German Expressionism is a 20th-century art movement that uses distorted visuals and emotions to challenge societal norms.
- "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is a prime example, with its distorted sets and nightmarish landscapes.
- Visual Distortion creates unease and blurs reality and fantasy.
- Psychic Intensity is conveyed through characters' gestures and appearances.
- "Edward Scissorhands" marries German Expressionism with fantasy, exploring isolation and identity.
- How do the distorted sets and exaggerated lighting in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari create a sense of unease?
- How is Cesare's isolation portrayed differently from Edward's isolation? What are the consequences of isolation for Cesare and Edward?
- How do these films comment on societal norms and prejudices? What are the implications of their critiques for today's audience?
- Did you like Edward Scissorhands? Why or why not?
1. In The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the distorted sets contribute to the surreal atmosphere and the psychological tension. For example, in the scene where Cesare is on the rooftop with Jane, the distorted set makes the atmosphere more surreal, as the set doesn’t look realistic and instead has a manic look, which builds tension in the audience not only because of how unnatural the scene is, which in itself can frighten some, but also due to how surreal this scene is and makes the audience confused and feel they know less about the film. By using these surreal visuals, this film becomes much more interesting and mysterious to the audience, making the audience more engrossed and immersed in the film, so when a scene like this one is seen, it makes audiences feel uncomfortable, since they feel they don’t know what’s happening, what this world is like, and due to the recent murders, if Jane will survive (even though those who pay attention to the beginning of the film know she will). The surreal atmosphere also alludes to the plot twist ending where Francis is only making up this story, as the visuals seem reminiscent of how someone may have nightmares, as nightmares usually have some kind of distortment. This nightmare feel helps add to the tension, as audiences almost feel trapped as if they were trapped in a nightmare, just as Francis is trapped in the nightmare of his mind and its false stories and beliefs.
ReplyDelete2. In Edward Scissorhands, the use of German expressionism highlights the tension between Edward and the townsfolk. Edward has a very gothic look as opposed to the townsfolk looking very colorful and bright. These visuals highlight the tension between the two opposing sides, as Edward visually doesn’t fit in, even from the town’s acceptance of him. However, more scenes begin to take place in darker locations and during nighttime more often to reflect the darkness of the town surrounding Edward after they turn on him. In The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, German expressionism is used to reflect the tension between Francis and the rest of the world. Francis’s story contains many surreal sets full of distortment and unease. The setting of Francis’s story makes those listening feel uncomfortable, just as the outside world views Francis. We don’t get to see how the outside world would react to Francis and his mentality-besides Dr. Caligari (who’s not actually Dr. Caligari) and others with mental problems-however, we understand how others would react to Francis due to our own experiences watching this film. This film makes audiences feel a sense of unease and discomfort, which can be seen as a reflection of how others might see Francis and how they feel because of him, since those who are mentally well will probably be uncomfortable if a mentally unstable man starts telling them a story of a doctor manipulating a somnambulist into murdering people at night.
3. German Expressionism is still used widely to this day, beyond its roots in 1920 and beyond Edward Scissorhands. One film that uses German expressionism for its visuals is Blade Runner (1982). Visuals in the original Blade runner obviously aren’t realistic due to the film’s setting, premise, and atmosphere. Visuals like Rick Deckard flying in a car through the city at 22:57 minutes into the film create an idea for the audience what this dystopian future will be like and how empty and lonely one man can be, even in a city filled with details, as reflected in the lone car amongst towering buildings. A film that uses German expressionism in its narrative is in my opinion Face/off (1997). Face/off’s story is science fiction and definitely unrealistic. However through this unrealism, we get to see more of the protagonist-Sean Archer’s and the antagonist-Castor Troy’s personalities, emotions, and inner conflicts, which is what German expressionism is about; using unrealistic features to present these character traits.
