Simple Two-Part Essay

Two-part essay: Essay responses should be typed (Times New Roman, 12 pt font, double-spaced).

Part I. Choose one of the following time periods to explore in German film history:
Weimar Cinema/Nazi Cinema/East German cinema.
You should craft an essay of 2.5-3 in total pages not more! that socio-historically, culturally, and politically
contextualizes two films from the list down below.
Here are some (but by no means all) questions you could reflect on or address:

• why do the films approach the topics they do in this time period?

• how are the politics of the era or the cultural norms presented in them?

• how are the films’ narratives, aesthetics, genre forms, cinematography, technological
advancements, etc. representative of the period in which they were made?

• how are sets utilized in them, and what do they signify/symbolize?

List of the Films for PART I.: Nosferatu (1922) Dir. F. W. Murnau
(Metropolis, The Golem Clips) — Olympia (1938) Dir. Leni Riefenstahl — The Murderers are Among Us (1946)
Dir. Wolfgang Staudte — Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972) Dir.
Werner Herzog
*Film is available

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Part II.
There is a variety of indigenous film genres that are specific to Germany. Pick one of
these genres down below and write a ½ page essay on what some of the
elements are that are essential to the genre. You should cite examples from the ideas in the genre you pick.

1-Historical

2-Political

3-Feminist