From the Expressionist Dr. Caligari’s Cabinet in 1920, to Three Penny Opera in 1931, to a powerful film shot in Berlin ruins in 1946, to the New German Cinema of Fassbinder and Wenders through the 1970s and 1980s, to films of the present, this SDG will explore the great diversity in cinema made by German directors. Most are innovative in their construction, story, cultural significance, cinematography and other elements of film art.
This will be a serious film study course, but one that should be fun as well. Each week we will discuss basic facts, historical background, and cultural context. And, most importantly, we will analyze how the various elements of the cinematic art like cinematography, editing, production design, sound, etc. express meaning and a director's unique vision. This art will be illustrated by excerpts of the film screened and discussed in class.
1. Robert Wiene, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1920
2. G.W Pabst, Three Penny Opera, 1931
3. Wolfgang Staudte, The Murderers Are Among Us, 1946
4. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, 1974
5. Christian Petzold, Phoenix, 2014
6. Wim Wenders, Wings of Desire, 1987
7. Florian Henckel Donnersmarck, The Lives of Others, 2006
8. Wolfgang Becker, Goodbye Lenin, 2003
9. Tom Tykwer, Run Lola Run, 1998
10. Maren Ade, Toni Erdmann, 2016
Giannetti, Louis, Understanding Movies, 13th Edition, Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2013
Online Sources:
Wikipedia for most films
Imdb.com and Rotten Tomatoes for facts and critiques
New York Times, Sight and Sound, Senses of Cinema, for in-depth critiques and reviews