PEOPLE ON SUNDAY (1930), directed by Robert Siodmak and Edgar G. Ulmer. Any deep dive into cinephilia will, sooner or later, take one down the rabbit hole of film history. Had people been cine-literate then, perhaps the message of Weimar cinema would’ve been heard, even heeded, and much of the horror of the Third Reich could’ve been avoided. Insomuch as it’s been said that all of film history is, in a sense, either leading up to or reeling out from World War II, the films of the Weimar era cannot, historically speaking, be overlooked. And the Devil himself towers over the the outside world (F.W. Murnau), contextualized by the brief words of occasional film historians and filmmakers. An attractively edited montage of filmed faces, inevitably calling to mind the photos of August Sander, allow Suchsland to ask, “What is the face of the Weimar Republic?” Is it a face, he asks, or is it more the black-gloved hand of Gustaf Grundgrens in Fritz Lang’s “M”? Sometimes the rabbit hole turns out to be more of a foxhole, but the trip must always be taken properly is a proper empathy, grasp and context is to be achieved. That’s his voice we hear in the wall-to-wall narration, and, he has what appears to be a follow up film on the way. Suchsland rightly highlights Robert Reinert’s 1919 “Nerven,” yet doesn’t mention that director’s seminal serial “Homunculus” from 1916, which can also be said to prefigure Germany’s dark path. Rüdiger Suchsland. ~ Violet LeVoit Suchsland does add some post-Kracauer scholarship, discussing the shift from Expressionism to “New Sobriety,” and his welcome mention of Gerhard Lamprecht’s populist motifs, as well as an excellent examination of Paul Czinner’s “Fraulien Else,” reflects a broader field of study than just Kracauer. Here, he joins his subjects, becoming an important player in the film of his own book. What the docu fails to acknowledge is that, notwithstanding the unquestionable watershed that was WWI, any discussion of Weimar cinema without even a mention of what came before “Caligari” is simply untenable (it was equally one of Kracauer’s great flaws). DIRECTED BY RÜDIGER SUCHSLAND/GERMAN/2014. Germany, 2014. Directed by. To give an idea of just how entrenched Kracauer was with such notions, look no further than the bold title of another of his books, Theory of Film: The Redemption of Physical Reality. Call it providential, mystical, impossible, non-quantifiable, unverifiable; but always mysterious. And, almost always, the bottom line is too brutally honest, in spite of its escapist wrapper. On May 28, it … 119. As for the director Suchsland, he, most welcomely, seems to be making a career of this sort of thing. Kracauer’s thrust, that the themes in Weimar cinema prefigure the rise of Nazism and can be seen as red flags for those trained to recognize them, was revolutionary, especially in 1947. A landmark, now classic, study of the rich cinematic history of the Weimar Republic, From Caligari to Hitler was first published by Princeton University Press in 1947. 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). Exceptionally beautiful restored film clips are the main reason to see Ruediger Suchsland’s “From Caligari to Hitler. Για να δείτε ταινιες From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses (2014) online ελληνικούς υποτιτλους (greek subs) από κινητό ή … Siegfried Kracauer--a prominent German film critic and member of Walter Benjamin's and Theodor Adorno's intellectual circle--broke new ground in exploring the connections between film … And, insomuch as it’s been said that all of film history is, in a sense, either leading up to or reeling out from World War II, the films of the Weimar era cannot, historically speaking, (and not just film history) be overlooked. An overview of the golden era of German moviemaking between the first and second World Wars, celebrating auteurs like Fritz Lang and F.W. The question originated from a not-new yet radical notion that when art becomes a living thing, a collective mass apart from any individual creators, it can somehow have the ability to tune into not only the honesty of what’s past or the necessity of what is now, but inevitabilities of the future. In the end, though, as a long list of the names of one legendary German creative after another goes on and on, each one later driven to flee their country longterm as the Nazi’s took hold, the deflating impact of what was lost to Germany itself on a cultural