4. I loved Edward Scissorhands because of its themes, character, Tim Burton’s style, and story. In my opinion, this is one of the best movies that follows the “outcast”. Before we even see Edward, we can tell he’s an outcast, as we see his gothic, dark castle that looks straight out of Frankenstein (1930) while the town looks ripped out of an old American magazine selling real estate and furniture. When we meet Edward, his color scheme completely contradicts those of the town and the townsfolk, as Edward is composed of blacks and whites, almost as if Edward was ripped out of a black and white movie, while the town is full of vibrant colors of all kinds. When Edward first arrives at the town, he puts on clothes, trying to fit in, but as the film goes on there are more and more tears in his clothes until he finally rips them off trying to escape the conformity of the town. There are great uses of mise en scene-a staple in Tim Burton’s works-in this film, like when Peg first arrives at Edward's castle, the wide shots of the castle let us see the dark emptiness of the castle. These lingering shots of the dark, empty castle represent Edward’s loneliness and emptiness, since he was never completed and is lonely. I also think the townsfolk were created perfectly to help the theme of being an outcast be more fleshed out. The townsfolk all accept Edward into their town, but once they think he’s done something wrong, they decide he should leave and chase him away in a mob similar to Frankenstein (which I believe was an inspiration for Tim Burton while making this film). The townsfolk take advantage of Edward, as they use him for personal needs and growth and blame him for any problems the town is facing. The townsfolk want to feel perfect and they want their town to be perfect, so they accept an outcast into their town, trying to make themselves feel good about themselves, but as soon as they think Edward could ruin the vision of a perfect town, they chase him out. There’s a shot in the film where a house is covered by a bug fumigation tent at the end of the street and is the farthest away from the camera. This symbolizes the town’s desire to be perfect, so they try to hide their imperfections. Edward blindly listens to the townspeople, as he wants to fit in, so he dresses like them, tries to act like, and will do almost anything they want if they ask, and ultimately is a victim of trying to fit in, but only being manipulated by those around him. This film is a warning to us all to not belittle ourselves only for the approval of others, as it will only cause pain and won’t end well. I also really liked The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari for its unique look and style, the atmosphere, and the characters Dr Caligari and Cesare. For starters, I really like how the film has an orange tint during the day and a blue tint during the night. Not only does this help the audience tell when the film takes place in the day without having to say “Day” or “Night” each time, but the tint of blue during night helps express a dark tone for the night scenes, which have darker scenes involving murder and in one case, kidnapping. Also the tinting and toning really don’t look bad in this film, especially since some films look really bad. How everything almost looks like a stage reflects Francis, the narrator and main character and how he is really telling a false story that he believes is real. The distorted atmosphere reflects Francis’s insanity and gives the audience the sense that something is very wrong with this story they’re hearing. Dr. Caligari and Cesare are both crafted perfectly creepy enough to make the audience uncomfortable by their presence and also mysterious enough to make us wonder who they truly are. I think this film might not hold up to today’s standards, but considering this film was made in 1920, I believe it’s quite excellent.
Delete1. Everything it seems is misshapen in Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The distorted sets point to the rather surreal atmosphere of the film. It made the story seem off, almost as though a dream. A dream is what the filmmaker was obviously trying to do based on the ending. The tension was also heightened because the weird can turn frightening very quickly. The visuals also create memorable effects in the story… The striking visual contrasts allow the audience to feel the unevenness of the sets. Two scenes stand out as being heightened by the visual distortion. The first is when our main character is reacting to the death of his friend, his distorted emotional state can be observed in the bleak, black, misshapen apartment showing the weight it has on his emotional state. Also when either Dr. Caligari in the dream world or the main character in the real world are put in strait jackets, the distortion and curvature of the cell point toward a pit of despair that the person is trying to escape.
ReplyDelete2. There are some major social messages about the government in the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. We see the clerk and detectives on heightened pedestals to invoke a sense of them being above the everyman. Simultaneously, we see them being somewhat rude in the clerk’s case. Developing how the characters and filmmakers see the law. Edward Scissorhands has some different social messaging. This is highlighted in Edward’s dark beaten-down house on a hill, versus the well-kept, solid-colored suburban neighborhood where Edward’s adopted family lives at. The overall design of Edward is meant to look out of place. This points to a larger point that Edward has the best heart of all of them, he just looks weird (tension). Simultaneously, the suburban people look really good, but in their hearts, they aren’t at all (tension).
3. When I think of modern German expressionist-inspired films, almost every Burton comes to mind. But I am best versed in his Batman, thus I will discuss it. He takes that expressive, exaggerated, and weird style to high heights in his Batman (1989), seen in the visual representation of Gotham City, but more so in Batman Returns. In Returns, we get three very Burton characters that have various ties to the visual and story aspects of expressionism. Batman is dark conveying his emotions, his lack of expression makes him expressive. Catwoman is very emotive and rather exaggerated in her performance to express her emotions. Penguin is the weirdest and emotive, but his outfit is the biggest cue the really big nose, the flippers for hands and feet, and even more his complexion. Storytelling, and this may be a stretch, can be observed in Usual suspects. It is somewhat subversive like Caligari, in the end (major spoilers) we see that the guy who was narrating the story made it all up, or did he? “The greatest lie the Devil ever told was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
4. I liked both films fine, will I ever watch them again is a different story. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, no… been there, done that, got the T-shirt it was an okay story, it just wasn’t my kind of movie (silent, no color, and it’s meant to be weird). Edward Scissorhands was rather enjoyable on the other hand (pun intended), it provided likable characters and a compelling story that wasn’t too weird and was sweeter. Where it loses me is the design for Edward himself, it is very weird… the amount of makeup alone would be offputting on a woman, even more so a man. Then there is that negative depiction of Christians, which I know they exist, but it seemed like that one gal was just shoehorned in to take a stab. Simultaneously, that selatious housewife was a little offputting as well.
1. The use of distorted sets in “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” contributes to the film’s surreal atmosphere and psychological tension. A scene where the visual distortion enhances the character’s emotional state is around 26:00 when Cesare kills Alan. There is a close-up of Alan’s face of terror as a shadow approaches him, then the camera cuts to the wall behind Alan so that only their shadows can be seen so the murder takes place through the use of shadows. The camera has a blue tint to it, creating tension, and as all this takes place the music intensifies. It creates suspense within the audience and elevates Alan’s emotional state. Another thing is the shape of the houses, they don’t look like typical everyday houses. The proportions of the houses are uneven. Alan’s house has a slanted roof and this adds to the surreal atmosphere of it all because it is like Francis is trying to recall what happened without actually knowing how it happened and that is perhaps why the murder takes place through the use of shadows.
