ipl-logo

Hutter's Use Of German Expressionism In Film

792 Words4 Pages

German Expressionism deals with many characteristics ranging from storyline, to bold artistic styles, to dealing with “intellectual” topics, to set design & location, and even character appearance. All of these if not more, The films starts out with a simple yet creative storyline of a real estate agent (Thomas Hutter) who is sent to Transylvania to visit a new client (Count Orlok) to convince him to move to Wisburg. Now this “client”is also rumored of bringing a plague to this quiet town. During Hutters travels it is revealed the connection between Thomas Hutter, and the Count's new found obsession with Hutter's wife, Ellen – who happens to be the only one with the power to end the evil Count Orlok (aka Nosferatu). It is pretty evident that this plot and storyline deals with various underlying tones of madness and insanity. This is shown by the reaction (hesitation) of the townspeople towards the arrival of Count Orlok, the psychotic and crazy behavior of Hutters boss Knock, as well Count Orlok wanting to drink Hutters blood after he cuts himself just to name a few.

Nosferatu insert scenes with little direct connection to the story, except symbolically. One involves a scientist who gives a lecture on the Venus flytrap, “the vampire of the vegetable kingdom.” Then Knock, in …show more content…

Also as component of German Expressionism, the use of wide angle and long shots really gives the viewer an opportunity to not just view the characters but the overall picture as well. In essence, it gives this haunting feature along with the sense of realism and the expressionism (this is most evident in the interiors of Count Orlok's Castle) that gives the film its mesmerizing visual power. The camera also does a great job of using the light to elevate the darkness of the town and its people. Towards the close of the film, there is one scene that cannot go unnoticed, which shows a perfect example of German

Open Document