Dr. Touponce pointed out that the character's acting is designed to express a single dominating emotion, and that was part of what was expressionistic about it, even among the supporting characters and "extras." Scott On Sun, 12 Jul 1998, Donald Larsson wrote: > Definitions of any style or genre will be terminally flimsy once we > poke a hole or two in them, but I would note that there are strong > "expressionist" elements in METROPOLIS: the chaingang shuffle of the > underground workers, the vision of the machine as Moloch, the little > hut of Rottwang in the midst of the Metropolis (rather like discover a > mushroom growing in a stainless steel lavatory), and the performance of > Klein-Rogge himself as the mad scientist. I do think that Lang's > relationship to Expressionism is problematic, but he does keep showing > traces of the style. > > Don Larsson > > > > > On Wed, 01 Jul 1998 13:00:45 -0700 "Horak, Chris" > <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > In reference to Scott Hitchin's query, I would argue that METROPOLIS is > > not a German expressionist film in the narrow sense of the term. It does > > not use distorted sets (expressing a subjective vision), nor is the > > acting particularly stylized (as in expressionist theatre). It is a > > science fiction film with a highly melodramatic plot that may be > > considered to have expressionist touches (lighting!). Of course, > > refering to my earlier post on PANDORA'S BOX, METROPOLIS must also be > > considered an art film. But like another of Pabst's art films, THE > > JOYLESS STREET, I would consider METROPOLIS as much a product of German > > Neue Sachlichkeit (New Realism), as influenced by elements of > > expressionism. > > > > > > Chris Horak > > > > Jan-Christopher Horak > > Director > > Archives & Collections > > Universal Studios > > 100 Universal City Plaza, 503-LL > > Universal City, C.A. 91608 > > Fax: 818 866 5120 > > Fon: 818 777 7571 > > > > ---- > > Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite > > http://www.tcf.ua.edu/screensite > > ---------------------- > Donald Larsson, Mankato State U (MN) > [log in to unmask] > > ---- > To sign off SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L > in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask] > ---- Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the University of Alabama.