Expressionism

Expressionism:

• An art style in which the artist or writer seeks to express the inner world of emotion rather than external reality

German Expressionism:

• Tim Burton was inspired by German expressionism, which was an artistic movement after WWI

• It embodied the mental and physical wounds after the war was lost

• The movement is often characterised with dark, stylised sets, with characters whose movements reflect their environments

Practitioners Influenced by Expressionism:

• Artaud, Brecht and Berkoff were all inspired by expressionism

• Expressionism started in Germany around 1912-20 - it was used to challenge the rigid authority of the time

• Expressionism is the opposite of realism - it is a tool to portray the subconscious

• Expressionist writers used this form to reflect their own inner, personal views of the world within their work, even if these views were strange or eccentric

• The movement was also influenced by theorists such as 19th century philosopher Nietzsche who emphasised the importance of the individual and the creative side of people’s personalities

• Freud’s theories have also inspired the movement regarding ideas of peoples’ hidden and inner states of mind - Freud offered new approaches and new understandings of the human personality and he developed theories about people’s subconscious

Approaching an Expressionist Play as an Actor:

• Expressionist actors would adopt a style that was a complete rejection of Stanislavski’s naturalism - it would use exaggeration, distortion, and mechanical movements

• Instead of accurately portraying thoughts or feelings the character would become a whole representation of the writer's thoughts or feelings

• Characters become representations and archetypal rather than individuals

• They would become simplified - sometimes the actor would need to become almost farcical to put the message across

• The character’s name usually emphasises the fact that they are merely representations rather than people to be believed

• The actor’s focus would be to express the emotional journey of the character

Conventions of Expressionist Drama:

• Atmosphere:

  • Dreamlike, surreal, or even nightmarish

  • Often used lighting which would cast shadows across the stage or look unnatural

• Plot:

  • Disjointed, episodic

  • Scenes would be broken up into small episodes like a dream

  • The plot would follow extreme or exaggerated emotions

  • All of a sudden the characters might seem to be in pain

  • There would often be no mention of time - there was no difference between night and day

  • Characters would seem beyond human and not interact in a realistic way

• Dialogue:

  • Does not replicate normal speech

  • Often punctuated with pauses, long silences and be fragmented

  • Sometimes poetic and other times repetitive like a chant

  • Short clipped speech

• Characters:

  • Not supposed to be identifiable - they would often not have names or be given universal names like ‘The Mother’

  • Characters appear over exaggerated

  • Actors would often move in unison with other actors to create rhythmic movements

• Set:

  • It should not look realistic

  • Bright, bold colours or strange objects and shapes

  • Many set designers would not show a specific place or location

  • Often angled or distorted

Acting Style:

• Known as the ‘ecstatic’ style - it was intense and violent or grotesque

• Expressed tormented emotions - speech was rapid, breathless and staccato, with urgent gesture and movement such as eyes rolling, teeth bared, fingers and hands clutching like talons and claws

• A player might appear to be overacting and adopting the broad mechanical movements of a puppet

• Movements were mechanical, rhythmic and exaggerated

• Voices - heightened emotions, use of pause and silence, screams, breathing, rambling and urgent

• In Machinal:

  • Pulling hair

  • Long pauses

  • Rambling vocally

  • Screams

  • Breathing

  • Slow motion movements

  • Banging head

  • Fixed stares

  • Puppet-like

  • Hyperventilating