What is Gothic cinema?

Gothic refers to works of art with a horror color and mysterious atmosphere. This kind of work does not only create a terrifying atmosphere, it also explores the dark side of the sleeping heart, and contains analysis and thinking about complex human nature. Allen Poe, who wrote "The Black Cat", is good at writing Gothic novels. "Wuthering Heights" also has an obvious Gothic style. Gothic movies are more art-oriented, and to be exact, they are works of art with more horror and mysterious atmosphere. They bring people another feeling, fear, uneasiness, and direct and naked analysis. Thoughts on human nature.

"Witchcraft through the Ages"

As early as 1921, a Swedish man named Christensen made a film called "Witchcraft through the Ages" 's video. Film at that time had just been born and was still in its infancy. Films with complete storylines were still rare, and film stunts were simple and crude. Therefore, Christensen adopted the form of a documentary to reproduce some relevant facts on the screen for us. "Witchcraft" video material. It is said to be a documentary, but the shots are basically staged. From our perspective today, it looks more like a feature film. But in any case, this is the first time that Gothic culture has been integrated into the expression field of film art. For the first time, dark side elements such as paganism, death, and witchcraft have become the themes of the film. In this sense, this is An out-and-out gothic movie. Because the film's themes were too advanced, "Witchcraft of Ages" was banned for decades and was only lifted after World War II. It is worth pondering that the Gothic nation in history may have come from the Scandinavian region where Sweden is located. Thousands of years later, it was on this land that the first Gothic movie was born.

"Nosferradu the Vampire"

However, the first influential Gothic film came from Germany. One year after the birth of "Witchcraft of the Ages", Germany Director Murnau filmed the movie "Nosferradu the Vampire". Since then, the famous vampire has officially appeared on the big screen. In fact, the protagonist in the film is the notorious Count Dracula written by the Irish writer Stoker. Only to avoid copyright disputes, Murnau changed its name to it, but this did not have the expected effect. After the film was released, there have been constant troubles regarding copyright, and until now there has been no settlement. However, the film itself was indeed very successful. It caused a sensation as soon as it was released, and Murnau established himself as a master director with this film. "Nosferradu the Vampire" has also become the first landmark Gothic film in the history of human cinema. It is worth mentioning that the German film industry at that time was at a stage when Expressionist films were in a dominant position, and in addition to "Nosferradu the Vampire", another Expressionist film "Golien" was also a An excellent gothic movie. It's just that "Nosferradu the Vampire" was so dazzling that "Colen the Clay Man" was almost forgotten. The huge influence of "Nosferradu" soon spread to the other side of the ocean, and this is the film "The Vampire". The film was the world's first gothic film with sound. It also received rave reviews after its release and achieved unexpected and huge success. Especially the star of this film, Bela Lugosi, the image of a vampire he portrayed was so deeply rooted in the hearts of the people that many years after his death, some people still believed that he himself was a real vampire. The ascendant wave of Gothic movies was quickly broken by the arrival of World War II. The horrors in the real world were obviously much scarier than the horrors on the screen. In the war years, what people needed in movies was spiritual comfort and comfort. It is a comfort for the soul, rather than a gothic movie that promotes death and pain. After World War II, with the economic and social recovery, the film industry gradually recovered, and Gothic films were once again included in the track of film creation. In 1958, in the United Kingdom, where the Dracula novel was born, the famous vampire count once again appeared on the big screen. This was the film "Dracula's Nightmare" shot by Tracy Fisher. 》. The film created a new image of vampires. Starting from this film, vampires began to have long and sharp fangs, which would be exposed as long as they opened their mouths. The outstanding performance of the leading actor Christopher Lee is even more superb: he is in his fifties, tall and handsome, with gray hair on his temples, a majestic manner, and an expression that combines aristocratic elegance and animality, becoming a model for later generations to imitate. It can be said that "Dracula's Nightmare" established the standard model of vampire images in Gothic movies so far. In 1959, French director Georges Franchi's "Eye Without Face" became the first classic gothic film without a vampire image. This film uses black and white images, with exquisite use of photography, exquisite visual effects, and bizarre and terrifying plot, making it unforgettable. In particular, the poetic atmosphere of the film gives Gothic movies a brand new temperament and greatly enriches the expression techniques of Gothic movies. However, in general, from the post-war period until the 1980s, Gothic films were still in a period of development, with weak momentum, a small number, and even fewer influential works. In addition to the films mentioned above, it must be considered the 1979 Herzog remake of the famous film by his predecessor Murnau.

