We have created a tribute video which named “15 days” that reflects the aesthetics of the german expressionist film movement. The goal of this video tribute is to demonstrate the characteristics in German Expressionist film movement and how we executed its specific characteristics and aesthetics. This film is inspired by The Lobster.
Every year, peoples who are in the age of 21 are compulsory have to attend a 15 days matching camp to find their marriage partner. They have to follow the rules as they are required to find a marriage partner within this 15 days and homosexual is strongly forbidden in that world. If the person is failed to do so or break the rules, he or she will be turn into an animal. Emma and Jessie have known each other before they sent together to the camp and they actually fall to each other. At the end, they decided to escape from the camp.
Application of characteristics of German Expressionism in “15 Days”
There are a lot of elements of German Expressionist consisted in this film. Chiaroscuro lighting is one of the elements. The uses of the low-key lighting was presented a extremely mystery and dramatic shadows. This can be shown by the scene of the announcer is announcing the rules to the participants. A big shadow was appeared on the wall to present a dark aspects in a distorted human body shape, which created an awful atmosphere and visual to the audience (Figure 3.1 and Figure 3.2 ).
Figure 3.1 shows Chiaroscuro lighting created dramatic shadow
Figure 3.2 shows shows Chiaroscuro lighting created dramatic shadow
High contrast lighting which is the significant characteristic in the film that shows the contrasts of light and dark on the character or an object. Besides, the darkness of enveloping the characters in the video which in order to create the feeling of fear to the audiences has also shown in the high contrast lighting. It has shown in Figure 3.3.
Figure 3.3 shows high contrast lighting
Anthropomorphism is another element of characteristic in German Expressionist. As we can see in the film, the allocated of human form, human characteristics and human behaviour to non-human things such as animal or an object in the film are important to depict anthropomorphism. For example, the decoration of trinket which hanging on Emma’s neck. The anthropomorphic of the decoration was shown to have eyes and mouth just like a human (Figure 3.4).
Figure 3.4 shows the decoration of trinket.
Distortion of the shape-shifting of the door can be seen when Emma was entering the door to look for her friend Jessie (Figure 3.5). Moreover, the distortion movement of the body shape in the film can be seen when the announcer was talking and her back and the finger was distortion, which is shown in Figure 3.6. Besides, the distortion of the body shape can also be seen in the scene which Emma is upside down while she is talking to Jessie and Jessie come out by crawling from the dustbin to answer Emma (Figure 3.7 and Figure 3.8)
Figure 3.5 shows distortion of the shape-shifting of the door
Figure 3.6 shows distortion body shape
Figure 3.7 shows Emma is upside down while she is talking to Jessie
Figure 3.8 Jessie come out by crawling from the dustbin
Gothic about unnatural act can be seen in this video as the characters present a very stylized unnatural and exaggerate emotion. Besides, the costume and makeup is to be seen as very exaggerate, which is shown in Figure 3.9 . Furthermore, the actor have a very weird movement as they move their body like very robotic and mechanical or even climb on the floor when they come to the camp (Figure 3.10) . Somemore, in the dining scene, the ways that the actors eat and sit on the dining table look very exaggerate and unnatural, which can be seen in Figure 3.11.
Figure 3.9 shows weird makeup and costume
Figure 3.10 shows weird movement when they move their body 
Figure 3.11 shows the actors eat and sit on the dining table
Madness and unnatural setting was included in the film too. As we can see there is high heel on the table, which use as a bowl to collect the “food” in the dining scene. The actors in the film are eating the leaf and candle as their food (Figure 3.12 and Figure 3.13). Moreover, When Emma is going to look for Jessie, she actually pass through the wall (Figure 3.14). Besides, as we can see when Emma was looking for Jessie, Jessie was actually live in a dustbin (Figure 3.15) and she climb out from the dustbin to answer Emma.
Figure 3.12 shows Jessie is eating the leaf
Figure 3.13 shows candle on the table as the food
Figure 3.14 shows Emma pass through the wall
Figure 3.15 shows Jessie lives in a dustbin
The editing of the film is simple without any fancy effect and it is also one of the characteristics of German Expressionist film. Other than that, the oblique camera angles can be seen when Emma is crawling out of the dustbin, the frame is slightly slant (Figure 3.16). Moreover, Gothic close up is used in the film when Emma walk out from the door, which is shown in Figure 3.17.
Figure 3.16 shows oblique camera angles
Figure 3.17 shows Gothic close up
Revolt can be seen in the film as Emma and Jessie decided to run away from the camp. It is an anti-authoritarian as they wish to stay with the one they love instead of following the rule to find a male marriage partner to survive. It is because homosexual is strongly forbidden in that world, so they escape from the camp because they don’t want to be turn into an animal and they wish to stay with each other (Figure 3.18).
Figure 3.18 shows Emma and Jessie is escaping from the camp
Primitive is another German Expressionist theme present in this film, whereby when Emma and Jessie are escaping from the camp, Emma is holding a knife to protect themselves, which can be seen in Figure 3.19. The knife is to represent the concept of primitive as it oppose the civilized culture.
Figure 3.19 shows knife which represents the concept of primitive
15 days is set in a surreal and unnatural world, which is the most important theme in the German expressionist. As in the world, everyone is compulsory have to find a marriage partner if not the person will be turn into an animal. Besides there is no day time in this story
Narrative made up of plots. After Jessie answer to Emma “Yes, I do”, the next scene is they run away without any detail to explain all the steps. Besides, at the first scene, all of the participants are coming to the camp and the next scene shows that they are in the building and listen to the announcer. Although the scene is not a smooth movement to tell a story by using jump cut. The audience will make their own perception on the plot.
Mise-en-scene is an emotional gear at which a director had no control on the script but they could phase their shots to a distinct style (Susan Hayward, 2013, p. 240). These elements in mise-en-scene, such as the setting, actor’s movement, lighting, makeup, costume and location make the frame very stylized and emblematic as they all are fit into the specific theme. Indeed, they emerged all the people and things into a visible form and theme such as revolt and primitive.
Reference:
Susan Hayward, (2013). Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts FOURTH EDITION
