There are many movements in theatre originating from 3000 B.C. to movements that are happening in theatre today. Two that I would like to focus on are polar opposites and are both extremely influential; realism and expressionism. Realism was the first to make an appearance, it strives to follow scenic unity and have the audience connect with the relatable characters. Expressionism however, develops the play based on the emotions and the psyche of the protagonist. I have decided to put these two vastly different movements side by side to see exactly how they differ in set design. Realism incorporates very authentic and practical set design, whereas expressionism is commonly asymmetrical, misshapen, and contorted. These two different movements
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This movement focused the set design on the emotions that are contained within the central character; the feelings of the protagonist are projected out on the stage in form of design. This movement was immensely popular in the world of film and theatre. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari by Robert Wiene is an expressionist film about Francis and his fiance Jane, and the horrible experiences they went through, according to Francis’s memory. In the end, it reveals that Francis is currently in an insane asylum, and that is shown throughout the film through many features including set design and lighting. Starting fairly early on in the film the set design is predominantly skewed, at 6:06 it shows Francis’s bedroom. This room contains a window which is obscured, the window itself is straight but the lines that are regularly staight are crooked, ultimately obscuring his view of what is happening outside his room, in the world. The lighting in this room making very sharp edges on the walls and the floor are cinematic illustrations his characters dark mind and the inner maliciousness of him. In the scene at 7:20 (The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari) the two men are seen surrounded by markings on the wall of angles. At 32:53 (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) we see again the lighting creating these sharp angles on the walls. At 42:49 (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) we see that the colour has changed in the film and also Francis is looking through the misshapen window that we saw earlier. At 45:47 (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) we see a completely new image of a road that is pointed that Dr. Caligari needs to climb, this road is composed of sharp edges obscure images. And lastly at 54:29 (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) we see an incredibly interesting image of a room that contains some sharp edges as seen before, but now it also incorporates some rounded edges, and a skeleton. All of these cryptic images are representations of the character of Francis.
This movement focused the set design on the emotions that are contained within the central character; the feelings of the protagonist are projected out on the stage in form of design. This movement was immensely popular in the world of film and theatre. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari by Robert Wiene is an expressionist film about Francis and his fiance Jane, and the horrible experiences they went through, according to Francis’s memory. In the end, it reveals that Francis is currently in an insane asylum, and that is shown throughout the film through many features including set design and lighting. Starting fairly early on in the film the set design is predominantly skewed, at 6:06 it shows Francis’s bedroom. This room contains a window which is obscured, the window itself is straight but the lines that are regularly staight are crooked, ultimately obscuring his view of what is happening outside his room, in the world. The lighting in this room making very sharp edges on the walls and the floor are cinematic illustrations his characters dark mind and the inner maliciousness of him. In the scene at 7:20 (The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari) the two men are seen surrounded by markings on the wall of angles. At 32:53 (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) we see again the lighting creating these sharp angles on the walls. At 42:49 (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) we see that the colour has changed in the film and also Francis is looking through the misshapen window that we saw earlier. At 45:47 (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) we see a completely new image of a road that is pointed that Dr. Caligari needs to climb, this road is composed of sharp edges obscure images. And lastly at 54:29 (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) we see an incredibly interesting image of a room that contains some sharp edges as seen before, but now it also incorporates some rounded edges, and a skeleton. All of these cryptic images are representations of the character of Francis.