简介：GeorgKaiserdecribesinhisExpressionisttheaterplaytheattemptofabankcashiertoescapehismiddleclassdailylife.DirectorKarlheinzMartin'sadaptationtransfersKaiser'splayintoanExpressionistfilmofradicalstylization.TheGermanfilmindustrywassoirritatedbytheresultthatthefilmneverfoundadistributionandwasnevershowninGermancinemas.TheonlyexistingprintofthisclassicsurvivedinJapanwherethefilmreceivedacinemareleaseandwaspreservedbytheNationalFilmCenter. ThematerialworldofVonmorgensbismitternachtsseemslikeahallucinationandassuchischaracterizedasdeliberatelybanalaswellasfragile,unfinishedandunstable.ThearchitectRobertNeppachusedthedazzlingsimplicityofthepainteddécortoillustratethenatureofthings,socialandhumanrelationships.Here,thebankrevealsitselfasalife-suckingdungeon,thefenceatthecashier'shouseaccentuatesaprison,itselftrappedinitsownlocation.Theunreal,paintedraysoflightonthehotelstaircaseleadingtothelady'sroomsimultaneouslyillustratedesireandtheabsenceofanykindofbasisforit.Strongcontrasts,distortedformsandperspectivesindicatestructuresofrealitywithoutdepictingadifferent,fantasticnature,andcondensethemtosuchanextentthat"thefabricoftheouterworld"becomesdiscernible. Light,costumeandmakeupdesigncorrespondedtothegraphicconceptandthesharplycontrastingemphasisonlightanddarkness.Alsothecashier'sclothes,contouredwithstripesofwhitepaint,seemtorn,appearingtomirrorhismentalconstitution.Evenifthecharactershavenotquitediscardedtheir"organicform"completely,producerRudolfKurtzhadapoint:they"areparts,formalelementsofadecorativethoughtprocess,theyarepartofathree-dimensionalimage,aretornbyflecksoflightandstripeswhichhavebeenpaintedontothem."Thecashier'smakeupcomplieswiththegraphicblackandwhitecontrasts.Hiswhiteface,hispandaeyes,theblackcontourlinesalonghisbrowandthebridgeofhisnoseandarampantmoustachecharacterizeapersonwhoissociallydeformedandyetthirstyforlife.Theremainingcharactersalsohavetheirrespectivesocialcharacteristicspaintedontheirfacesindrasticallyemphaticandexaggeratedphysiognomicdetail.Eventhemostdazzlinglighteffectsarenotusedtoformthree-dimensionalspacebutaccentuatelinesanddetailsofgraphicimagecompositioninaccordancewiththedécoroftheset. Themainstylisticprobleminalmostallexplicitlyantinaturalisticfilmsishowtheactor,whocanonlyartificiallyexaggeratehisnaturalphysiognomictraitstoacertainextent,canbeintegratedintotheimagecomposition.InnootherfilminthetraditionofnarrativecinemaoutsidethefantasygenrehasthisbeendonesoobviouslyasinVonmorgensbismitternachts,wheretheactorshavealsoformallybecomepartoftheconceptofdécorandimage.ErnstDeutschintheroleofthecashierdissolveshismovementsintotenseandthensuddenlyexplosivegestures;heemphasizes,lengthens,oracceleratessingledetailsandneverpresentsanorganic,overallsequenceofmovements.Theblack,mimiclinesonhisface,mainlyhischeekbonesandhiseyesockets,whichessentiallycharacterizethegauntfaceoftheactor,arepaintedontoachalkywhiteface,givinghimtheappearanceofawoodcut.Theambivalentroleofthecashier;thechangefromaninitiallygeriatricappearance,fullofburninginnerintensityinthefirstpartofthefilm,toayoungerexteriorfilledbytheadvancingsenilityofthedesiredinnerfulfillment,wasportrayedtoitsfullestextentbyErnstDeutsch.Hisamazingabilityto"agesosuddenlyandterribly"hadalreadybeennotedinhisrebelliousyouthfulrolesinexpressionistplays. KarlheinzMartinalsousedimagescomposedwiththehelpofcinematechnologytoagreatextent,whenevertheycouldbeintegratedintotheartificialstyleconcept,suchasthefootageofthesixdayrace,withtherushandecstasyofthespectatorsaddictedtoentertainment.Differentcameraperspectivesshowseveralterracedrowsofseatsinhistoricalstructure,wherethesocialstratumoftheprivilegedclass,thebourgeoisie,thepettybourgeoisie,andtheproletariatisillustratedandtheacceleratedrhythmofthemovementofthecamerasuddenlybecomesavertiginousrideinapaternoster.Theraceitselfhasanaccentuatedcinematicform.ThecashiersaysinKaiser'sdrama:"Iseeacircleandagaudywavyline."Itisdisplayedinatotallydarkenedroomwhichillustratesanabstractionofaracetrackasanellipticalwarpedstripofdazzlinglight.Thecyclistsappearracingthroughthissetinlap-likeinternals.Thewholescenewasfilmedthroughamirrororaconvexlens,givinganunreal,distortedimpressionoftherace.LotteEisnerdescribedthissceneasfollows:"Thecyclistsaretransformedintoananamorphosis,theyarestretchedandthroughthemagicoflightandwiththehelpofadistortinglenstheybecomesparklingfacets." Vonmorgensbismitternachtsmayhaveenrichedthedevelopmentofcinema-aesthetics,neverthelessapublicshowingnevertookplaceinGermanyinthe1920s.ProducerRudolfKurtzblamedtheradicaluseofrealhumanbeingsasadesignelementintheconstructionofthefilmimageforthereluctanceofcinemaownerstoshowVonmorgensbismitternachts:"Thismovingaroundofhumanbeingswhichonlyserveasformalelements,obstructsanyaccesstothefilm."Theeffectofcoldnessandstrangenessresultingfromtheunusual,artificialformalrestrictions,thedenialofthree-dimensionalityandobjectarrangementaswellasthesimilarlyinorganicandrhythmic-mechanicalactingstylewasadeliberatecalculation.Itsumsupratherpreciselytheintentionsofthisproduction:toilluminatefrozenandgrotesqueimagesofsocietywiththesamedazzlinglightasdesperate,andhenceequallydistorted,attemptstobreakoutofaworldwhichisunwillingtochange.Thefactthatthefilmwasignoredbycommercialdistributorsandcinemassetanearlylimitonthemarketabilityofrigorouslyabstracttendenciesinnarrativecinema. JürgenKasten…