Books: History of German Cinema
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- Motion pictures -- Germany -- History
- Motion pictures -- Austria -- History
A Critical History of German Film, 2nd Edition by
From early masterpieces such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) and Metropolis (1927) to the post-1945 films of Fassbinder, Herzog, and Wenders, German film constitutes a crucial part of the history of world cinema. It helped to shape Hollywood cinema and had a major impact on other cinemas as well. This tried and tested book, popular in college classrooms and among general-interest readers, is the most comprehensive and readable introduction to the history of German cinema, specifically designed to meet the needs of those who want a comprehensible, accessible introduction to the subject. There is no other book that covers the history of German cinema in the same depth and also explores the genesis and meaning of the most important masterpieces in German film history. It does so in chapters devoted to each of thirty-two individual films and in seven interchapters that provide context for historical periods from early German cinema to postunification. The book now appears in an improved, expanded, and up-to-date second edition that covers five additional films, expands the coverage of women's cinema, and brings the history of filmmaking in Germany up to the present moment. The book is specifically designed to appeal to cinema aficionados and for use in college classrooms, where it has been greeted with acclaim by students and teachers alike.Stephen Brockmann is Professor of German at Carnegie Mellon University.
Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 1571133267Publication Date: 2020-04-15
Celluloid Revolt by
The epoch-making revolutionary period universally known in Germany as '68 can be argued to have predated that year and to have extended well into the 1970s. It continues to affect German and Austrian society and culture to this day. Yet while scholars have written extensively about 1968 and the cinema of other countries, relatively little sustained scholarly attention has thus far been paid to 1968 and West German, East German, and Austrian cinemas. Now, five decades later, Celluloid Revolt sets out to redress that situation, generating new insights into what constituted German-language cinema around 1968 and beyond. Contributors engage a range of cinemas, spanning experimental and avant-garde cinema, installations and exhibits; short films, animated films, and crime films; collectively produced cinemas, feminist films, and Arbeiterfilme (workers' films); as well as their relationship to cinemas of other countries, such as French cinéma vérité and US direct cinema.Contributors: Marco Abel, Tilman Baumgärtel, Madeleine Bernstorff, Timothy Scott Brown, Michael Dobstadt, Sean Eedy, Thomas Elsaesser, IanFleishman, Christina Gerhardt, Lisa Haegele, Randall Halle, Priscilla Layne, Ervin Malakaj, Kalani Michell, Evelyn Preuss, Patricia Anne Simpson, Fabian Tietke, Andrew Stefan Weiner.Christina Gerhardt is Associate Professor of German and Film Studies at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. Marco Abel is Professor of English and Film Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 1571139958Publication Date: 2019-04-22
From Caligari to Hitler by
An essential work of the cinematic history of the Weimar Republic by a leading figure of film criticism First published in 1947, From Caligari to Hitler remains an undisputed landmark study of the rich cinematic history of the Weimar Republic. Prominent film critic Siegfried Kracauer examines German society from 1921 to 1933, in light of such movies as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, M, Metropolis, and The Blue Angel. He explores the connections among film aesthetics, the prevailing psychological state of Germans in the Weimar era, and the evolving social and political reality of the time. Kracauer makes a startling (and still controversial) claim: films as popular art provide insight into the unconscious motivations and fantasies of a nation. With a critical introduction by Leonardo Quaresima which provides context for Kracauer's scholarship and his contributions to film studies, this Princeton Classics edition makes an influential work available to new generations of cinema enthusiasts.
Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 9780691191348Publication Date: 2019-04-02
East German Cinema by
East Germany's film monopoly, Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft, produced a films ranging beyond simple propaganda to westerns, musicals, and children's films, among others. This book equips scholars with the historical background to understand East German cinema and guides the readers through the DEFA archive via examinations of twelve films.
Call Number: PN1999.D4 H45 2013ISBN: 9781137322319Publication Date: 2013-10-10
Austrian Cinema by
This comprehensive English survey of Austrian film provides an examination of the influences of Austrian social-critical and comedy genres on the international cinema. The work introduces more than a century of Austrian cinema, following the development of the industry chronologically through the nation's various transformations since 1895.