Herzog is known as one of the "Four Great German Directors". Supplemented by Klaus Kinski's outstanding performance, Herzog's version of "Nosferradu" has achieved as much success 50 years later. The success of the Murnau version. Throughout the 1980s, the gothic movie worth mentioning must be "Desire" produced by Hollywood in 1983. This film directed by Tony Scott and starring Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon also uses vampires as a theme, but in this film, the role of vampire is no longer a male patent, but a vampire. A female vampire is the protagonist. Most of the female vampire characters that appeared in subsequent films were inseparable from the model created in "Desire". It was not until the 1990s that Gothic movies truly ushered in their golden age of development. During this period, Gothic movies set off one wave after another of Edward Scissorhands

not only in Europe and the United States, but also around the world. In 1990, a director named Tim Burton found an actor named Johnny Depp, and together they gave us a film called "Edward Scissorhands" - since then, Gothic movies have The curtain of renaissance was completely lifted in Hollywood. As a contemporary landmark Gothic film, the significance of "Edward Scissorhands" cannot be overestimated. This film has no vampires, no witchcraft, and no religious background, but it also weaves a black and wonderful Gothic picture about loneliness, death and pain... The talented Tim Burton brought the ancient Gothic Culture and the current background of the times are seamlessly integrated, injecting new vitality into Gothic themes, thus fundamentally expanding the subject matter scope of Gothic movies. Tim Burton has gradually become the greatest Gothic film master of our time, and he and Johnny Depp, a golden pair, also work perfectly together. "Sleepy Hollow" in 1999 was the result of the two's collaboration again. This time Burton began to unexpectedly directly use witchcraft as the theme, describing for us a sad, resentful, and endlessly evocative Gothic lament at the end of the century. The success of "Edward Scissorhands" strengthened the determination of Hollywood producers to invest in Gothic movies. In 1992, the famous Count Dracula finally made his debut again. This time, it was Hollywood "godfather" director Coppola who took the shot. Coppola recruited a large number of Hollywood stars and generously told us a love story that spans centuries. This is the movie "400 Years of Love". "400 Years of Mystery" completely reconstructs the story of Count Dracula using Hollywood methods, thus giving a new meaning to the legend of Dracula that has been passed down for hundreds of years. The film's grandeur, dazzling stunts, and Hollywood's publicity campaign soon swept the global film market. The wave of Gothic movies in the early 1990s did not stop there. More and more filmmakers became interested in Gothic themes. In 1994, Irish director Neil Jordan raised his voice, and three handsome men in Hollywood gathered together to give us another epic gothic movie - "Interview with the Vampire". For ordinary movie fans, the biggest attraction of "Interview with the Vampire" may be the co-starring performances of Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderas, but the film itself is not inferior and can definitely be called It can be regarded as a master of vampire themes. The film spans hundreds of years and spans two continents, Europe and the United States. It shows us a panoramic view of a world of vampires coexisting with human society, and uniquely describes their own mental processes from the perspective of vampires. course. "Interview with the Vampire" was so successful that we can even conclude that the story of vampires can come to an end, and that in the next 20, 30 years or even longer, there will be no other similar genre that surpasses them. Movie. While the vampire movie was a success, another movie called "The Crow" broke into the attention of Gothic movie fans. Compared with mainstream Hollywood productions, "The Crow" appears to be more independent, more alternative, and more cult. This is an Edgar Allan Poe-style Gothic story about soul reincarnation and revenge. The weird witchcraft temperament runs through the entire film. The photography, makeup and other details of the film also all permeate the Gothic atmosphere. For example, from beginning to end, Dark scenes, such as the white paint on the actors' faces... "The Crow"'s vivid interpretation of Gothic culture even earned it the reputation of "Gothic textbook". For a die-hard Gothic fan, only "The Crow" " is the most gothic, and only "The Crow" is gothic enough. Of course, the success of "The Crow" also quickly put the filming of sequels on the agenda, but of its three sequels, only "The Crow 2: City of Angels" in 1996 can be considered a success. 3: The Crow Warrior" and "The Crow 4: The Evil Prayer" can be said to be unsatisfactory, one is not as good as the other. For Gothic movies, 1994 was indeed a memorable year. In addition to "Interview with the Vampire" and "The Crow", another gothic film "The Werewolf" also debuted on the big screen this year. This film is about another classic image in the Gothic theme - the "wolf".

