Bertolt Brecht: Epic Theater and criticism of German expressionism - Essay Example

?Bertolt Brecht: ‘Epic Theater’ and criticism of German expressionism Contents Introduction 2 German Expressionism 3 Theory of Expressionistic arts 5Brecht's Non-Aristotelian Theater 6 Rise of Expressionistic art 8 A parallel comparison of Brecht's theories and German Expressionism 13 Conclusion 15 References 17 Introduction Twentieth century culture brought a large number of ideas contrasting to older classical approaches to arts. Historically, it is the most important era for shaping up the future of world. In art, philosophy and literature this era had been a period of drastic innovations that changed the perspectives towards many art forms. In theatrical art, most important new waves were initiated when revolutionary approaches found their way to measure traditional art on the latest scenario of philosophical representations coming out of art-forms. Drama had been much ancient an art when compared to movies having quite a shorter history. From very ancient time, drama had also been following the philosophical aspects of aesthetics and epistemology. Traditional drama and theoretical representations were very deeply rooted in assumption of Aristotle (350 B.C.) which he presented in his poetics. Core idea of Aristotelian theory is rooted in the fact that he regarded faculty of art that conceives the audience within. Subsequently, art-forms based on this assumption worshiped the hypnotic power of dramatic art. However, when materialist philosophies grew up very rapidly during the dawn of twentieth century, most of such definitions were renewed. While definitions of drama were being examined, cinematic theories were under development. It was also an era when materialist theories were expanding all over the world. A number of revolutionary attempts were made to change the way society had been cast for so long. In Germany, Brecht (2011) was a leading theatrical artist and theorist who proposed a theory of drama that had its root in the similar ideas arriving around the world regarding responsibility of art and its effect on society. Mainly Brecht's idea about theater and dramatized arts were a reaction to German expressionism which was a prevalent moment of art during simultaneous era. Expressionism had also raised its limits around the beginning of the twentieth century. As a matter of fact, even expressionism did not stick with its non-realistic themes for a very long time. Much later in the course, the genre which entailed extreme images and non-real imaginations was taken in by other doctrines like surrealism. Anyway, during the earlier era, German expressionism dealt with very highly unrealistic themes which were opposed by theorists impressed by the newly arriving thinkers having a tendency to move towards extreme materialism. German Expressionism Before cinema had made its popularity in west, theater had shown most of the themes which prevailed later in Cinema. Brecht was also among the artists who had experimented with theatrical themes before entering into cinema. Brecht's theory confirmed more from theater. This period, in which Brecht's had propagated his theories and influenced a number of theatrical and cinematic artist, was clouded by the effects of German expressionism which was the most influential moment of art in simultaneous era. German expressionism is credited mostly to the Cinematic artists who created very expressionistic themes in German cinema when Hollywood had been involved in tending too much towards the pure entertainment drifting away from delivering any considerable message or artistic theme to the audience. Even German expressionism was born as a reaction to the illusive themes of so called entertaining drama and cinema. However, expressionism had some of its basic tendencies that involved very highly in making non-real scenarios on stage to make audience believe in something that is far away from any reality but represents the basics of human conditions in an imaginary world crafted on stage. In cinema, German expressionism included very dramatic and illusive creation over the screen. A principle reason inherited in the fact that Hollywood filmmakers had been investing large sum of money in making movies. Same was not possible in Germany and other European countries. Subsequently, most of the European cine-artists tended towards the expressionistic use of cinematic instruments to bring out massive impact over audience’s consciousness without using costly crafting. As German filmmakers proceeded to make new movies, they opted to use lights, sets, costumes and sounds in a newer way that involved very unrealistic but very expressive scenarios over the screen. The core idea of expressionism is inherited in Aristotelian theory (350 B.C.) of drama which worships power of dramatic art to conceive the viewer within. Most of the expressionistic themes included large wide-angle shots revealing a setback of an unreal world which symbolically relates to the ongoing of current reality. In some way, expressionistic themes matched up with artistic symbolism. However, while symbolism was more