Call Number: PN1993.5.A83 D37 2005ISBN: 0786420782Publication Date: 2005-10-10
UIUC Film Databases
- FIAF International Film Archive Database This link opens in a new windowContains: International index to film periodicals, 1972- ; International index to television periodicals, 1979- ; List of periodicals indexed; Treasures from the film archives; International directory of film and TV documentation collections; and Bibliography of FIAF members' publications.
- Film & Television Literature Index This link opens in a new windowFilm & Television Literature Index is a comprehensive bibliographic database covering the entire spectrum of television and film writing. It has been designed for use by a diverse audience that includes film scholars, college students, and general viewers. Subject coverage includes film & television theory, preservation & restoration, writing, production, cinematography, technical aspects, and reviews--Database description screen. Use Film & Television Literature Index in the NEW EBSCO user interface.
- MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new windowIndexes critical materials on literature, languages, linguistics, and folklore. Proved access to citations from worldwide publications, including periodicals, books, essay collections, working papers, proceedings, dissertations and bibliographies. Use MLA International Bibliography in the NEW EBSCO user interface.
- Kanopy This link opens in a new windowKanopy is an on-demand streaming video service for educational institutions that provides students and faculty access to more than 26,000 films. Kanopy provides students access to one of the largest collections of films in the world – including award-winning documentaries, training films and theatrical releases – on every topic imaginable.
- Silent Film Online This link opens in a new windowSilent Film Online brings together films which represent the basis of modern cinematic technique and film theory. This database covers silent features, serials, and shorts from the 1890s to the 1930s and includes examples of the silent film movement from Germany, Britain, the Soviet Union, and France. The resource complements its feature films with a selection of related documentaries
German Cinema Reference Works
The BFI Companion to German Cinema by Call Number: PN1993.5.G3 B44 1999ISBN: 0851707505Publication Date: 2000-05-01
The Concise Cinegraph by
This comprehensive guide is an ideal reference work for film specialists and enthusiasts. First published in 1984 but continuously updated ever since, CineGraph is the most authoritative and comprehensive encyclopedia on German-speaking cinema in the German language. This condensed and substantially revised English-language edition makes this important resource available to students and researchers for the first time outside its German context. It offers a representative historical overview through bio-filmographical entries on the main protagonists, from the beginnings to the present day. Included are directors and actors, writers and cameramen, composers and production designers, film theorists and critics, producers and distributors, inventors and manufacturers. An appendix includes short introductory essays on specific periods and movements, such as Early Film, Weimar, Nazi Cinema, DEFA, New German Cinema, and German film since unification, as well as on cinematic developments in Austria and Switzerland. Sections that crossreference names around specific professional groups and themes will prove equally invaluable to researchers.
Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 9780857455659Publication Date: 2009-09-30- Heyne Filmlexikon by Last updated in 2001 this book gives the year and title of the film along with the name of the director, at most three main actors and a 2 pages summary of the film - more information would be found at www.imdb.com. However if looking for the title translation into German of a film (or vice versa), the book supplies all German titles and the original title.Call Number: Heyne FilmlexikonISBN: 3453157478Publication Date: 1999
- Sternstunden des deutschen Films by This book has two sections, the first by Sauer gives synopses and basic credits for 170 German films made between the 1910s and the 1950s. The second half by Horn discusses nationalism in German historical films, arranged alphabetically by historical figure. Illustrations include film stills and reproductions of paintings relating to the historical context of the film.Call Number: 016.7914375 Sa85sISBN: 3925924191Publication Date: 2001
Other UIUC Resources
On the Web
- BerlinaleWebsite for the Berlin International Film Festival.
- DEFA Film LibraryUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst. The only archive and research center outside of Germany devoted to a broad spectrum of filmmaking from and related to the former GDR
- Film Archiv AustriaAustria’s central institution for collecting and documenting film, covering the late 19th century to present day.
- Filmportal.deInformation about German films and articles about German film history.
- Filmlink.de: Online-Informationsressourcen der Film- und FernsehwissenschaftAnnotated listings of links to online catalogs, databases, glossaries, film studies websites, and general information on film and television.
- Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und FernsehenMajor German film archive based in Berlin. Includes physical and online collections.