1. 1920s German & Soviet Cinema
Context

2. Sense of escapism to a pre-industrial and pre-war past
Germany – List examples from the study films that can be traced to the context:
Post-war trauma
The new liberal Weimar republic unable to keep stability because of political tensions between right-wing (fascist) & left-wing (communist) activists
Fresh memories of wartime horror led to an interest in ‘mystical arts’ (the occult, astrology, etc.)
Sense of escapism to a pre-industrial and pre-war past

3. German film was a difficult international sell in the 1920s

4. Put the example in context

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8. Soviet Russia – List examples from the study films that can be traced to the context:
Many of the films are set in pre-communist times, specifically to show that life under Tsar Nicholas II had been oppressive
Films set in contemporary Soviet times had to portray life as positive
Cinematic experimentation was intended to separate communist cinema from ‘bourgeois film’
The film industry was nationalised, therefore had no commercial pressures
Images of proletarian unity and revolution were presented as strong to an international audience

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12. The influence of expressionism
George Grosz- Riot of the Insane (1915)

13. Key features of Expressionism:
      
Expressionist artist used strong emotional colours and wild brush strokes.
The stressed irrationality and insanity
The world of the supernatural was a strong influence
The individual suffers from alienation
The impact of industrial, capitalist society on human beings.

14. Weimar Cinema & Expressionism
Remember, not all German film from this period was ‘expressionistic’. Arguably, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari is the only ‘truly’ expressionistic film.
Fritz Lang, for instance distances himself & even has Dr Mabuse reflect on expressionistic art as ‘a game’.

15. Soviet Cinema and Constructivism

16. How far is it important to locate your chosen films in a particular time and place in order to understand their meaning and significance?