prone to put a seed of an idea in from of symbolization, expressionism believed in metamorphosing whole reality and presenting a portrayal with freely chosen means. In painting too, expressionistic paintings tended towards choosing colors and strokes to bring out latent emotions of a character or a situation. In cinema, expressionism had been a father of many techniques including drastically innovative use of shots, camera-angles and lights. Further in the course, while most of the realist filmmakers had been supporting original lighting and exact dressing for the characters, cinema turned toward neo-realism which had an effect of expressionistic arts containing imaginative use of cinematic techniques. After Nazis had come into power, many German dramatist and filmmakers turned to American territories as American movies and Hollywood had much to offer them. This event had been a very important root in changing the overall course of the cinema in future. Expressionistic artists left a very significant effect over most of the filmmakers of Hollywood. It can be seen that as expressionism entered into Hollywood, some of the most important filmmakers had risen to their fame. Although, most of those filmmakers did not belong directly to Germany, yet it was German expressionism which had seeded numerous themes that arrived in different forms in Hollywood’s filmmakers. Factually, Hollywood had much of the financial capabilities as compared to the German tradition. When German expressionism married Hollywood's financial freedom, results were quite amazing as filmmakers found it immensely alluring to get a full freedom of creating their world with cinematic equipments. It became a root of many movies that raised an imaginary world on the screen. The tradition sustained in Hollywood forever. Much later, and till now, all the sci-fie, horror and operatic movies have an effect of expressionism. Such elements have become an integral part of Hollywood’s treatment to movies. This style of film-making, nowadays called Hollywood Style, is deeply rooted in German expressionism. Many traditions of expressionism are still followed and utilized by celebrated Hollywood filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. Theory of Expressionistic arts As mentioned above, Aristotelian theory of drama and tragedy had been a prevailing theory for most of the artistic forms. In paintings, drama, music, theater and cinema, wherever art is considered as a form of expression, Aristotelian theory is taken as a foundation. Core idea of this theory is to consider art as a medium of artist's expression. It means: an art is an expression of the artist. Further, it depends on the artists how he portrays his ideas and presents them to the public which will be guided by the artist to momentarily dwell in his imaginary world. When art is taken as such a form of expression, there does not remain much opportunity for the audience to make critical analysis of the work. During the performances public is driven and guided by the artist. This is a similar effect created by most of the fairy tales and ancient stories forwarded from one generation to other. Entertainment in theater and cinema also has very much due to this theory. Mostly entertainment is found within an art-form which successfully takes people in. Drama and cinema are generally considered entertaining when they have the power to create an imaginary world over screen or stage to temporarily convince public that such things exist. However, it does not mean that the public will live in this illusion forever; rather it is just a temporary phenomenon that goes on till the performance lasts. Afterward, obviously public can come back in its reality to make critical analysis of the art-form. There are contrasting theories which often considered it undesired to drive the public. Many theories which despise political and social thought-control are often found criticizing such art-forms for catalyzing people to live in disillusion. Brecht (2011), who seriously despised expressionistic theory, also had similar opinions towards art's belongings. He criticized German expressionism for forcing people to live in disillusion and drifting them away from the reality. Brecht's Non-Aristotelian Theater Bertolt Brecht's idea to theater and dramaturgy was inspired mostly from concurrently arisen realism and materialistic thought moments. Notably Marxists tagged religion as “opium of the people”, this idea was quite similar to Brecht's opinion to ideal dramaturgy and cinematic arts. In his theory of epic theater he criticized traditional drama for creating an illusion to the public. His ideas regarding theater were tending to make it more useful to the public and society which he considered possible only if audience is taken away from disillusion that the event-happening on the stage are true and real. His idea conceived of the effect that audience needs to understand and be aware of the fact that the events and performances they are watching on the stage are not-real. Opposing to the expressionism theory which considers art-form’s power to take the audience within, he developed a whole set