GRST 252 - From Caligari to Hitler: Weimar Cinema in Context

Institution:

Wesleyan University

Subject:

German Studies

Description:

This course offers a critical introduction to German silent and sound films from 1919 to 1932. It will test the thesis of Siegfried Kracauer's classic study that expressionist films in particular prepared the way for Hitler's rise to power. The focus will be on canonical films of the era including The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, and The Last Man (Murnau), Metropolis and M (Fritz Lang), and The Joyless Street and Pandora's Box (Pabst). Some attention will also be given to films made at the ideological extremes of Weimar culture: Kuhle Wampe (with a screenplay by Brecht), Leni Riefenstahl's The Blue Light, and Pabst's Threepenny Opera. Readings will include screenplays, essays, and reviews from the period as well as selected literary works such as Brecht's Threepenny Opera.

Credits:

1.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wesleyan.edu

Phone Number:

(860) 685-2000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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