ReplyDelete2. The filmmakers’ visual choices in “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” and “Edward Scissorhands” highlight the tension between individuals and their societies by using lighting and color contrast as a way to show Edward and Francis are considered outcasts and do not fit in with the rest of society. They are both seen as crazy. The visual aesthetic of both films contributes to the storytelling and impacts character development. In “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”, Francis tells his story through a flashback so the sets are distorted as if his memory is a bit blurred. The houses are squished together and oddly shaped, they are not the typical houses an average person would see in their day-to-day life. This leads to character development because as the film progresses we believe he is a hero but in the end, he is actually locked up in an insane asylum and delusional. In “Edward Scissorhands”, the houses and people are all brightly dressed while Edward is in dark clothing. The way he looks makes him different from the others and that is what causes people to exclude him and not want to associate with him. This helps with storytelling because it can be visually seen that Edward is an outcast and is not just told through the story. This also helps with his character development because his backstory is told via flashbacks and when Peg gives him a makeover to fit in he realizes that he doesn’t want to be like everyone else and is okay with being an outcast because he is happy the way he is.
3. The themes and techniques influenced modern cinema beyond “Edward Scissorhands” by allowing other contemporary films to incorporate these elements into their visuals/ narratives. For example, “The Corpse Bride” (2005) incorporates some of these elements into its visuals/narratives because the character composition is similar, they use low-key lighting, shadows, and different camera angles to create tension, and the gothic architecture is similar as well. Another movie that incorporates some of these elements into its visuals/narratives is “Coraline” (2009). Low-key lighting, shadows, the gothic aesthetic, and the different camera angles are used to create tension. The film uses impossible sets/architecture when Coraline is in the “other world” with her “other mother”.
4. I liked the film “Edward Scissorhands” because I thought the story was interesting and I loved how it was portrayed visually. However, I didn’t really like the film “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” because it didn’t catch my attention. Perhaps that is because it is a silent film but overall the story wasn’t bad.
1.The use of distorted sets in “The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari” are used to enhance the film’s surreal atmosphere, psychological tension, and a character's emotions, an example of this is when Cesare kills Alan (26:00). As Cesare approaches Alan his face shows complete terror as his eyes are open wide and his mouth is open in shock. But, the audience just sees the large shadow of Cesare (created by the moonlight from the window) and Alan’s facial expressions throughout this entire scene creating mystery and tension because nobody, including us, has any idea who is committing these crimes and terrorizing the town except Alan who meets his demise as the shadow lifts a sharp object and kills him. The movie also uses black circles to focus on the emotions of characters furthering the feeling of suspense for the audience and conveying characters' terror.
ReplyDelete2. Both the filmmakers’ of “The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari” and “Edward Scissorhands” use visual choices to show how both of the films main characters, Francis and Edward, don’t fit in with society and are seen as crazy to those around them. In “The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari” this is mainly conveyed through the set design of the town as Francis tells the story. The set design shows that looking back Francis thinks of his life in a distorted way. Throughout the film the houses are not like typical houses, they’re squid together, have slanted roofs, and some are very tiny. Many of the buildings have weird scribbled drawings and designs on them. The distorted lenses the story is told through highlights the inner madness of Franics , which we only learn about during the last act, when the act before the audience is led to believe he's a hero for saving the town. In “Edward Scissorhands” the usage of costume and set design tell why Edward is viewed as an outcast by those around him. While everyone else lives in neighborhoods with soft pastel colored homes where everyone is connected and they all wear pretty colored clothes. Edward lives in a dark depressing home at the top of the hill all by himself, isolated, and wears all black which makes a striking difference from everyone else's clothes. An example of this is when Peg brings Edward to the suburban neighborhood (16:14-16:30), Edward clearly stands out in the brightly colored neighborhood. These visual cues clue the audience in right away from the start of the movie that he's different from those around him.
3. Another film influenced by German Expressionism I think of is Sweeney Todd (2007) directed by Tim Burton. Burton uses dark and low-key lighting throughout the movie to show mystery and create suspense. Lighting is also used at several points to create shadows bringing out the horror of the movie. The movie also uses distortions. There's a cracked mirror in the movie that Sweeney Todd looks into that distorts his face which suggests insanity and basically how he has a shattered life.
4. I didn’t like “The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari” because I found it boring and hard to pay attention to probably because there was no talking. I thought the story was interesting but not entertaining. However, I really enjoyed “Edward Scissorhands”. I liked the story but most of all I liked the costume and set design of the movie.
1. The distorted sets in The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari contribute to the film's surreal atmosphere and psychological tension by adding shadows and disfigured shapes. All throughout the film there are various sets with dramatic shadows and strong angles, which build an anxious and uncomfortable setting. Specifically, when one of the characters is told by the somnambulist that he will die at dawn the dramatic set is intensified. Since the character is now on edge, the shadows within the town are more prominent and defined. This change in setting shows the character's emotional state to be anxious and on edge. Since the movie is silent, the distorted sets help bring a feeling to the movie that sound cannot.
