Education (Film, Video, TV) Articles

Warning: Contains Spoilers

Many films of the German Expressionist era are stories of monsters and supernatural villains. Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and The Golem are prime examples. Pandora’s Box (1929), more like Fritz Lang’s M, focuses directly on the evils that come from extreme human desire and uncontrolled behavior. Pandora’s Box is the story of Lulu, a young, beautiful prostitute and entertainer played by American actress Louise Brooks. The combination of Lulu’s naïve, narcissistic, and overtly sexual behavior results in intense suffering and multiple deaths, including her own.

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Laurence Kardish’s Weimar Cinema, 1919-1933 is an excellent resource for cinephiles new to the German Expressionist film movement and German Expressionist enthusiasts looking for an encyclopedia of films from the genre. The book is broken up into two sections: the first is a collection of essays about the German Expressionist film aesthetic and discusses competing theories of the genre’s origins as well as explanations for the genre’s critical, and sometimes commercial, success; the second is a 150-page catalog containing titles, technical specifications, and summaries of German Expressionist films, as well as still photographs from the productions.

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What’s Your Goal?

Have you ever picked up an instrument and assumed you knew how to play without any instruction or practice? Have you ever thought to yourself, “Well, I don’t have any real experience, but I could probably be in an opera.” I certainly hope the answer is no. Why, then, do so many people think that they can just pick up a digital video camera and make a movie that’s worth watching?

Filmmaking is like any other art or craft. It requires study, practice, and a dedication to excellence. “Yeah, but I know someone who’s a really good guitarist, and he never took any lessons,” I often hear. “I believe you,” I say. “But do you really think he picked up that guitar and recorded an album that first day?” Of course not. Whether an accomplished artist has studied formally or not, he or she has most likely spent months—probably years—squirreled away in a bedroom, studio, or home office. Successful artists push themselves to perfect their crafts and to expand their skill sets.

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