Thursday, October 10, 2019
The emperor jones the cabinet of Dr. Caligari
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) is a classic illustration of expressionist technique in film. The film production is about the disturbed Dr. Caligari. The stark distorted set, as a projection of his insane views, askew angles of vision and hypnotic acting enhances the portrayal of madness in this film. The Emperor Jones, a play by Eugene O'Neill, tells the saga of an African American man who sets himself up as emperor in a Caribbean Island. The film has been cited as an influence on several artistic expressions, including films, music and, among others, theatrical plays. Oââ¬â¢Neill express in a letter ââ¬Å"â⬠¦planning for a new latitude in screen expression. I saw Caligari and it sure opened my eyes to wonderful possibilities I had never dreamed of beforeâ⬠. The main difference in the expression techniques used is, by their own nature, the presence of dialogues. Caligari was a silent film while the play is based on strong and powerful dialogue and interplay between characters, which often seem to be an extension of Jonesââ¬â¢s inner demons. In this play there are three major aspects that Oââ¬â¢Neill seems to have picked from the film. The internal tribulations of The Emperor are offered on stage where Jonesââ¬â¢s expressionism is restricted to the scenes with Jones alone in them. The second aspect was the significance of setting design as a way to generate meaning in the theatre. Visuals in a play could be as important as dialogue. And the third way in which Caligari seems to influence Oââ¬â¢Neill is through the lighting effects in the film.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment