From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses

Informative documentary about the cinema of the Weimar Republic

Based on Siegfried Kracauer's work "From Caligari to Hitler", the film journalist Rüdiger Suchsland presents a portrait of German cinema during the Weimar Republic that is well worth seeing. This era is rightly considered the most important in German film history. Suchsland substantiates the many theses he put forward through numerous well-selected film excerpts. In addition to Kracauer, he also refers to Lotte Eisner and her work "Die dämonische Leinwand / The Demonic Screen" and to the legendary director Fritz Lang, whose voice can be heard in numerous archive recordings.

Fortunately, only five contemporary experts have their say in the already extensive documentation, but they have important things to contribute: the film scholars Elisabeth Bronfen, Thomas Elsaesser, Eric D. Weitz and the directors Fatih Akin (GOLDEN GLOBE 2018 for AUS DEM NICHTS / IN THE FADE) and Volker Schlöndorff (ACADEMY AWARD 1980 for DIE BLECHTROMMEL / THE TIN DRUM).

Two films from the huge number of examples mentioned deserve special mention because they do not necessarily belong to the established canon: "BRÜDER / Brothers" (1929) by Werner Hochbaum and "Nerven / Nerve" (1919) by Robert Reinert, two films that may still be are discovered.

This documentary is worth it!!!