From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film (Princeton Classic Editions)

A landmark study of the cinematic history of the Weimar Republic by the father of film scholarship. **An essential work of the cinematic history of the Weimar Republic by a leading figure of film criticism** First published in 1947, __From Caligari to Hitler__ remains an undisputed landmark study of the rich cinematic history of the Weimar Republic. Prominent film critic Siegfried Kracauer examines German society from 1921 to 1933, in light of such movies as __The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari__, __M__, __Metropolis__, and __The Blue Angel__. He explores the connections among film aesthetics, the prevailing psychological state of Germans in the Weimar era, and the evolving social and political reality of the time. Kracauer makes a startling (and still controversial) claim: films as popular art provide insight into the unconscious motivations and fantasies of a nation. With a critical introduction by Leonardo Quaresima which provides context for Kracauer’s scholarship and his contributions to film studies, this Princeton Classics edition makes an influential work available to new generations of cinema enthusiasts.

A landmark, now classic, study of the rich cinematic history of the Weimar Republic, From Caligari to Hitler was first published by Princeton University Press in 1947. Siegfried Kracauer—a prominent German film critic and member of Walter Benjamin's and Theodor Adorno's intellectual circle—broke new ground in exploring the connections between film aesthetics, the prevailing psychological state of Germans in the Weimar era, and the evolving social and political reality of the time. Kracauer's pioneering book, which examines German history from 1921 to 1933 in light of such movies as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, M, Metropolis, and The Blue Angel, has never gone out of print. Now, over half a century after its first appearance, this beautifully designed and entirely new edition reintroduces Kracauer for the twenty-first century. Film scholar Leonardo Quaresima places Kracauer in context in a critical introduction, and updates the book further with a new bibliography, index, and list of inaccuracies that crept into the first edition. This volume is a must-have for the film historian, film theorist, or cinema enthusiast.In From Caligari to Hitler, Siegfried Kracauer—the German-born writer and film critic who shared many ideas and interests with his friend Walter Benjamin—made a startling (and still controversial) claim: films as a popular art provide insight into the unconscious motivations and fantasies of a nation. In films of the 1920s such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, M, Metropolis, and The Blue Angel, he traced recurring visual and narrative tropes that expressed, he argued, a fear of chaos and a desire for order, even at the price of authoritarian rule. The book has become an undisputed classic of film historiography, laying the foundations for the serious study of film.

In From Caligari to Hitler, Siegfried Kracauer made a startling (and still controversial) claim: films as a popular art provide insight into the unconscious motivations and fantasies of a nation. In films of the 1920s, he traced recurring visual and narrative tropes that expressed, he argued, a fear of chaos and a desire for order, even at the price of authoritarian rule. The book has become an undisputed classic of film historiography, laying the foundations for the serious study of film.

Kracauer was an important film critic in Weimar Germany. A Jew, he escaped the rise of Nazism, fleeing to Paris in 1933. Later, in anguish after Benjamin's suicide, he made his way to New York, where he remained until his death in 1966. He wrote From Caligari to Hitler while working as a "special assistant" to the curator of the Museum of Modern Art's film division. He was also on the editorial board of Bollingen Series. Despite many critiques of its attempt to link movies to historical outcomes, From Caligari to Hitler remains Kracauer's best-known and most influential book, and a seminal work in the study of film. Princeton published a revised edition of his Theory of Film: The Redemption of Physical Reality in 1997.

It shows the psychological history of the German cinema during the twenties and the thirties leading up to the Nazis, a classic of film history.

A Classic Of Modern Film Historiography, This Text Explores The Connections Between Film Aesthetics, The Prevailing Psychological State Of Germans In The Weimar Era, & The Evolving Social & Political Reality Of The Time. Pt. 1: The Archaic Period (1895-1918) -- Peace And War -- Forebodings -- Genesis Of Ufa -- Pt. 2: The Postwar Period (1918-1924) -- The Shock Of Freedom -- Caligari -- Procession Of Tyrants -- Destiny -- Mute Chaos -- Crucial Dilemma -- From Rebellion To Submission -- Pt. 3: The Stabilized Period (1924-1929) -- Decline -- Frozen Ground -- The Prostitute And The Adolescent -- The New Realism -- Montage -- Brief Reveille -- Pt. 4: The Pre-hitler Period (1930-1933) -- Songs And Illusions -- Murderer Among Us -- Timid Heresies -- For A Better World -- National Epic -- Supplement: Propaganda And The Nazi War Film -- Nazi Views And Measures -- Film Devices -- The Swastika World -- Screen Dramaturgy -- Conflict With Reality. By Siegfried Kracauer ; Edited And Introduced By Leonardo Quaresima. First Published 1947. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 315-332) And Indexes. From the back cover: "The thesis of this unusually interesting book is that the German films of the twenties were filled with premonitions of the German totalitarianism of the thirties: that Hitler arose as the resolution of psychological dilemmas which had been reflected in the German movies and which accounted for both their greatness and their decline.... Dr. Kracauer illustrates his theme by a readable account of the evolution of the German film industry and the creation of the masterpieces.... The book's premise, of course, is that the films of a nation irresistibly disclose its dominant psychological dispositions.... This is an extraordinarily fruitful and stimulating approach." -- Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., 'The Nation' "This is an important book. It is important to the film student and researcher, important to the student of foreign affairs, but over and beyond that, it is important to anyone interested in the relationship of a society to its art." -- 'Theater Arts' CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS EDITOR'S NOTE INTRODUCTION TO THE 2004 EDITION: REREADING KRACAUER PREFACE INTRODUCTION THE ARCHAIC PERIOD 1. PEACE AND WAR 2. FOREBODINGS 3. GENESIS OF UFA THE POST WAR PERIOD 4. THE SHOCK OF FREEDOM 5. CALIGARI 6. PROCESSION OF TYRANTS 7. DESTINY 8. MUTE CHAOS 9. CRUCIAL DILEMMA 10. FROM REBELLION TO SUBMISSION THE STABILIZED PERIOD 11. DECLINE 12. FROZEN GROUND 13.THE PROSTITUTE AND THE ADOLESCENT 14.THE NEW REALISM 15. MONTAGE 16.BRIEF REVEILLE THE PRE-HITLER PERIOD 17. SONGS AND ILLUSIONS 18. MURDERER AMONG US 19.TIMID HERESIES 20. FOR A BETTER WORLD 21. NATIONAL EPIC SUPPLEMENT PROPAGANDA AND THE NAZI WAR FILM 1. NAZI VIEWS AND MEASURES 2. FILM DEVICES 3. THE SWASTIKA WORLD 4. SCREEN DRAMATURGY 5.CONFLICT WITH REALITY NOTE ON THE INACCURACIES BIBLIOGRAPHY UPDATED BIBLIOGRAPHY NAME INDEX FILM INDEX Places - Siegfried Kracauer, the German-born writer and film critic, who made a startling claim: films as a popular art provide insight into the unconscious motivations and fantasies of a nation - in context in a critical introduction. This book contains bibliography, index, and list of inaccuracies. It is for the film historian and film theorist.