From Caligari to Hitler

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First edition
(publ. Princeton University Press) FromCaligariToHitler.jpg
First edition
(publ. Princeton University Press)

From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film is a book by film critic and writer Siegfried Kracauer, published in 1947.

Contents

Background

This work of film theory is one of the first major studies of German film between World War I and World War II and is best known for proposing a link between the apolitical and escapist orientation of Weimar-era cinema and later German totalitarianism. Kracauer—known as an important film critic in Germany from the 1920s onward—moved from exile in France to the United States in 1941. Once settled in New York City, he received support from the Rockefeller and Solomon R. Guggenheim foundations to conduct research on Nazi film. His first publication from these investigations, Propaganda and the Nazi War Film (1942), examines visual themes in Nazi propaganda films as tools of psychologal influence. The second work Krakauer published from his research is From Caligari to Hitler in 1947. [1] [2]

Summary

The book identifies and examines four chronological phases of German film between the wars: The Archaic Period (1895–1918), The Postwar Period (1918–1924), The Stabilized Period (1924–1929) and The Pre-Hitler Period (1930–1933). The volume also reprints Propaganda and the Nazi War Film, the author's critical and psychological analysis of Nazi propaganda film. As a film critic, Kracauer reviewed many of the films discussed in the book at the time they were released. From Caligari to Hitler melds his understanding of trends in the film market with analysis of political tendencies of German social politics.

Kracauer proposes that Robert Wiene's film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is an allegory for German social attitudes. Kracauer argued that Caligari symbolizes autocratic tendencies inherent in the German system, observing that the character "stands for an unlimited authority that idolizes power as such, and, to satisfy its lust for domination, ruthlessly violates all human rights and values." [3]

Reception and legacy

In Weimar Cinema and After, Thomas Elsaesser describes the legacy of Kracauer's work as a "historical imaginary". [4] Elsaesser argues that Kracauer had not studied enough films to make his thesis about the social mindset of Germany legitimate and that the discovery and publication of the original screenplay of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari undermines his argument about the revolutionary intent of its writers. Elsaesser's alternative thesis is that the filmmakers adopted an Expressionist style as a method of product differentiation, establishing a distinct national product against the increasing importation of American films. Dietrich Scheunemann, somewhat in defense of Kracauer, noted that he did not have "the full range of materials at (his) disposal". However, that fact "has clearly and adversely affected the discussion of the film", referring to the fact that the script of Caligari was not rediscovered until 1977 and that Kracauer had not seen the film for around 20 years when he wrote the work. [5]

The 2014 documentary film From Caligari To Hitler: German Cinema In The Age Of The Masses by Rüdiger Suchsland  [ de ], drew its title from the book and shares some of Kracauer's opinions on Weimar cinema. [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

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The film industry in Germany can be traced back to the late 19th century. German cinema made major technical and artistic contributions to early film, broadcasting and television technology. Babelsberg became a household synonym for the early 20th century film industry in Europe, similar to Hollywood later. Early German and German-speaking filmmakers and actors heavily contributed to early Hollywood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weimar culture</span> Period of cultural blossom during the interwar years in the Weimar Republic from 1918 to 1933

Weimar culture was the emergence of the arts and sciences that happened in Germany during the Weimar Republic, the latter during that part of the interwar period between Germany's defeat in World War I in 1918 and Hitler's rise to power in 1933. 1920s Berlin was at the hectic center of the Weimar culture. Although not part of the Weimar Republic, some authors also include the German-speaking Austria, and particularly Vienna, as part of Weimar culture.

<i>The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari</i> 1920 film by Robert Wiene

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a 1920 German silent horror film directed by Robert Wiene and written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer. Considered the quintessential work of German Expressionist cinema, it tells the story of an insane hypnotist who uses a brainwashed somnambulist to commit murders. The film features a dark, twisted visual style, with sharp-pointed forms, oblique, curving lines, structures and landscapes that lean and twist in unusual angles, and shadows and streaks of light painted directly onto the sets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siegfried Kracauer</span> German writer (1889–1966)

Siegfried Kracauer was a German writer, journalist, sociologist, cultural critic, and film theorist. He has sometimes been associated with the Frankfurt School of critical theory. He is notable for arguing that realism is the most important function of cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G. W. Pabst</span> Austrian film director (1885–1967)

Georg Wilhelm Pabst was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He started as an actor and theater director, before becoming one of the most influential German-language filmmakers during the Weimar Republic.

<i>Frankfurter Zeitung</i> 1856–1943 German-language newspaper

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">German expressionist cinema</span> German art movement during the 1910s–1930s

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Wiene</span> German film director

Robert Wiene was a German film director, screenwriter and producer, active during the silent era. He is widely-known for directing the landmark 1920 film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and a succession of other expressionist films. Wiene also directed a variety of other films of varying styles and genres. Following the Nazi rise to power in Germany, Wiene, who was of Jewish descent, fled into exile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazism and cinema</span> Nazi influence on film between 1933–1945

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda</span> Nazi government agency

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<i>The Love of Jeanne Ney</i> 1927 film by Georg Wilhelm Pabst

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<i>The Devious Path</i> 1928 film by Georh Wilhelm Pabst

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<i>Doña Juana</i> (film) 1927 film

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Decla-Film was a German film production and distribution company of the silent era, founded by Erich Pommer and Fritz Holz in February 1915.

References

  1. Koch, G., & Gaines, J. (2000). Siegfried Kracauer: An Introduction. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt7rk32.9
  2. Von Moltke, J. (2016). Siegfried Kracauer: The Politics of Film Theory and Criticism. In Pomerance M. & Palmer R. (Eds.), Thinking in the Dark: Cinema, Theory, Practice (pp. 42-53). Rutgers University Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1bc53zs.8
  3. Kracauer, Siegfried (2004). From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film . Princeton University Press. ISBN   9780691115191.
  4. Elsaesser, Thomas (2000). Weimar Cinema and After: Germany's Historical Imaginary. Routledge.
  5. Scheunemann, Dietrich (2003). "The Double, the Decor, the Framing Device: Once More on Robert Weine's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari". In Scheunemann, Dietrich (ed.). Expressionist Films: New Perspectives. Routledge. p. 128. ISBN   1-57113-068-3.
  6. From Caligari to Hitler (2014) - Rüdiger Suchsland , retrieved 2022-11-13, at IDFA
  7. Weissberg, Jay (2014-09-05). "Venice Film Review: 'From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses'". Variety. Retrieved 2022-11-13.