of dramatic ethic which centered on the concepts that keep the audience aware of the fact that the theater is unreal. He brought all such strategies together to develop a new format of theater which he tagged as non-Aristotelian theater. It was based on various techniques that help the audience keep an awareness of non-reality of theater. Along with other techniques, Brecht enforced on a particular technique which is considered as the most important of Brecht's contribution in dramaturgy. Although, originally this term 'Distancing effect' is in German language and is translated in many different ways, 'Distancing effect' comes nearest to the idea which Brecht derived for his epic theater. Further in the course, Brecht's epic theater became a movement that lasted long afterward. The distancing effect too was used in many European dramas as well as in movies. Mainly distancing effect requires the performers (Cine-artists or actor) to prevent the audience from living in an illusion of the fourth imaginary wall of the theater. It prevents audience to believe that they are watching the events from an omniscient position. As the illusion of fourth wall is dissolved, audience does not find a path to consider that the events are real and they are not involved to be considered during the play. To dissolve the fourth wall, epic theater requires the audience to be involved in the drama as the artists are involved in it. This procedure consists of artist's directly interacting with the audience all through the course of the play. As the drama goes on, audience does not find out a path to get into disillusion of play's events. Artists have to play multiple roles in epic theater as they have to play the characters and simultaneously they have to continuously break the disillusion by addressing the audience again and again. Resultant effect on audience is characterized as the ‘distancing effect’. It does not allow the audience to get emotionally involved in the play. On the opposite, it enforces the audience to critically analyze the event. Brecht's most important contribution in dramatic art is considered the development and application of distancing effect. It cannot be said that the method of actor's directly addressing the audiences was invented by Brecht as those techniques had been there for very long times in history. However, application and development of the method as a whole system is credited to Brecht as no one before him had realized the power of this method in terms of a contrasting development to Aristotelian theory of drama. It is clearly seen over the historical period that most of the materialist thought had been involved in turning art and drama towards a message giving institution. Brecht's concern was also much about the depiction of reality thorough theater and cinema. Similar thought was provided in cinema by one of the most important Russian filmmaker Dziga Vertov. (1929) had made a renowned movie named “Man with a movie camera”, which consist of real shots arranged with the heap of film editing. In the opening of the movie Vertov tagged it as an attempt to develop a particular language of cinema freed from the structure of theater and literature. Brecht has also developed such method for theatrical art. Distancing Effect and Epic Theater further developed as movements and ideology of theater that were further criticized by some of the critic and were taken against the expressionistic approach to theater too. While expressionistic art has never lost its craze among public, Epic Theater was also highly celebrated among a particular circle, especially around the intellectuals. Rise of Expressionistic art Even if enough criticism had been raised over expressionistic art, it was always very popular among the crowd. Crowds always loved expressionistic movies. Most of the German filmmaker made those movies in earlier German era which had been a development period for German expressionism. When World war approached, many German filmmakers moved to Hollywood to make expressionistic movies with bigger budgets and better facilities that became even bigger success. For German expressionism, one very big budget movie was, 'Metropolis' (Lang, 1927). It is still the highest budget silent movies ever. 'Metropolis' is considered as the first step to initiation of science fiction movies which had been among the most popular movies in further eras. Metropolis consists of a futuristic story grounded on an expressionistic imaginative city named Metropolis which is divided into two classes. Class of manager lives in big sky-crappers and labors live in an underground world. Whole story revolves around an unreal but symbolic theme which explains the dreadful consequences of capitalist domination over labor class. Obviously such world had never existed. Even in current world reality is far away from any such visualization, but anyway it must not be mistaken that storytellers of that genre are interested in depicting a real portrait of future. Quite the contradictory notion is true about such artistic works. As it is for Metropolis, the movie entails many facts about the labor’s life around the world. Even