ReplyDelete2. The filmmakers use the setting as a way to demonstrate the tension between individuals and their society. In Edward Scissorhands and The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari, the towns are shown to have two parts. At the top of a hill in both towns, there is a giant castle or building that doesn’t resemble the rest of the town. In Edward Scissorhands, Edwards lives in the tower separating himself from the rest of society. In The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari, similarly, the tower on the hill is used to show the difference in society. The filmmakers also use makeup as a way to show the tension between the characters. Both Edward and Cesare wear dramatic dark makeup contrasting many others in society.
3. German expressionism has inspired many others through the techniques of shadows and angular set designs. A film that came to mind when I watched The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari was Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Many works from Tim Burton are seen to draw from the German expressionist period. In The Nightmare Before Christmas, there is an evident use of shadow and distorted shapes and lighting to show the horror of Halloweentown. Similar to the town in The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari, Halloweentown is built on a hill with a giant tower at the top showing more inspiration from German expressionism.
4. I enjoyed Edward Scissorhands more than I thought I would. I see why many people love the movie. The story was very cute and interesting, I also loved the aesthetic of the town showing the difference between Edward and society. I felt impartial about The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari. I think I have to watch the movie fully a second time to form a more specific opinion about it. For the first silent film I’ve ever seen, it wasn’t too bad.
1. At the end of the movie it is revealed that everything is in Francis's head (the main character) and he is crazy. Everything that is not a flashback looks more normal, the hospital looks like a normal hospital at the end. But in the flashback the hospital has long corridors the doors are long and tilted chairs are long and weird and the carnival scene is slightly tilted to the right,this gives a feeling of disorientation and it made Jacob dizzy, the walls have weird shapes and it makes you feel uncomfortable and confused and it makes you wander what is actually going on. this is used to show a surreal atmosphere. and it makes sense since most of the movie is a flashback
ReplyDelete2.“Edward scissor hands” uses German expressionism to show an exaggerated version of society and to show how Edward didn’t fit in because he was very different from everyone else,the town is full of bright colors and exaggerated versions of things, Edward wears dark colors, and unlike a lot of people in the town he doesn’t talk much and that is is very different from what the people in the town want everyone to act, that foreshadows that what happens later on in the film. he is seen as a monster and the town tries to kill him, it is German expressionism Frankenstein with artistic chooses that make the message more impactful
.Dr Calgary uses German expressionism not only to give the film that feeling of a dream but also to show how the insanity and mental state of the characters i love the scene were you can see the text "dr caligary" in the screen while you see Dr Calgary becoming more and more crazy
Cabinet of dr caligari
DeleteI really liked Dr.caligary, the fact that it was a silent film actually enhanced my experience, it had me wondering what the character was going to say next, i really liked the exaggerated design of the world and it was a very decent plot i like the story and the characters were good. I don’t really have many complains about this movie, its just a very good moment its nothing to crazy, at the time it was , however right now i might come of as boring to many people, i didn’t feel like it was boring however i did watch the movie with a friend, so that could have changed my experience with the film, but overall a pretty good movie
8.9 sleepy guy out of 10 caligaris
Edward
I really enjoyed Edward i have seen this movie so many times, i like the world i like the story, edward as a character is very fun and interesting, i love how the film ends, i don’t know why but i like when films have sad endings, i just think it stays in your mind for a long time if the ending is sad, and edward has a balance it has more of a bittersweet ending. and i really liked that.
9.4 Scissors out of 10 hands
1.The use of distorted sets contribute to the film's surreal atmosphere and psychological tension. At 23:10 the two men are in a very dark, small and winding area. This set is very distorted and odd looking because of how curvy and dark everything is. Later on, in the film Mr. Franzi's finds out Mr. Alan has been murdered and he starts to panic. He runs off to what I believe to be the police station, it's very cramped and the walls are slanted with weird triangular ripped windows. There were also tons of paper all over the floors and wall. This set is very irregular compared to what police stations are usually, this scene goes along with how Mr. Fransis is feeling. He's clearly emotionally strained and the small messy room reflects that.
ReplyDelete2.German expressionism highlights the tension between Edward and the rest of the people. When we first see Edwards home it is seen through a mirror of a very bright car, the driver is wearing light colors and she lives in a very colorful, small, and somewhat cheerful looking home. Although when we see Edwards home it's huge, gloomy, on a hill and separated from the rest of the town. The filmmaker's visual choices highlight the tension this way because it shows how different Edward is from everybody. These choices move the story forward because you can see and understand people's fascination and hatred for Edward. In The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, you see everything from Franzi's point of view, what he sees is very twisted and not true to what really happened, in the end of the film we find out Fransis is in an insane asylum. Seeing his distorted, odd looking scenery or gloomy sets calls attention to his craziness because you are not sure whether or not any of it is true or not.
3.Like Aubree said, Tim Burton's films often incorporate German Expressionism. I've watched Sleepy Hollow and BeetleJuice. Both films like Dr. Caligari has very grim, surreal, and distorted scenes.
