EXPRESSIONIST GERMAN CINEMA

Expressionist German Cinema - Splendours of a Collection
(Lights and Shadows after the end of the world) at French Cineclub,
from October 26, 2006 to January 22 , 2007

On its 70 th birthday French Cineclub (Cinémathèque française) shows for the first time to the public some of the most beautiful works of its collection from expressionist German cinema: more than 150 original drawings which contribute, sometimes more other times less, to that attraction of German silent cinema made of architecture, "demonic", metaphysics, abstract and light effects.

Among them, the original drawings of films like Caligari (Robert Wiene), Faust (F.W. Murnau), M- Murderers Among Us , Metropolis , Diabolical Dr. Mabuse (Fritz Lang), Blue Angel (Joseph Von Sternberg), The Three Wax Works (Paul Leni), Joyless Street (G.W. Pabst)... will be quoted.

The visitor is invited to do a track similar to a labyrinth, in the darkness, full of sharp and "calligaresques" light effects, fixed image projections and selected scenes that make you have Max Schreck ( Nosferatu ), the damned!, or even Metropolis robot, looking at you!

This exhibition is also available in a wonderful album (39 euros) in which, after some articles from Bernard Eisenschitz, Laurent Mannoni, David Robinson, Lotte Eisner., 200 drawings are reproduced (watercolours, mine graphite, pastel and charcoal) from decorators Walter Röhrig, Hermann Warm, Robert Herlth, Rochus Gliese etc.

Some frames show a direct connection with cinematographers and prove, as if that was not already known by now, how much of the artistic conception and initial sketches contribute to define and impose a framing and lighting style.

More information is available at French Cineclub . You can also see a "virtual" exhibition online here.

PS : Film students, in Paris or elsewhere, particularly those of you that dedicate yourselves to image and décor issues, run to visit this exhibition for sooner than you know it, it will be over: you will find out that gathered under a few pencil strokes, simple and clear, shadows, lights and frameworks are the ingredients that make cinema's own essence.

Drawing: charcoal on paper by Rochus Gliese, 1925
BiFi, French Cineclub collection

Frame: (DVD capture) from Sunrise
by F. W. Murnau (1927)

Cinematographers
Charles Rosher and Karl Strüss