Hugo Munsterberg Photoplay and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/psychpics/3428948856


    A couple weeks ago in class we discussed Hugo Munsterberg and his philosophy behind photoplay. There was also a great YouTube video that better explains the theory of photoplay and how it can play a key role on how an audience may see something. Something that stood out to me during the video was the psychological answer and the aesthetic answer. The psychological answer, is the mental functioning of the cinema spectator and is distinct from that of the theater spectator. The aesthetic answer, is the aesthetic properties and techniques of the cinema are distinct from that of the theater. 

    After watching through the second act of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, I would say that this film used aesthetics to make certain shots look the way it did. One of the more repetitive techniques used in this film was the darkening of the sides to create a focus on the actors face. While they did not zoom in on the face of the actor it made it seem as though the camera did zoom in. I would say that in this film they used aesthetic properties to make it seem as if the camera did zoom in. It is a creative way to focus on the actors emotions of certain scenes while not having the background interfere.

    While talking about The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, I thought it was an interesting film. I have not seen many film like this one before so it was a different experience from what I am accustom to. I think it is interesting to see how film began and how it has evolved since then. The one thing I really liked about the film was the eerie music to set the scene. I am a big fan of background music or sound when it comes to film as it helps set the mood of certain scenes. It gives the audience the chance to feels and predict what might be happening. Overall, it might not be something I typically watch, but I have the appreciation of how film started because without it who knows how film could have evolved overtime.  







  

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