4.I did not enjoy The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. It felt very slow, and I didn't enjoy watching a film without people talking, it made it hard to watch. Although I did like Edward Scissorhands, this is no surprise because I like a lot of Tim Burton's films. I think my favorite thing about the film was the contrast between Edward and the rest of the town.
1. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari uses distorted set designs to help build the surreal environment they wanted; it is also used to create and help build psychological tension. Examples of the set design for surreal moments are the large and odd-shaped doors (ex. 1:07:44 and 1:10:30) and the slightly tilted fair (ex. at 12:00). These show that the world is not ours, and make you feel like you are in a bizarre world. And at least for me, the tilted fair caused me to have tension because it made me feel like something was off with the events happening at the fair. There ended up being something wrong that happened at said fair; the somnambulist and “telling the future” with Cesare and Caligari. A specific example of the visual distortions showing the character’s emotional state is 25:27-26:24. In this scene, Alan is visited by the somnambulist, Cesare, and killed. But the killer is only shown through the shadows on the wall. The whole time, the shadow of Cesare is a significant amount larger than both the physical body and shadow of Alan. This shows that Alan felt smaller than the somnambulist and shows the audience the same; he is metaphorically smaller and has no power. It also shows that Alan is scared and sees him as something similar to the boogie man. And then he is killed at the end.
ReplyDelete2. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari used visual choices when showing the world through Francis’ eyes. The whole movie takes place in Francis’ head as a story that he is telling his friend about the evil Dr. Caligari and his Somnambulist Cesare. Near the end of the movie, the society or people in his interpretation of reality treat the made-up persona of Caligari the same way that the people in the real world treat him. When they found out Caligari was crazy, they locked him in a room, and they did the same thing with Francis at the end of the movie once they figured out that he was actually crazy. Also, the way that they visually portray Cesare shows the tension between society and the individual. Because he is dressed differently and does things differently, they use him as an attraction. Everyone is in awe because he’s been asleep for so long, but also because he looks the way that he does; almost like a vampire. In Edward Scissorhands, the contrast between Edward and the rest of the world visually shows a tension between the two. The people are initially scared of him because of his weird looks and having scissors for his hands. But as the movie progresses, the people get used to him and use him and his Scissors to benefit themselves. But because he was dressed differently, Peg was nervous that people wouldn’t accept him, so she made him put on more normal attire to fit in at least a little better. And when someone looks a little closer to the norms, people are more likely to accept them; it also shows that Edward is starting to see himself as fitting in. But then later on when everyone starts to turn on him, he rips off his “normal” clothes and goes back to his more gothic attire. That’s the visual cue that he is going back to being who was before; a man that everyone sees as a monster.
3. The themes and techniques used in Dr. Caligari have been used across a huge range of cinema. One specific example of the influence of Caligari on contemporary cinema is the character of Batman, but more specifically in Tim Burton’s Batman. In his Batman film, the character Penguin looks very similar to Caligari. Gotham and its designs are also very inspired by German Expressionism. Also, Batman fights the Joker, and the Joker is an insane man. Dr. Caligari is about an insane man and shows the effects of his insanity, just like the Joker. As well, Batman uses shadows and is in darkness a lot, and his bat cave is something that could have easily fit into the world of Dr. Caligari.
4.
DeleteI liked The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. While it could have been boring if I watched it by myself, I watched it with Dylan and we were theory-crafting / making jokes about some of the goofy moments. Plus we were able to digest the story better and make sure we both understood what was actually going on. The ending, while slightly predictable, was a good twist, especially for the time. It led to a lot of new techniques and storytelling that I can see in more modern movies. It’s not a film I would watch again on my own, but if someone asked me to watch it with them, I wouldn’t say no.
I also enjoyed Edward Scissorhands. It was a fun movie to watch, especially with my family since none of us had seen it somehow. We all had good laughs and made jokes because there were definitely some goofy moments. It had a good story that was easy to track and follow, and the ending was pretty good. I liked the visuals and the way that they portrayed Edward. It is a movie I might watch again on my own, and definitely one that I’d watch with a friend if they asked me to watch it with them.
1. In Dr. Caligari, sets are used to put the story into the perspective of the narrator, who is recounting memories (albeit, not entirely accurately). The deluded reality we see is explored through the unrealistic set pieces, such as the tall stool the man sits in at 9:30. When Francis sees his friend has died, the apartment’s contortion helps the audience relate to the terror of the situation, the delusion of the main character.
