Weimar Cinema: An Essential Guide to Classic Films of the Era

Film and Culture Series

by Noah Isenberg (Editor)

Taken as a whole, the sixteen remarkable films discussed in this provocative new volume of essays represent the brilliant creativity that flourished in the name of German cinema between the wars. Encompassing early gangster pictures and science fiction, avant-garde and fantasy films, sexual intrigues and love stories, the classics of silent cinema and Germany's first talkies, each chapter illuminates, among other the technological advancements of a given film, its detailed production history, its critical reception over time, and the place it occupies within the larger history of the German studio and of Weimar cinema in general. Readers can revisit the careers of such acclaimed directors as F. W. Murnau, Fritz Lang, and G. W. Pabst and examine the debuts of such international stars as Greta Garbo, Louise Brooks, and Marlene Dietrich. Training a keen eye on Weimer cinema's unusual richness and formal innovation, this anthology is an essential guide to the revolutionary styles, genres, and aesthetics that continue to fascinate us today.

Genres: Film, History, Germany, Nonfiction

373 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Noah Isenberg is director of screen studies and professor of culture and media at The New School, the author of We'll Always Have Casablanca, Edgar G. Ulmer: A Filmmaker at the Margins, and editor of Weimar Cinema, and the recipient of an NEH Public Scholar Award. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Michael Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informed look at the films of the period, written by able scholars and covering a wide range and number of films. Don't come to this expecting a general introduction, though: the book is more interested in relating the films to particular issues in aesthetics or social history rather than a general recounting or "read" of the material. Good stuff, not for everyone.

[Peter Lindstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Isenberg likely isn't going to be a best selling social historian along the lines of Heather Cox Richardson or Sarah Churchwell, he's got the right stuff. In his account, he not only discusses the films and the filmmakers, along with many influential actors and crafts people, he provides excellent research on the influence of film in the Weimar era, the economics of filmmaking in both Germany and Europe, as well as the impact of German cinema on popular culture of the era and its competition with Hollywood in the 1920s.

That's a lot for any historian to cover at all well, but Isenberg has clearly written THE definitive single volume account of a great artistic movement and that movement's larger context within a turbulent political and cultural period, as well as its lasting international impact.

[Bobsie67 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The text is sixteen academic essays about Weimar era films. If you are more interested in an easy read about German films of Weimar era like Metropolis, Faust, The Blue Angel, Nosferatu, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, you might be disappointed by the theoretical and dense nature of these essays. This is not light reading, and the authors do suppose some familiarity with at least some of the films and Weimar era themes. Some of the writing is very dense and requires close reading to follow the author's reasoning. Definitely inspired me to see the films discussed, some of which I did not know, such as Girls in Uniform and Berlin, Symphny of a City. The text is clearly geared to the serious film student. I did learn lots.

[Greta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good essays on some of the canonical films of the era, but are specialized topics rather than introductory texts.

[Henrique Quadros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Até agora o livro mais informativo e interessante da pesquisa. Essencial pra quem se interessa pelo cinema alemão pré-guerra e já leu Kracauer/Eisner como base. Uma série de ensaios sobre os filmes mais importantes desse período organizados em ordem cronológica, é perfeito pra entender as diferentes mudanças comportamentais, culturais, políticas, psicológicas (etc) do povo alemão durante a república Weimar.

Cada insight poderoso sobre esse cânone cinematográfico, mesmo quem entende bastante sobre o assunto provavelmente vai aprender algo novo lendo este livro. Recomendo muito!

[Miruna Runcan · Rating 5 out of 5]

O exceptionala culegere de eseuri care reviziteaza - din dubla perspectiva socio-politica si estetica - cele mai importante creatii cinematografie ) cunoascute sau mai putin frecventatw) ale Republicii de la Weimar.

[Vasili Birlidis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for ENG 4310 - Weimar Cinema with Prof. Mennel (third year, University of Florida, Spring 2016).

[Mary Grasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great if the topic interests you... I love both silent film and 20th C European history, so this was a natural for me.

[kkurtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

a thoroughly fascinating read for anyone interested in the genre. sure to cause any reader to fill up their Netflix queue w/all of these classics.