Tim Burton: A German Expressionism Influence

Cinema Sem Lei traces the inspiration for Tim Burton’s dark fairytales to the movies of the German Expressionists. This well researched montage juxtaposes Burton’s dreamscapes with the often nightmarish imagery of German Expressionism.

 

There are plenty of explicit iconographic references in Burton’s movies to the masterpieces of his German predecessors. But this video essay also illustrates how he mined those German classics for ideas on set design, stark and suggestive lighting, the use of shadows and even actors’ performances (note the labored physicality of some of his characters).