Corpse Bride (2005)

German Expressionism

Introduction

German Expressionism is a filmic style that created from 1919 to 1926. This filmic style is influenced by the expressionist movement in modern art of early 1900s. This expressionism not only apply in literature it also apply in drama, and painting to the genre of film creation.

Theory Discussion

German expressionist tend to use mise-en-scene to create the style of German Expressionism. German expressionist design every single shot such as people, things, actions, backgrounds, clothing must conform to the composition design. The themes for the German expressionism usually involves rebel, self-analysis, and insanity, primitive and sexual savagery. There are several style of German expressionist often appear in this filmic style.

Firstly, oblique camera angles for example like shoot the subject from lower angle. This is shot by literally tilting the camera frame. It help to makes the audiences feel anxiety and uncertainty while watching the movie.

 Besides, distorted bodies and shapes in a film. By using distortion to an object it can bring out the feeling of the situation and make the audiences to feel the emotion at the moment. The story also can be twisted as a reflection of the content.

Next , German impressionism also like to use high contrast lighting also known as low key to create the dramatic shadow. Usually dramatic shadow is an element of a horror film because it give the creepy feel to the audiences. The use of dramatic shadows has an impact on the psychology of the audience.

Lastly, expressionist content is usually surreal and gothic, about unnatural acts or realities. For example gothic makeup and clothing can exaggerate the feeling to an actor. It can also apply in the movement of an actor such as the style of the actor walk or talk.

Synopsis

In a village in Victorian England, Victor Van is going to married with Victoria Everglot. When they are preparing for their marriage, Victor ruins the wedding rehearsal because he keep forgetting his vows. He is very up set and run out to nearby forest and practice his vows. This time Victor successfully read out his vows and unintentionally propose to a corpse bride, Emily who murdered by someone. Emily thought she finally meet the guy that she waiting for so long time. But at the end, Emily give up to love Victor because she know Victor not belongs to her.

Analysis

In this film we can found a lot of German expressionism filmic style, one of the example is when Victor very upset and run to the grave. All the trees are distorted and twisted in the forest. This help to create the feeling of dangerous and horror to the audiences. Beside of this scene we can also found a lot of object is been distorted in this movie for example at the beginning of the film, Victor is taking a feather quill pen, we can notice the feather is curved. Distortion not only apply on an object it can also distort bodies and shapes of a character such as the character in the corpse bride. All the characters in the movie with very different and unique shape especially Victoria’s mother, her hair style is very long and her chin is very sharp.

The tree is distorted and twisted.

The feather is very curve.

The shape of Victoria's mother.

Besides, high contrast lighting is obviously used in the film. The lighting using the dark blue, black colour tone. This help to express the feeling of creepy, mysteries and spooky to the audiences and high contrast lighting also create the dramatic shadow at different scenes. High contrast visual also appear on the costume of the characters, their clothing basically back and white. There’s a big difference between living world and the hell.  living world, the world is basically black and white tone to create the high contrast visual. For the hell is more colourful such as green and blue colour. This high contrast visual not only bring out the spooky feeling, it also present the meaning of this two different world. Living life people live without freedom, there were all about social status and social class. On the other hand, people are happier and freedom in the hell.

The lighting in the hell

Next, expressionist content is usually surreal and gothic, about unnatural acts or realities. For example, Emily is a corpse and she wake up from the grave and want to marry with Victor. The content of this movie is unnatural and not real because people is not possible to married with a corpse. Besides of the content, the movement of the character also unnatural for example the way Victoria’s parents walking is very unnatural. People are not able to walk like that way.

Then, this film also uses oblique angles such as when the corpse bride Emily woke up and walk toward Victor. Victor is shock and run away and keep fall down in the forest. There are several oblique angles for the corpse bride. This makes the audiences feel a sense of “crookedness” and anxiety.

Last but not least, one of the German impressionist is involves rebel, self-analysis, and insanity, primitive and sexual savagery. For example, at the beginning Victoria is force by her mother to married with a boy that she don’t know. She always been hoping to marry someone she loves. Unfortunately, her parents force her to marry someone that she doesn’t love only because of poverty. She has asking for herself and doesn't know if this is what she wants. After meet up the guy she know this is the guy she wants to marry. This is one of the self-analysis that found in the film. Victoria’s mother locked her in the room and not allow Victoria go out from the room. Victoria try to escape from the window to find Victor. This is also one of the rebel to against her parents.

In my conclusion, there are a lot German impressionism filmic style is used in the Corpse Bride. For example the distortion an object, oblique angle , high contrast lighting ( low key), unnatural acts, involve rebel and self-analysis of a character. From this film, we can know that German impressionism is very suitable use in a horror film it really makes the film style more unique.

References :
“Corpse Bride (2005).” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/title/tt0121164/.

Darsa, Alissa. “An Introduction to German Expressionist Films.” Artnet News, Artnet News, 16 Mar. 2015, news.artnet.com/market/art-house-an-introduction-to-german-expressionist-films-32845.

“Camera Angles.” Mediaknowall, www.mediaknowall.com/camangles.html.

Crabbe, Eoghan, et al. “The Shadow Of German Expressionism In Cinema.” Film Inquiry, 16 Oct. 2017, www.filminquiry.com/german-expressionism/.