level alone is staggering. DIRECTED BY RÜDIGER SUCHSLAND/GERMAN/2014. ZekeFilm is a non-profit organization devoted to cultivating community through cinema through critical discussion, educational activities, and by encouraging mindful viewing, ongoing curiosity of the cinematic form, dialogue, and entertainment. The film tells the story of German Cinema in the Twenties between Expressionism and New Sobriety. Watch it now or check out the trailer first! We seek to create and foster this type of community directly and through various socially based technologies. To give an idea of just how entrenched Kracauer was with such notions, look no further than the bold title of another of his books. The study is considered a groundbreaking treatise on German film and one of the most important books on the subject. 2013 (0) Fraktus Executive Producer . Justin Thomas Loses Ralph Lauren Sponsorship Over Homophobic Slur, SPY Guide: How to Clean, Disinfect and Sanitize Every Type of Face Mask. In the end, though, as a long list of the names of one legendary German creative after another goes on and on, each one later driven to flee their country longterm as the Nazi’s took hold, the deflating impact of what was lost to Germany itself on a cultural level alone is staggering. DCP - HD - 2014 - German - 118 - Color / Black & White From Caligari to Hitler Von Caligari Zu Hitler (original title) A film by Rüdiger Suchsland . Still, image quality is strong enough to make a nice DVD. The volume also reprints Propaganda and the Nazi War Film, the author's critical and psychological analysis of Nazipropaganda film. Beyond the unmistakable light rendering, large scale imagination, and dramatic intensity, there lurks not far from the surface, an even greater resonance. A bit of historical context: Professor Eric D. Weitz says in the documentary, “Its as if Weimar Germany really is a hothouse of cultural production.” The state of German cinema in the 1920s was among the strongest (the studio UFA proved to be a major global player, often greater than Hollywood), most vibrant (the filmic imprint of German Expressionism), and most influential in movie history (, , here called “the film of the decade”), an ominous, upside down black-gloved hand overtakes a map (Fritz Lang’s, ). From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses (2014) is available on Netflix since . The film, also titled "From Caligari to Hitler," premiered last year at the Venice Film Festival and has since toured festivals around the world. Although Kracauer is not afraid of using such contested concepts as collective psychology and German 'soul, ' his productive readings of Weimar films as harbingers of emerging fascism still resonate today. Mabuse, the Gambler,” “Metropolis” and several others lends credence to the idea of a cinema enamored of master villains hypnotizing a populace, though such an idea has always been problematic since hypnotism implies an unwilling mass and thus soft-pedals the average person’s culpability in enabling the Third Reich’s rise to power. 15Zine Popular Posts Widget: To use the "View Count" option You need to install Jetpack plugin and enable the "Stats" module. 2014 (0) The Cut Director, Screenwriter, Producer . From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses DVD Kino Lorber 2014 / Color & B&W / 1:78 widescreen / 118 min. Murnau’s, Now then… For those who like their film history dense with a strong dose of such openly speculative philosophy, behold the documentary. THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1920), directed by Robert Wiene, based on a bookcinema documentaryEric D. WeitzFaith AkinFrom Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses (documentaryGerman ExpressionismGermanyRüdiger SuchslandSiegfried KracauerThe Nazi PartyVolker SchlöndorffWeimar Republic. A landmark, now classic, study of the rich cinematic history of the Weimar Republic,From Caligari to Hitler was first published by Princeton University Press in 1947. Within a confined gallery, you can examine the exhibits, absorb the febrile atmosphere of Weimar, and surrender to the timeless magic of the movies. 