Monday, October 6, 1997
Oscar-winning filmmaker’s works continue to fascinate
FILM: ‘Nosferatu,’ other famous silent films stress visual
artistry with a hauntingly eerie style
By Sandra Kim
Daily Bruin Contributor
A silent, cold morning awakens as the first sun’s rays hit the
landscape, painting it crimson and gold, bouncing off the droplets
of morning dew. A bird flies overhead as the sun rises higher and
the flowers shyly open their delicate petals.
Imagery remains one of the most powerful mediums in moviemaking.
And the appropriately titled film "Sunrise" overwhelms all others
in its rendering of form, light and movement. Directed by F.W.
Murnau, a German-born, silent-film maker of the ’20s, "Sunrise"
earned three Oscars, including one for Best Picture.
Through October 19, the UCLA Film and Televsion Archive offers a
rare opportunity to see this film as well as many of Murnau’s other
extant top-rated films borrowed from both Germany and Madrid’s film
archives. "Journey into the Night," "Phantom," and "Tabu" as well
as many other films ranging from horror to comedy, are screening at
the festival dubbed "The Devil and Mr. Murnau."
Andrea Alsberg, director of programming at the Archive, hails
Murnau as no less than "the greatest filmmaker of all time."
"His influences are as wide as anyone I can think of in early
cinema with the exception of his German friend Fritz Lange,"
Alsberg says. "(Murnau) brought together the popular art of the
time and breathed new life into it … His art moved in such a
poetic and beautiful way – a stunning and haunted way."
Born in 1889 in Bielefeld, Germany, Murnau studied art history
and architecture at the University of Heidelburg. This allowed him
to go beyond the normal boundaries of movie making. Drawing from
the major art movements of the time, like German Expressionism,
Symbolism and Romanticism (which includes artists such as Paul
Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh and Wassily Kandinsky), Murnau
incorporated a style into his films which blurred and distorted
conventional lines and shapes.
But Murnau’s style is not merely expressionistic.
"(He) blends so many different ideas and levels of art together
which make his movies incredibly atmospheric," Alsberg
explains.
As evident in "Sunrise," Murnau’s poignant, powerful and
nostalgic images are artistically and stylistically pleasing to the
eye. But as an innovator in the mystical, obscure and supernatural
world, he also delves deep into the psyche with his
difficult-to-categorize and fantastical movies.
In the UCLA Film and Television Archive’s fall calendar, film
historian Siegfried Kracauer observed, "Reality in his films was
surrounded by a halo of dream and presentiments."
Murnau had control of every aspect of the film. From the
backdrop to camera angles and lighting, the artist concentrated on
how things looked rather than what is stated in the titles.
In the age of silent films, many consider Murnau a master of
telling a story without words. Feeling strongly that the visual was
more important than what the characters were saying, an image was
never merely decorative to Murnau.
Murnau also directed "Nosferatu," generally regarded as the
greatest Dracula movie of all time. Again using his sense of
Expressionism and knowledge of the dark side of human nature,
Murnau creates a chilling, frightful yet nightmarishly beautiful
film.
Ian Bernie, director of the film department at the Los Angeles
County Museum of Art, echoes other critics’ feelings as he
describes Murnau’s films as "poetic, not gory … erotic and
sensual."
"Others have done horror films in a similar way, but Murnau
really made the horrific poetic and very human," Alsberg stresses.
"His characters are human and have a shadow, a dark side to them.
He really expresses these characteristics through the monster …
and we can recognize ourselves in these monsters."
Today, filmmakers such as Tim Burton, Joel and Ethan Coen, and
Ridley Scott make up the milieu of artists influenced by F.W.
Murnau.
Alsberg offers an explanation. "His work is so human and so
beautiful. He brings different arts into his film. He is in tune
with the human nature."
FILM: The UCLA Film and Television Archive’s "The Devil and Mr.
Murnau" opened Oct. 5. The series will run through October 19 at
the James Bridges Theater. For more information call (310)
206-FILM.
UCLA Film and Television Archive
Max Schreck in F.W. Murnau’s "Nosferatu."