teach. Together, we wound back the clock to the 1920s to investigate the distinctive and dramatic film genre that is German Expressionism. As a film studies grad and aficionado, I knew for a fact that no introduction to film studies course was complete without having a look at German Expressionism, and silent film, both being respectfully hard to sell in this day and age. However, following on from many weeks of facilitating the learning of my dedicated students and their genuine inquiry into a wide range of film genres from different contexts, I was absolutely delighted to see that this built a strong foundation for a deep and meaty lesson. Students critically considered the historical factors that led to the creation of this genre, as well as how the style continues to live on in much loved films and visual aesthetics around the world.
During this lesson, students were able to successfully make connections between modern gothic aesthetics and styles, and iconic works within German Expressionism. As a lead in, students engaged in analytical pre-reading and excerpt viewing of Fritz Lang’s silent film sci-fi masterpiece, Metropolis (1927). Students were really interested in the bizarre storyline of the film, the conservative and controlling ‘false happy ending’ (the revolution that was set up to fail, ending with the Salem witch trials style execution of a robot scapegoat in female form, and with everyone getting right back to work, and following the “new leader”...who was conveniently the son of the old leader), and the exaggerated body language, costuming, and settings that made the actors look as though they were moving within an abstract painting. Through viewing a German Expressionism montage video, students were excited to see excerpts of classic films for the first time such as Nosferatu (1922) (the completely unauthorised copycat of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula), The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920), and From Morn to Midnight (1920). They were also delighted to see clips from some of Tim Burton’s finest flicks, such as Corpse Bride (2005), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), and Vincent (1982). In the discussion that followed, students were able to see that German Expressionism was not just a German thing, but a style that has stood strongly against the test of time. While the genre was born out of a time of hopelessness, and hyperinflation following Germany’s defeat in WWI, this stripped back, minimum cost but maximum avant garde style has continued to inspire filmmakers today. The most notable of these filmmakers would be Tim Burton, the director of countless darkly whimsical films, as well as a favourite in our class: the rather new and instant Netflix series hit, Wednesday (2022). In true German Expressionism style, iconic character Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega) re-emerges into the spotlight of modern pop culture, and is even asked by a classmate why she is in black and white like an old movie.
As a film lover, I am so happy to have passed on the enjoyment of films new and old to my students. Going into teaching this unit, I was wondering how the older and more obscure films would be received by my audience of 14 and 15 year olds. When I was flying back to Sydney from my stay in New York over the Christmas break, I watched The Incredible Weight of Massive Talent (2022) on the plane, and felt extremely called out. In this hilarious movie, Nicolas Cage plays a fictional version of himself, “Nick Cage”, and while also being washed up as an actor, he finds himself to be disconnected from his teenage daughter, Addy. In an odd attempt to bond, Nick watches some of his favourite movies with Addy, including The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920). When asked by her mother how the time with her father went, Addy said that they watched a weird movie called “The Island of Captain Calamari”. When he tried to defend his choice to his ex wife, she challenged him by asking why he was “...surprised that your teenage daughter didn't want to watch an insane 100 year old German film with you?” Despite being on a plane, I laughed out loud and took down the quotation for future reference, as it encapsulated not only the alienating power of cinema when it lacked context, but also how snobby film fans can be when they expect everyone to see and love the nuances they had already worked to unpack over time. Gladly, I did not have a “Nick Cage” moment, and I walked away from the classroom with so much fulfilment in response to seeing my students make valuable connections between films and aesthetics over time, and hearing comments like “so this is why Wednesday is so emo”.
References:
Dickson, C. (2016). “German Expressionism Montage”, online video, viewed on 2/4/23, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJhWBRhJJV8
Wick, C. (2020). “Corrupting Modernity in Metropolis”, https://iamchelseawick.wixsite.com/mysite/post/modernity-metropolis-fritz-lang?_sm_au_=iVVnqkqjPqj7QW378H41FK7TcWCJp, accessed on 2/4/23
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