German Film
A Brief History
To understand the film of any country, one must look at
the context in which films were produced. The motion
picture can be used in many ways by different people
or groups with a message to get across. Films can be
government propoganda, entertainment, or art, but no
matter which category a film is placed, one thing is
certain of all films made: films, because they cost
money to produce, are all made within a structure of
politics and economics and ,therefore, carry a definite
message. This site gives a brief description of 5
distinct periods of the German cinema with some represenative
films from each period. My aim is to put present these
films as texts which can be read only by considering
the contexts to which they belong.
I have divided the study into 5 sections; The Formative
years, Films of the Weimar Republic, Third Reich Propoganda
Films, Post WWII Films, and The New German Cinema. Each
period is defined by its own unique political agendas and
methods of utilizing the power of the motion picture.
Each section contains a brief summary of the period with
some represenative films.
- The Formative Years
- Films of the Weimar Republic "The Golden Era"
- Third Reich Propoganda
- Post WWII Stagnation
- The New German Cinema
- Related Links
- Bibliography