''Kammerspielfilm'' is a type of German film that offers an intimate,

cinematic Cinematic describes anything related to ''cinema''. It may refer to: any movie updates, cinema nights, cinematic review Film-related * Cinematic cutscene, a sequence in a video game that is not interactive * Cinematic music, original music writt ...

portrait of lower

middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...

life.

History

The name derives from a theater, the '' Kammerspiele'', opened in 1906 by a major stage director

Max Reinhardt Max Reinhardt (; born Maximilian Goldmann; 9 September 1873 – 30 October 1943) was an Austrian-born theatre and film director, intendant, and theatrical producer. With his innovative stage productions, he is regarded as one of the most pro ...

to stage intimate dramas for small audiences. Few Kammerspiel films were made, but nearly all are classics. ''Kammerspielfilme'' (the plural form) formed a German film movement of the 1920s

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

period that was developed around the same time as the more commonly known

Expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

movement in cinema. The ''Kammerspielfilm'' was known as the "chamber drama" as a result of the influence from the theatrical form of the

chamber play A chamber play is a play of usually three acts which can be performed with a small cast and practically no sets or costumes in a small space. The form became popular in the early 20th century, with leading exponents being Max Reinhardt and August S ...

. It is characterised by its focus on character psychology and its lack of intricate set design. Also, unlike Expressionist films, ''Kammerspielfilme'' seldom used

intertitles In films, an intertitle, also known as a title card, is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (i.e., ''inter-'') the photographed action at various points. Intertitles used to convey character dialogue are referred to as "dialo ...

to narrate the story.

Prominent figures

* Lupu Pick *

F. W. Murnau Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (born Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe; December 28, 1888March 11, 1931) was a German film director, producer and screenwriter. He was greatly influenced by Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Shakespeare and Ibsen plays he had seen at th ...

* Carl Mayer *

Georg Wilhelm Pabst Georg Wilhelm Pabst (25 August 1885 – 29 May 1967) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He started as an actor and theater director, before becoming one of the most influential German-language filmmakers during the Weimar Republic. ...

* Carl Theodor Dreyer SYLVESTER, Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival
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References

Sources

* Bordwell, David, and

Kristin Thompson Kristin Thompson (born 1950) is an American film theorist and author whose research interests include the close formal analysis of films, the history of film styles, and " quality television," a genre akin to art film. She wrote two scholarly books ...

. 1997. ''Film Art: An Introduction.'' 5th, international ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. . * Parkinson, David. 1995. ''History of Film.'' World of Art ser. London: Thames and Hudson. . {{Authority control *Kammerspielfilm Movements in cinema 1920s in film

History

Prominent figures

See also

References

Sources