2014 (0) Mamaros Producer . From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses (2014) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Entertaining documentary that explores German cinema before Hitler came into play. Tech credits are praiseworthy on every level: Clips were sourced from the best restored prints and look glorious. , and is already making the rounds. Unquestionably Kracauer’s analysis continues to inform our understanding of these films, yet his desire to package everything under a constraining umbrella (the book carries the subtitle “A Psychological History of the German Film”), means that much gets left out, and some elements of his argument are pushed too hard. Jim has been reviewing films since 2003 for outlets such as ScreenAnarchy (formerly TwitchFilm, both as Featured Critic), ImagineDat, and KTRS 550 AM. His follow-up documentary is entitled. Trailer. © Copyright 2021 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Rüdger Suchsland’s 2014 documentary on the social and cultural impact of German cinema during the Weimar Republic. What’s less discussed is his need as an exile from the Third Reich to explain how his Germany devolved into such a deformed nation. We can now look back on the oneiric panoply of future cities, lost girls, flying carpets, cabaret acts, cruising youths, space travel, devils, vampires, dragon slaying, ruined men and the sheer impact of a single letter, “M”, as a beautiful, frightening, diverse yet unified-by-time whole. 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As for the director Suchsland, he, most welcomely, seems to be making a career of this sort of thing. He is a life-long St. Louisian living with his wife and four children. Rüdiger Suchsland’s (From Caligari to Hitler) insightful and captivating essay films look back at German film to reveal cinema’s place in history.Hitler’s Hollywood, narrated by Udo Kier, scrutinizes the often forgotten films of Nazi Germany to … Editing, an extremely complicated task, manages to bind many disparate strands together into an elegant whole, but the idea of using the female characters from “People on Sunday” as guides through the era is only fitfully integrated. Early German Cinema Points to the Rise of Hitler. Ruediger Suchsland's Weimar cinema study is more an illustration of a prolix thesis than a groundbreaking docu. His follow-up documentary is entitled Hitler’s Hollywood, and is already making the rounds. This is all a good thing, as such an analysis of this country-gone-wrong (as he puts it, a postwar war that no one knew to also be a prewar era) is most ideal, powerful and poignant when it comes from within. Siegfried Kracauer--a prominent German film critic and member of Walter Benjamin's and Theodor Adorno's intellectual circle--broke new ground in exploring the connections between film aesthetics, the prevailing … A landmark, now classic, study of the rich cinematic history of the Weimar Republic, From Caligari to Hitler was first published by Princeton University Press in 1947. That’s his voice we hear in the wall-to-wall narration, and, he has what appears to be a follow up film on the way. Soon enough, all would see him. "An undisputed classic of modern film historiography, Kracauer's From Caligari to Hitler had a major impact on the way we relate movies to history and society. From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses Von Caligari zu Hitler: Das Deutsche Kino im Zeitalter der Massen. The Weimar Republic is looked at from the span of 1919-1933 and we hear about countless careers including Fritz Lang, F.W. Yes! Though Germany has never been known for its collective self-introspection regarding its own severe past misdeeds, here we have a German filmmaker spring-boarding from a renowned German critic’s book, sharing a title and asking the hardest questions of their homeland. He is Director of the St. Louis Film Critics Association, and works as video editor and Art Director for professional film and video productions. He co-founded ZekeFilm in 2011. Constructed entirely from choice clips of key films of the era, documentarian Rüdiger Suchsland takes and runs with the premise of its source publication, already generalized above, by critic Siegfried Kracauer, a 1947 volume long considered one of the essentials for any film book library. Looking at films like "Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler," "Metropolis," "The Golem," and many others, … The BMW 2002 Turbo Is a Holy Grail for Bimmer Collectors. The narration is far too wordy, though musical accompaniments are extremely well chosen. And Suchsland’s question still applies: What does cinema know that we don’t? Not a subscriber? The demons that haunt these films would soon achieve