ReplyDelete2. In the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the set serves to put the audience into the mind of Francis, while Edward Scissorhands uses the simplistic suburbs to give perspective to Edward. The set in Edward Scissorhands is cartoonishly over-the-top with it’s simplicity, and is contrasted with the dark tower Edward grew up in. By making the bulk of the movie take place in these suburbs, we see how Edward does not relate to or understand the people living in said suburbs. This serves to develop Edward into being too different to understand the established social norm of the world he lives in. Francis, on the other hand, has simply gone mad, which is one of the many plot twists the movie uses as the film continues. Immediately, the answer of “the existence of horror/slasher” movies comes to mind as being a bi-product of Dr. Caligari, especially with how these movies usually toy with one’s mental state just as much as suggesting bodily harm. Dr. Caligari also marks an important point in when directors and screenwriters started dealing with subjective perspectives into their stories, as opposed to objective ones. The View From Halfway Down, from BoJack Horseman, is a perfect example of a subjective reality, as the entire episode is alluded to take place in BoJack's mind. This is an example of this subjective perspective because everything in his “dream” is a rearrangement of all his past life experiences and all people he has seen before, in a surreal landscape.
4. I was not a fan of Dr. Caligari from a watcher’s standpoint, but I understand and appreciate what it did for Cinema. As for Edward Scissorhands, I thought it was a very nice movie, where anyone can take some form of value from the movie. I was surprised to learn that Johnny Depp played Edward, as I had never known anything about the movie (other than the hands, of course).
1. In the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the distorted geometry of the sets contributes to the surreal atmosphere and physiological tension. All of the buildings in the town, the ground, the trees, and everything in this movie are constructed in a distorted fashion. The unnatural sets cause uneasiness for viewers because they aren’t something you would typically see, they are foreign. Along with the sets being unfamiliar to viewers, they also create and enhance tension among both the characters in the movie and the audience. The odd architecture of some of the sets can evoke claustrophobic feelings in the audience and characters, which in hand raises the tension. Around 26 minutes into the movie (0:25:55), Alan is murdered in his home by Cesare, the somnambulist. When he wakes up to find the murderer in his home, Alan is obviously panicked as anyone would be, the visual distortion enhances this panic he is experiencing by showing what happened to him through the use of shadows. We see Alan try to defend himself against the murder but to no avail. Other than being panicked, he was also scared. Before Alan is murdered, we see (what I presume to be) a POV shot of what he sees; a scary shot of hands reaching out to him from the darkness of his room. This quick shot that is no longer than a second helps the audience see what Alan is seeing and why he would be afraid of what is happening. Another example of visual distortion enhancing a character’s emotional state is when (fake) Dr. Caligari starts to see words appear around him telling him to become Caligari (1:05:00). The words appear in the sky, on the building, and all around this scene. This makes Dr. Caligari look like he is going insane because he is obsessed with the real Dr. Caligari and his work. He wobbles around as the words keep appearing, obviously in distress about what is unfolding before his very eyes.
ReplyDelete2. The visual choices in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari create tension between individuals and their societies, impacting character development and storytelling. Cesare, the somnambulist, is used by Dr. Caligari as an attraction for the fair at the beginning of the movie. Later it is revealed that Dr. Caligary is controlling Cesare as he sleeps, he makes Cesare carry out different tasks for him. Cesare is disconnected from everyone else because of the fact that he has been asleep for almost his whole life, he is only seen fully awake at the end of the movie. Another example of tension between individuals and their societies is at the end of the movie, where the asylum patients are all gathered in a main room. Francis is seen acting frantic as he watches the director of the asylum, who he believes is Dr. Caligari, walk into the room before lunging at him. The other staff have to restrain him in a straightjacket and place him in the same room that Dr. Caligary was kept in (in Francis’s story). The audience should by now realize that Francis is a patient of the asylum and he belongs there based on his delusions and actions. This is proved at the very end of the movie when the asylum’s director says “At last I understand his delusion. He thinks that I am that mystic, Caligari! Now I know exactly how to cure him”. In Edward Scissorhands, throughout the whole movie, Edward is shown as an outcast to the rest of the townsfolk. At the beginning of the movie, he lived alone in the big, scary castle on top of the hill where he was created. He couldn’t live or eat normally with everyone else because of his scissor hands and the fact that he hadn’t lived a normal life. At the barbeque (0:35:30), Edward is welcomed by most of the people but is still clearly different from them. They call him “mysterious” and “completely different”. Even the doctor described him in a way a normal person (in the context of the movie) wouldn’t be described (1:07:40). He was described as a character, rather than a person.
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ReplyDelete1. The closing scene of act V where the asylum director is being encouraged to become Dr. Caligari models visual distortions being used to enhance the character’s emotional state. The scene’s obscure set design such as jagged trees and tiled buildings contribute to the aesthetics of german expressionism. Additionally, the acting of Caligari’s character along with the text display of “you must become Caligari,” contribute to the psychological tension. Caligari’s acting communicates his character’s obsession with becoming Dr. Caligari. He even looks in distress which is only enhanced with the tense score. All these characteristics enhance Caligari’s emotional state of obsession and distress.
ReplyDelete2. In Edward Scissorhands, color is used to highlight the tension between Edward and society (the neighborhood). Firstly, Edward’s mansion at the beginning of the film lacks color and falls under the concept of “impossible sets” of German expressionism. And Edward has a very gothic appearance with his costume and bat’s nest-like hair. On the other hand, the neighborhood is filled with a variety of vibrant colors and the home interior along with the costumes reflect the popping colors of the 90s. These visual elements build contrast between Edward and society. This contrast can contribute to the theme “comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable,” which is a quote that aligns with the gothic subculture (which is aesthetically tied to German expressionism). Throughout the film, we see Edward trying to fit into society. He finds ways to be useful and creative with his scissorhands but ultimately he's too different and gets casted aside. There are societal norms he doesn’t understand such as when it is or isn’t appropriate to smile and he takes things too literally. Conformity isn’t an option for someone like him, which is why in the end he ends up isolated in his mansion. Edward is living in a world that refuses to change and accept him so he resorts to isolation.
