Early German Horror Films!
Instructor: Claire Cai
Spring 2025 (second seven weeks, March 12 - May 5): 01:470:246:01
Meeting time: Mondays and Wednesdays 2:00-3:20pm
Course location: Scott Hall Room 219, College Avenue Campus
Although spanning only twelve years, Weimar Germany (1918-1933) underwent immense social and political transformations. So too did the aesthetic realm change; once derided as an art form, film began to be taken seriously as a new mode of creative expression. Interestingly, these early films often included representations of the monstrous, of ghosts, vampires, and “the mad”.
This course will explore who, what, why, and how something is horrific, employing different approaches such as a gender studies lens, post-colonial lens, and historical lens. In addition to analyzing canonical works by Wiene, Lang, Murnau, and others, we will also consider historical commentary and contemporary film criticism. Finally, we will examine the legacy of Weimar Cinema by tracing its impact on modern films.
Taught in English. No knowledge of German is required. There are no prerequisites for this course. Although students will watch selected excerpts in class, they are expected to watch the assigned films in full on their own time via the links provided in this syllabus.
Send questions to Claire Cai