The Weimar Period

I’ve shared how I started my film History class and there were a ton of things that I learned; from the creation of the camera, what film represented, and how it became a source of entertainment. There are a ton of things I want to share but one of the most surprising things I learned was film originally began far away from Hollywood. The film was revolutionized in Germany! As film began to develop throughout the years it was the year 1918 - 1933 the Weimar Period, where film was set to become more than just entertainment but a way to bring out messages and put the audience into the shoes of the characters.

The Weimer Period inspired many of our thriller movies today, like The Silence of the Lambs, Don’t Breathe, and many more. Germany was the first to create stories that brought out the character’s view of the world. A famous movie back then was “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligar." It was famous and regarded as a masterpiece to this day due to its innovative mise-en-scène. Mise-en-scène is all the physical stuff in a shot from the set to props and costumes, makeup, and actors. The movie showcased an exaggerated and distorted set with props, which reflected the inner psychology of the characters. This movie was the world's first taste of highly subjective filmmaking- putting the audience in the mind of an insane main character and making us experience the world as he does. This captivated the audience at the time but more than that inspired our filmmakers of today.

The directors at the time experimented with the positioning of the camera. When the world was used to still shots these movies were able to creatively position the camera and add movements to it for the audience to be immersed into the stories. With the help of the sets and props, those production teams were able to portray and reach the hearts of the audiences.