3. Some films that come to mind when thinking about modern German expressionist films are The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993), “Coraline” (2009), and “Corpse Bride” (2005). These films have a dark, nightmarish style. They use chiaroscuro lighting, deep shadows, dark colors, and impossible sets in their storytelling. These films has mysterious characters and plots that follow German expressionism’s emphasis on inner feelings and escaping reality (especially with Coraline considering the main character wants nothing more than to escape).
4. I really enjoyed Edward Scissorhands! I enjoyed analyzing Tim Burton’s visual choices and how they contributed to the film’s plot and message. The film felt like the embodiment of the quote “Comfort the disturbed, disturb the comfortable.” The film also greatly represents the ideas of gothic culture. It’s a culture born from being labeled as “othered,” which Edward can relate to. I enjoyed the film's commentary on conformity as throughout the film we see Edward attempt to conform but ultimately realizes he’s safer on his own.
1. In "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," the strange and twisted backgrounds play a big role in making the movie feel strange and tense. These odd, crooked, and unsettling settings show how messed up the characters are, especially Dr. Caligari and Cesare. These spooky and weird places make it feel like a scary dream, making you feel even more uneasy. For example, when Cesare first shows up, the jagged and strange surroundings make you feel even more worried, showing how the weird look adds to the feelings of the characters.
ReplyDelete2. Both movies use a special style called German Expressionism to talk about problems in society. In "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," the weird sets show how messed up Germany was after World War I. The crazy, twisted buildings show a society in chaos, just like the characters' minds. In "Edward Scissorhands," Tim Burton uses a dark and unique neighborhood to criticize how everyone tries to be the same and how those who don't fit in feel lonely. Edward looks very different from the colorful, normal neighborhood, showing the clash between him and the rest of the people.
3. "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" has had a big effect on today's movies just like "Edward Scissorhands." The way it tells the story, the strange looks, and the creepy feelings have inspired many scary and thrilling filmmakers. "The Shining" is an example, directed by Stanley Kubrick, It uses weird visuals and creepy feelings like "Edward Scissorhands". Christopher Nolan's big movie "Inception." is another big example as It has complex storytelling and changing realities which seems to be inspired by the strange and different mood changes of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari."
4. I like both films a lot, while I prefer "Edward Scissorhands", "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." has a bunch of cool features and aspects that anyone can watch and immediately pull out which makes this film amazing while it being in the silent era makes the film more boring for most younger viewers it really shows where we came as film artists and how much more there is to go in advancing our ideas over ways movies and filmed.
1.The usage of deformed settings in "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" contributes to the film's surreal mood and physiological tension, conveying the disturbed scenes of twisted and distressing mental states as well as the visual portrayal of being uneasy not entirely together. They depict the character's mental state rather than suffering, desire, belief, goal, emotional state, and so on.When the people find out Alan has been murdered at 27:00, they display sadness and are out of place all most, showing pain disparity. This scene can have viewers on the edge of their seats because right before the scene, they showed Alan being murdered. The audience may be kept in suspense because they are viewing through a screen and wish to help but are unable to. Only hope that he makes it out alive. Even though this does not occur, the audience feels worthless in this case.
ReplyDelete2. Filmmakers for Edward Scissor-hands and "The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari" both portray outcasts who do not blend in with the public because they have been secluded from society due to distinctions they have with other individuals in that current setting. Both are portrayed as evil people. The thing that distinguishes Edward Scissor from his surroundings is his attire. When he attends a new neighborhood, he is revealed to be unique since he sticks out from the crowd. In "The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari," they employ these options by portraying the film through Francis' point of view. They lock him in a room because they believe he is insane at the end of his story.
3.Lords of Chaos is one film that uses German expressionism for its visuals. I believe this film delivers disturbing and unsettling violent horror - thriller events. The slow pace, lighting, and high angles all contribute to the film's deadly serious tone.
4. Yes, I enjoyed this film because it set an
excellent example of how we should respect
others.Allowing them to be at ease in whatever way they feel comfortable . This film had me guessing as to what would happen next. I appreciated the story's message, which I took away as an important lesson. I enjoyed how he did unique things
1. All sets are very artistic and completely distorted; they look as if they came out of a creepy picture book. The film is based on the manipulation of a corpse, which does things such as murder. As this is considered one of, if not the first horror/slasher film, the sets do lots to build and maintain tension. One of the most tense moments in the film is the murder of Alan by the cadaver. The sets helped to express the morbid, dark nature of the film altogether and this aided very well in this specific scene. Visual distortion in terms of color as well affected the storytelling of the film. The film was constantly tinted any given color, and these colors could drag out a specific emotion in the audience, which it did very well. The blue tint of the murder scene helped emphasize the lack of control the man felt just as he was about to be murdered.
