Table of ContentsElements Influenced by German ExpressionismEditing and CameraworkPlotLightingConclusionThe history of cinema would not be complete without the inclusion of Alfred Joseph Hitchcock ; a director designated the name Master of Suspense because of his important film career. Hitchcock worked with the German Expressionist in film production during the 20th century, inspiring his directing and production work for the rest of his life. After spending time as an apprentice at UFA, the German national film studio that excelled during the silent film era, Alfred Hitchcock's film output depicts the influence of the German Expressionist movement of the 1920s, as indicates the inclusion of expressionist features such as high contrast and harsh lighting. , sharp angles and dramatic shadows in movies. Two Hitchcock films will feature features he borrowed from the Expressionists; The 39 Steps from 1935 and The Lady Disappears from 1938. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Lady Vanishes and The 39 Steps pioneered the director's work in the film industry, and they took elements used by the German Expressionists. In summary form, The Lady Vanishes is about a missing lady, Mrs. Froy, on a train to England. The train has been delayed for a day due to an avalanche and the travelers are taking advantage of this time to socialize. A young woman, Iris befriends Mrs. Froy, and when the train is about to leave, Iris is unable to see Mrs. Froy. She then asks for help from Gilbert, a musician, and they begin trying to find Mrs. Froy in the other compartments. On the other hand, The 39 Step is about a middle-aged man, Richard Hannay, who returns from South Africa. Upon arriving in London, he meets a spy who informs him of a war between Germany and Britain due to a planned attack by a shadowy group called The Black Stone. Shortly after, the spy is found dead in Hannay's apartment. He flees the police and the assassins. He follows the assassins to Scotland where he cooperates with police officers to foil The Black Stone's plan and arrest them. Elements Influenced by German Expressionism Editing and Camera Work The German Expressionists used unique camera and editing design to attract their audience. Their editing techniques were modest and used skills such as cross shots and reverse shots. Additionally, their films kept a slow pace, which was meant to allow audiences to experience the visual aspects. Additionally, the camera work was kept simple and functional. The sets were at the center of the films. Camera movement was right angle and level. We see that The Lady Vanishes and The 39 Steps follow these camera techniques. Take the example of The Lady Vanishes which begins with a slow panorama showing the fictional nation Bandrika and the region. This also aims to define the situation that the actors must face. German expressionists also applied the use of design in their films. Additionally, they used different and unique camera angles that conceptualized the audience from other elements in the scene as well as the importance of the situation, location, or character. The ideology of espionage in the 1930s was talked about, and the director was not left out, his films were almost all made of spies. For The Lady Vanishes, the spy was Mrs. Froy in (1938).