In terms of both influence and artistic achievement, "Wolf" has surpassed all previous films of the same theme. It can be said that it is the success of "Wolf" that has truly made the image of the wolf become the centerpiece of the human film art gallery. A typical image - but obviously, compared to its other "Goth brother" vampire, the success of the wolf in the movie world is indeed a bit late. In addition to Hollywood, the 1994 Italian film "The Graveyard" is also an outstanding representative of Gothic movies. This film incorporates the unique Italian sense of humor into Gothic culture, which is refreshing. As the end of the century approaches, the momentum of Gothic movies remains fierce. In 1999, except for "Sleepy Hollow". Another costume gothic film "The Thirteenth Warrior" is also worthy of praise. This film is set in ancient Scandinavian culture and is filled with strong pagan colors. In addition, it is adapted from local legends about cannibal tribes. , exuding a strong Gothic flavor from beginning to end. Then, in 2000, the famous gothic movie star Johnny Depp collaborated with the veteran director Roman Polanski to create the film "The Ninth Gate". The film uses religious content as the background and directly tells a Gothic story related to God and Satan. In addition, the suspenseful and thrilling atmosphere is quite the essence of the expressionist films of the past. It can be said to be in the same vein as "Golien the Clay Man". As time enters the 21st century, Gothic movies have blossomed all over the world. The French, who have always been known for their strong artistic flair, have not let go of the creation of Gothic movies. In 2001, a French film called "Covenant of the Wolves" surprised Gothic fans all over the world. The film is based on the true legend about the giant man-eating beast in the French countryside. It combines multiple colors such as suspense, witchcraft, horror, and exoticism. It exquisitely and delicately restores for us on the screen a world with the background of Gothic culture. A fascinating and fascinating story. Two years later, in 2003, the French brought even greater surprises to Gothic movie fans. This year, the French produced an excellent 3D animated film "Gaina". "Genna" is the world's first widely influential Gothic animated feature film. The whole film not only absorbs science fiction elements commonly used in Hollywood, but also retains the French understanding of Gothic culture. In particular, the image of the evil alien life form in the film is charming, noble, dangerous, and dark, which is in line with the typical characteristics of Gothic culture. In the film, evil alien beings feed on plant sap and force people to risk their lives to collect it. In fact, the plant sap here corresponds to the human blood in traditional Gothic culture. In addition, the rule of aliens is achieved through the mental control of people by wizards and priests. It can be understood that the creators of the film are a new interpretation of religious content based on the science fiction background, reflecting the creators' attachment to religious traditions. Unique reflection, and this reflection inherits the pagan tradition in Gothic culture. Today, the wave of epic Gothic movies has passed, but the themes of Gothic movies are becoming more and more extensive. At the same time, Gothic movies have also begun to move closer to traditional genre films, gradually integrating the characteristics of other traditional genre films, making It’s easier for the audience to accept it. The 2003 American film "The Vampire Queen" is a representative example. This is a movie based on the classic vampire theme, but in this film, the characteristics of street culture and black culture are integrated. The vampire also gets rid of the identity setting of the white male aristocrat in the past, but takes the appearance of a black woman. Show people. The whole film has a bright rhythm and strong music. It can be said that this is a black street version of a vampire story. In addition, "Underworld" in 2003 and "Van Helsing" in 2004 reflect the latest development trend of gothic movies. Both films combine the usual characteristics of Hollywood action films, with extreme action and fighting. If the Gothic background is removed, they are out-and-out action films. Moreover, both films feature the two most classic traditional images in Gothic culture - vampires and wolves, and they fight each other on the screen. "Underworld" tells the story of a Gothic version of Romeo and Juliet in which a wolf and a vampire fall in love, while "Van Helsing" uses the traditional Dracula story as its motif, incorporating Dr. Van Helsing, the vampire's nemesis. Transforming directly into a human wolf is not that interesting at all. For Christmas 2007, DreamWorks and Warner Bros. produced "Sweeney" (Sweeney), a collaboration between genius director Tim Burton, Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp and Burton's wife Helena Bonham Carter. Todd - The demon barber of Fleet Street). This film can be described as a gothic work among gothics. Pale face, never Sweeney Todd

Forget, never-forgive hatred and deception are all brewing in the elegant dance and sweet singing, the splattered blood and the unwavering love** *dance. When the hatred was extinguished, Sweeney Todd found that he had lost everything and was willing to be killed by the vengeful child, and his hatred was also inherited by the child. The film incorporates a large number of Gothic elements, including pain, hatred, blood, and elegance, which is quite intriguing. The combination of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp has become a representative of Gothic movies. The two animated films directed by Tim Burton, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Corpse Bride", also have a Gothic style.