ReplyDelete2. In Edward Scissorhands, the main character was incredibly grayscale, pale, and morbidly fashionable, with scissors for hands and wearing a straitjacket in a town of happy, colorful, saturated families and folk. In the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the sets were incredibly distorted and the corpse was very eerie-looking; it had incredibly droopy bags under its eyes and had a very wide gaze; it most definitely seemed like a dead man walking. These visual differences between the characters and their societies allowed for stark contrast and therefore created a tension between the two. In the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, this visual difference allowed for a certain eeriness to creep into the perceptions of the audience, which well complements the uneasy feeling of the film, literally regarding the rise of a corpse to life once more. Due to Edward’s visual difference, it helped to state his large contrast to the city he was introduced to and had to establish himself within.
3. Distorted visuals and the use of colors have been in many films since the release of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. For example, other Tim Burton films (as Edward Scissorhands was made by him as well) have caricatures and distorted visuals, and the use of colors to invoke emotion can be seen in a very many films, such as a much more recent Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
4. Both films are good. I love the visual choices made in each of the films, though they’re much more significant in Dr. Caligari. Edward Scissorhands reminds me a lot of the looks of the live action Cat in the Hat.
1.I think through the film's consistent use of hand-painted background sets, it created a unreal world that distorted the film's sense of reality and space. And the costumes enhance the sensation created by the set by placing the characters naturally into their given setting.
ReplyDelete2. In the film, Caligari, i think the filmmakers utilizes various type's of German Expressionism, especially the intense use of shadow and painterly, surrealist sets, in order that he visually depict a narrative told from the perspective of an insane man.
3.Caligari's visual style and narrative techniques influenced the film noir genre that emerged in Hollywood during the 40s and 50s. The film's use of distorted sets, unreliable narrators, and psychological unease can be seen as the themes and aesthetics of film noir. Caligari has been said to help the launching of the golden age of German film Its use of background and design to express the ideas and emotions of its characters it also influenced the Hollywood style of the horror films.
4. i did like the film i have no particular reason to likening it but it was fun watching it with my mom on tubi
1. The very first clip when we first view the town is a painted landscape on a hill where all the rooftops are leaning like grass being blown in the wind at 4:37. Then there were angular views of light in the town streets underneath the warped lamppost. There were alleyways slanted and the further back you go the darker it becomes. The home interiors had shadowed homes that showed unfamiliar shapes. The lights and the shadows were always painted on the wall. The doors for example bend at odd angles and the windows were anything but square (7:40, 14:40). Depending on the scene the window is drawn in such a way that the most important part of the scene is being drawn to the viewer’s attention. Mishaped rooftops and crooked bridges. Shadowy staircase. Definitely creates the feelings of uneasiness and paroinoa very creepy indeed. This is through the lens of Francis’ brain as he is revealed to be a mad man in an insane asylum himself.
ReplyDelete2. Cabinet of Dr. Caligiri is more of a fantasy world meant to draw people’s minds away from reality. In “Edward Scissorhands” Edward is placed in a surbuban town where every house looks the same with the pastel colors and tiny windows for peeping out of. Then there his gigantic gothic mansion that's further away from everyone so people have already formed their opinions of him. When he goes to the town he is outcasted because he look’s different with his scissor hands as the suburban people just heavily off his looks alone. Society as a whole is quick to judge the outsider and even though Edward was the kindest person ever people were still scared of him and viewed him as the bad guy. Its very hard to shift and persuade an opinion that has been formed unless proven otherwise. In the "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" the uses the distorted and slanted art to create the image of a madman’s mine. The mad man being Francis. The clever use of shadows was very strong for example Caesar goes in Alan's room and “stabs” him. It is implied by the shadow. Increased tension as we see how he just snuck in to murder a person. Caligari was controlling Ceasar by hypnotizing him to murder who he pleases. This was related back to Germany as Hitler was in control of the land.
3. In “Alice and the Wonderland” (2010) the element of there being a bad guy pertains to both Edward Scissorhands and “Caligari”. Common theme is the main villain being the mastermind and having henchmen do the dirty work Caligari is seen as the authoritarian/ dictator. There is an aspect of mystery as no one truly knows the meaning behind some of the film choices in "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" . The queen of hearts has her henchmen do the work of capturing Alice so that she can cut off her head. This movie is also known for its eye catching visuals that Tim Burton incorporates he has things like colorful flowers with faces on them that talks to Alice, distorted the sizes of the queens head to make it bigger adding on to her being a mean character. Also how small Alice is compared to everyone else in wonderland really showing how out of place she is. Just like how distorted shapes and figures in Calagari was used to portray the feeling of being insane.
4."Edward Sccicorhands" was cute I would most definitely watch it again. I liked the contrasts in colors it was very two completely different aesthetics was probably my favorite part about the film. “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" was very hard to focus on with no sound. The visuals weren’t enough as I understand and comprehend things better when I’m both watching and listening to a movie. Overall the visuals for both movies were cool and to know the impact that “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" had within film history.