power: critic Siegfried Kracauer entitled his history of film, From Caligari to Hitler. Using a montage of footage from the highest quality restorations, Ruediger Suchsland illustrates Siegfried Kracauer's 1947 thesis that the rise of Nazism is anticipated in many themes found throughout Weimar cinema, while situating Kracauer in the philosophy and histories of the time. Murnau, Georg Wilhelm Pabst, Ernst Luitsch, Marlene Dietrich, Billy Wilder and … In From Caligari to Hitler, Siegfried Kracauer made a startling (and still controversial) claim: films as a popular art provide insight into the unconscious motivations and fantasies of a nation. Here, he joins his subjects, becoming an important player in the film of his own book. Now then… For those who like their film history dense with a strong dose of such openly speculative philosophy, behold the documentary From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses. Though Germany has never been known for its collective self-introspection regarding its own severe past misdeeds, here we have a German filmmaker spring-boarding from a renowned German critic’s book, sharing a title and asking the hardest questions of their homeland. This is all a good thing, as such an analysis of this country-gone-wrong (as he puts it, a postwar war that no one knew to also be a prewar era) is most ideal, powerful and poignant when it comes from within. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (German: Das Cabinet des 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 (Werner Krauss) who uses a somnambulist (Conrad Veidt) to commit murders.. Henny Porten, the most popular actress of the time, is also missing. Missing from Suchsland’s work is any nod to non-German influences, and his complete disregard for Wilhelmine cinema (i.e., before Weimar) ignores significant research of the past 20 years. (Faith Akin, Elisabeth Bronfen, Thomas Elsaesser, Volker Schlöndorff, Eric D. Weitz, all of whom appear on camera throughout). From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses – Director Rüdger Suchsland’s 2014 documentary on the social and cultural impact of German Cinema during the Weimar Republic (1918-1933) From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses (documentary, THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS (1941) – Blu-ray Review, DEATH ON THE NILE (1978) – Blu-Ray Review, OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS (1951) – Blu-ray Review, LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES (1959) – Blu-ray Review, THE SECRET WAR OF HARRY FRIGG (1968) – Blu-Ray Review, CONTINENTAL DIVIDE (1981) – Blu-ray Review, SHARON’S HOLIDAY ROM-COM-ATHON, THE SEQUEL: PART TEN, SHARON’S HOLIDAY ROM-COM-ATHON, THE SEQUEL: PART NINE, ‘TIS THE SEASON: 6 MUST-WATCH CHRISTMAS MOVIES, SHARON’S HOLIDAY ROM-COM-ATHON, THE SEQUEL: PART EIGHT, SHARON’S HOLIDAY ROM-COM-ATHON,THE SEQUEL: PART SEVEN, GRACE OF MY HEART (1996) – Blu-ray Review, SHARON’S HOLIDAY ROM-COM-ATHON, THE SEQUEL: PART SIX, SHARON’S HOLIDAY ROM-COM-ATHON, THE SEQUEL: PART FIVE, SHARON’S HOLIDAY ROM-COM-ATHON, THE SEQUEL: PART FOUR, THE WONDERS OF ALADDIN (1961) – Blu-ray Review, BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY – THE COMPLETE COLLECTION – BLU-RAY REVIEW, SHARON’S HOLIDAY ROM-COM-ATHON, THE SEQUEL: PART THREE. From Caligari to Hitler Appearing . Though inviting and even narratively lulling at a glance, the film asks viewers to engage fully from beginning to end. Summary Uses a montage of restored German expressionist silent film footage to explore Siegfried Kracauer's 1947 thesis that the rise of Nazism was anticipated in many themes found throughout the Weimar cinema of the 1920s. Exceptionally beautiful restored film clips are the main reason to see Ruediger Suchsland’s “From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses.” More an illustration of a prolix thesis than a groundbreaking docu, the film takes Siegfried Kracauer’s seminal 1947 study on Weimar cinema and reiterates numerous points found in the book, with little acknowledgment that scholarship, still indebted to Kracauer, has moved on. Subscribe Now / Learn More. Constructed entirely from choice clips of key films of the era, documentarian Rüdiger Suchsland takes and runs with the premise of its source publication, already generalized above, by critic Siegfried Kracauer, a 1947 volume long considered one of the essentials for any film book library.