"Shell Shock Cinema" explores how the classical German cinema of
the Weimar Republic was haunted by the horrors of World War I and
the the devastating effects of the nation's defeat. In this
exciting new book, Anton Kaes argues that masterworks such as "The
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, The Nibelungen," and
"Metropolis," even though they do not depict battle scenes or
soldiers in combat, engaged the war and registered its tragic
aftermath. These films reveal a wounded nation in post-traumatic
shock, reeling from a devastating defeat that it never officially
acknowledged, let alone accepted.
Kaes uses the term "shell shock"--coined during World War I to
describe soldiers suffering from nervous breakdowns--as a metaphor
for the psychological wounds that found expression in Weimar
cinema. Directors like Robert Wiene, F. W. Murnau, and Fritz Lang
portrayed paranoia, panic, and fear of invasion in films peopled
with serial killers, mad scientists, and troubled young men.
Combining original close textual analysis with extensive archival
research, Kaes shows how this post-traumatic cinema of shell shock
transformed extreme psychological states into visual expression;
how it pushed the limits of cinematic representation with its
fragmented story lines, distorted perspectives, and stark lighting;
and how it helped create a modernist film language that anticipated
film noir and remains incredibly influential today.
A compelling contribution to the cultural history of trauma,
"Shell Shock Cinema" exposes how German film gave expression to the
loss and acute grief that lay behind Weimar's sleek facade."
General
Imprint: |
Princeton University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
October 2011 |
First published: |
2009 |
Authors: |
Anton Kaes
|
Dimensions: |
235 x 152 x 13mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
328 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-691-00850-9 |
Categories: |
Books >
Arts & Architecture >
Performing arts >
General
|
LSN: |
0-691-00850-7 |
Barcode: |
9780691008509 |
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