F.W. Murnau
F.W. Murnau
RANKED:
10. Journey into the Night (1921)
F.W. Murnau began his typical experimental cinema right off the bat in his early films. However, this experimentation was never overt. Rather, he plays with tiny, insignificant moments. These moments catch the viewer's attention, which allows Murnau to subtly play with their emotions. Because the viewer is so entrapped in the immediacy of what is happening, they forget about the bigger picture, which allows for surprises. In his 1921 film "Journey into the Night," Murnau plays with these smaller moments to let the unexpected tragedies come as a shock. The film, albeit a little underwhelming, is a depiction of people with the same short-sightedness that Murnau instills in the viewer. The effect? People who are constantly unsatisfied with the decisions they've made and who are continuously haunted by their past mistakes.
9. The Haunted Castle (1921)
The subtle experimentation that F.W. employed in "Journey into the Night" was continued in "The Haunted Castle" from the same year. In this film, a group staying in a castle must uncover the mystery of who killed "Peter." Was it the brother, the wife, or someone else in the castle? Despite your guesses, the film is more focused on ambiance. The haunting environment is drenched in each moment. As a viewer, you are entranced by the small moments as Murnau slowly lingers on every scene. This attention to the immediate allows you to actually be surprised by the unexpected as it occurs.
8. City Girl (1930)
After his highly successful 1927 film, "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans," Murnau was not able to utilize the same expressionism he had been using throughout his body of work. With studio interference, Murnau was only able to execute a by-the-numbers visual story. With "City Girl," Murnau was able to use a couple to symbolize the dynamics between rural and urban, and the prejudices that exist in both. The film was mostly swept under the rug, due to the onslaught of talking pictures. However, after the once-lost film was rediscovered, many found that it held more substance than originally thought.
7. Tabu (1931)
F.W. died tragically in a car accident just a week before the premiere of his 1931 film "Tabu." The final film in his legendary oeuvre saw him going in a radically different direction. Stylized like the documentary films of Robert J. Flaherty, "Tabu" tells the narrative story of natives on the island of Bora Bora. When two of the natives escape to a Westernized island, they discover that the people there impose the same type of cultural restrictions they were tyring to run away from. It seems as though taboo rules will follow you everywhere you go.
6. Faust (1926)
F.W. Murnau's last film made in Germany was also his most 'Expressionistic.' Taking from the folk legend, "Faust" sees a demon try to manipulate and corrupt an intelligent man's soul. The supernatural and fantastical elements of the film required Murnau to use multiple camera setups and sharp editing of superimposed images. The result is an expressionist film that reaches the heights of what the style of expressionism could accomplish.
5. Phantom (1922)
During an economic crisis in Germany, F.W. Murnau created a film that showcased these stark realities. A man who lives in poverty with his mother and sister begins to obsess over a wealthy woman he has never met. His obsession ends up upending his entire life, as he loses his job and loses the respect of everyone around him. Murnau contrasts the realism of his everyday life by infusing expressionism when displaying his fantasies. The direct contrast displays how our hopes and fantasies are no match for the real desolation of our everyday life.
4. Tartuffe (1925)
F.W. Murnau's "Tartuffe" may or may not have been the film to feature the very first instance of the 'film-within-a-film,' however, it certainly is up there. Murnau uses this format to demonstrate how film influences life. When a grandson shows his grandfather a film version of the 1664 Moliere play "Tartuffe," he is able to show his grandfather how he is being corrupted by his housekeeper. Murnau demonstrates how important film is to understand the world around you. It may even show you the truth of the hypocrites that are sitting right next to you.
3. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
After the explosion of German Expressionism in the early 1920s, Hollywood wanted a taste. William Fox brought F.W. Murnau over from Germany to make such a film. The film, "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans" was a completely unique visual experience that American audiences had never seen before. It tells the story of a couple who must rekindle their relationship after the husband tries to murder his wife. Using very few dialogue titles, the film is a completely visual experience in which everything that is felt is visually expressed. The film would go on to win "Best Unique and Artistic Picture" at the very first Academy Awards. Many film historians and critics call "Sunrise" visual poetry, and introduced American cinema into the realms of creative visual filmmaking.
2. Nosferatu (1922)
In this adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel "Dracula," F.W. Murnau brings the world of vampires to life. In his 1922 masterwork, "Nosferatu," Murnau uses the ghastly image of the titular vampire to signify an imminent horror: death. Once you see, its presence will close in around you, suffocating you until the grips of death become an immediate certainty, like that of a Venus Fly Trap. After you look your eyes upon the vampire, Nosferatu's forward-propelled march toward you becomes inescapable. Like death, one cannot overcome his horror. Viewers of the film could not overcome his horrible appearance, either. This is why "Nosferatu" has become one of the most iconic horror films of all time.
1. The Last Laugh (1924)
In 1924, F.W. Murnau wanted to create a film that distinguished itself from the storytelling techniques of plays and novels. To do this, he removed all title cards. By doing this, he was free to be as creative as possible to tell his story. The story is that of an aging doorman who loses his job and prestigious uniform and must instead become a bathroom attendant. In order to tell a completely visual story, Murnau created many innovative techniques. Murnau employed an 'unchained camera' in which the camera glides left to right and forward to backward in the frame. He also blurs parts of the screen, focuses and defocuses, and creates innovative camera angles. The effect is something groundbreaking. A completely visual story told through camera movement and editing. Even for today, that sounds totally unique. After "The Last Laugh," cinema would never be the same again.
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