- Paperback: 360 pages
- Publisher: University of California Press (1 July 1992)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0520024796
- ISBN-13: 978-0520024793
- Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 14.5 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 172,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Product Description
The Golden Age of German cinema began at the end of the First World War and ended shortly after the coming of sound. From "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" onwards the principal films of this period were characterized by two influences: literary Expressionism, and the innovations of the theater directors of this period, in particular Max Reinhardt. This book demonstrates the connection between German Romanticism and the cinema through Expressionist writings. It discusses the influence of the theater: the handling of crowds; the use of different levels, and of selective lighting on a predominately dark stage; the reliance on formalized gesture; the innovation of the intimate theater. Against this background, the principal films of the period are examined in detail.The author explains the key critical concepts of the time, and surveys not only the work of the great directors, such as Fritz Lang and F. W. Murnau, but also the contribution of their writers, cameramen, and designers. As "The Times Literary Supplement" wrote, 'Mme. Eisner is first and foremost a film critic, and one of the best in the world. She has all the necessary gifts.' And it described the original French edition of this book as 'one of the very few classics of writing on the film and arguably the best book on the cinema yet written.'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Anyone who has ever wanted to know anything about one of the major cinematic movements in Europe in the first half of the 20th Century should at least have heard of this book. I first read this book in 1988 whilst carrying out research on F.W. Murnau's film ' Nosferatu' and found it so absorbing that I read it from cover to cover. I have tried on regular occasions to get my hands on a copy and have regularly failed- until now! 'The Haunted Screen' take us on a journey through one of the most amazing periods of film-making. It gives us some excellent insight into the ideas and symbols of cinematic expressionism, and also looks at the major players of the time - Reinhardt, Murnau, Lang et al. It looks at some of the major films - 'Caligari', 'Nosferatu' and 'Metropolis' to name but three.
Lotte Eisner gives us detail and analysis without falling into the trap of being subjective, and even though it is an 'old' book in terms of age it really is still scholarly work without peer, and is THE book to turn to if you want to know about some of the classics of silent cinema.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5 reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Hmmm...
10 May 2008
Format:Paperback
As a resource for all things German-Expressionistic, this is a fairly good bet: a shame that it's just so dull to read.
I wonder if this is a language issue, if the original French text contained traces of Eisner's personality, which since have been lost to an unimaginative translation?
Whatever the case, this isn't a book I recommend you read for the pleasure of discovery: Kracauer's "Caligari to Hitler" is more enjoyable and just as informative as this one, but Eisner's "The Haunted Screen" is an excellent fact-checking tome. Po-faced and all as it is, "The Haunted Screen" is an expansive, exhaustive, brilliantly-illustrated journey through a most important period in the history of Cinema - Eisner not only discusses the films and their relatives, but also the historical and technical details of the genesis of German Expressionism, with a clarity and a lucidity that still shine fifty-six years after its original publication.
It's like eating museli for breakfast: if you can put up with the arid, dull chewing you'll definitely feel the benefits: just know that you'll be wishing for bacon and pancakes before too long.
I wonder if this is a language issue, if the original French text contained traces of Eisner's personality, which since have been lost to an unimaginative translation?
Whatever the case, this isn't a book I recommend you read for the pleasure of discovery: Kracauer's "Caligari to Hitler" is more enjoyable and just as informative as this one, but Eisner's "The Haunted Screen" is an excellent fact-checking tome. Po-faced and all as it is, "The Haunted Screen" is an expansive, exhaustive, brilliantly-illustrated journey through a most important period in the history of Cinema - Eisner not only discusses the films and their relatives, but also the historical and technical details of the genesis of German Expressionism, with a clarity and a lucidity that still shine fifty-six years after its original publication.
It's like eating museli for breakfast: if you can put up with the arid, dull chewing you'll definitely feel the benefits: just know that you'll be wishing for bacon and pancakes before too long.
12 of 15 people found the following review helpful
White and dark: the spirit of german cinema
3 Aug 2000
Format:Paperback
In this work, Lotte Eisner makes an inteligent analysis about the influences of the expressionism and german theather in the german cinema. It's important to know that expressionism have been confused, not rarely, with other kind of ideological and esthetical sources of influence. And about this confusion, this book brings a good help. The authorress identifies and points what is expressionism and what is not, where are the traces of the expressionism, of the german theather or of whatever. And besides, Lotte Eisner makes an interesting and complete review of the most important german films, for example Caligari, Nosferatu and Metropolis, also speaking a little about other films related to Germany, yet made in other countries. Since the authoress was one of the most important movie critics of Germany, and also a wickness of the birth of german cinema after the First World War, her statements or reviews are solid and plenty of good reveals.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
The white and the dark: spirit of german cinema
5 Aug 2000
Format:Hardcover
In this work, Lotte Eisner makes an inteligent analysis about the influences of the expressionism and german theater - specially Max Reinhardt theater - in the german cinema. It's important to know that expressionism have been confused, not rarely, with other kind of ideological and esthetical sources of influence. And about this confusion, this book brings a good help. The authorress identifies and points what comes from the expressionism and what is not, where are the traces of the expressionism, of the german theater or whatever. And besides, Lotte Eisner speaks about the work of great german directors, like F. W. Murnau, F. Lang and G. W. Pabst, making an interesting and complete review of the german masterpieces - for example Caligari, Nosferatu and Metropolis, . She also speaks a little about other films related to Germany, yet made in other countries. Since the authoress was one of the most important movie critics of Germany, and also a wickness of the new birth of german cinema after the First World War, her statements or reviews are solid and plenty of good reveals.
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