Friday, October 8, 2010

German Expressionists vs. Film Noir

This is the beginning of a compilation of German Expressionist Artists.  Much of German Expressionist art influenced the Noir movement in film from the 1930s-50s.  The focus of my acting class this semester is on "Film Noir," so I am posting this compilation as a resource for the actors and myself.  Keep in mind composition, angles, the serious nature of the figures depicted, melancholy, how line work effects the portrayal of agony, staring eyes, the contrast between overlapping lines and singular lines in a scene, the soul in thumbnail sketches, subtlety.  In an ideal world, I would recommend looking at these artists, then watching "The Third Man" by Orson Welles, keeping in mind how he composes his shots.  Fun fact: Orson Welles thumbnailed many of the scenes in his films.  Notice how, especially in "The Third Man," the frame is always skewed.  The viewer will find themselves hard-pressed to find level shots--and that's what makes them so incredible.  Simply put, he was a genius.

Here is a list of the artists to come:

Käthe Kollowitz
Gustav Klimt
Oskar Kokoschka
Franz Marc
Frans Masareel
Edvard Munch
Emil Nolde
Egon Schiele

* "The Third Man" is currently available on Instant Netflix (as are many other Film Noir movies)...I highly recommend them to anyone interested!!!

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