if the world depicted in Metropolis was not there, but the labor had been facing similar problems which were very easily ignored by the rulers, industrialists and politicians. It is only the effects of the imaginary world created in Metropolis that build a surrounding to create an effect for expressing how serious and sever those problems are. In Metropolis, most of the camera angles are taken very specifically to express the idea of the imaginary city. European realistic and neo-realistic movies prefer to place a natural camera angle over a real situation. However, in a movie like Metropolis there is no opportunity for any such angle as whole the city is coming out only from Lang’s imagination. Thus, desired camera angle is already visualized in imagination and the set is designed only according to the preset angles. Contrasting to the natural angles over real situations, Metropolis consists of a set designed for specific angles. This is very symptom of all the science fiction movies that followed Metropolis in long history of science-fiction movies that arrived in same traditions. Most of the biggest Sci-fie Hollywood block-busters came from tradition set by Metropolis. Movies like Matrix, Jurassic park, 2001: a Space Odyssey and Minority Report straightly fall under the same category. Following came the era of movies with sound which used sound in expressionistic way too. In Hollywood, Alfred Hitchcock was leading among the directors who used sound in movies with the similar excellence shown before in his silent movies. Hitchcock, a director who belonged very much to German Expressionistic style, also further came up as one of the most influential directors of cinema ever. There are rarely any big names in Cinema that were not inspired and moved by his style of film-making which had a power to make a demonic grip to the viewer. His grand success came after his remarkable movies like Psycho, Vertigo, Rear-Window and, based on G.K. Chesterton story, The man who knew too much. While Psycho is considered best thriller movie of his times, Vertigo is considered a landmark of cinema to provide an example of how lucid a movie can be. Vertigo is full of expressionistic elements. Female protagonist shows up symptoms of a paranormal occurrence to her. Her paranormal occurrence is weaved throughout the movie in such lucid way that viewer gets absolutely no chance to get rid of the idea that it maybe something different from what she is facing. In fact, male protagonist is also so much taken in by her paranormal happenings that he disengages in his life to accompany her in her journey. It is only later in the course that female protagonist faces death and leaves male protagonist in an enormous distress which is felt by the audience that can do nothing else but to fall in similar feeling along with the male protagonist. Here, another lady, similar to earlier female protagonist, appears to create deeper illusion as audience cannot believe this course of events passing ahead with so dramatic but so believable happening. Only in the last few minutes of the movie, it is reveled to the public that female protagonist had not died at all. However, till the audience can make a critical judgment about the happening the movie finishes with a very surprising climax when female protagonist dies falling of a long tower leaving the male protagonist back in another distress quite more stranger than he had before. Similarly, in most of his movies Hitchcock does not offer much revealing to viewer. Quite contradictorily, he likes to guide the viewer to face the strangeness of the world that he has created on the screen. The viewer keeps on walking on a thin door hypnotized by the cinematic presentation of story. Hitchcock had been stating about his movies that he holds no particular interest in provoking people for certain issues; rather, he believes that viewer must be taken in by the movies. In another of his movie, The man who knew too much Hitchcock creates rather stronger world that is seen by the perspective of protagonist who hold quite extraordinary knowledge about many things but is unaware of routine happenings of his surrounding which leads to make him fall in troubles. This Hitchcock flair had been prevalent in Hollywood for long times. It was an initiation of development of cinematic arts which had been very symptoms of Hollywood movies as we know them in modern days. In drama too, German expressionism had been a pioneer to many dramatic strategies which had led drama to forward through various periods of time. Parallel era of Brecht was an era that consisted of world war, Nazi’s German occupation, dreadful tortures, conflicting international policies, homicides and a world full of confusing idealizations including Marxism which had very significant effect of Brecht’s ideas to dramaturgy. While Brecht and his contemporary materialists had been criticizing expressionism, some major works of expressionism were leaving their heritage for upcoming world. Ernst Toller, a leading play writer of simultaneous time, was also impressed very much with the left-wing politics. He, however, did not fall into materialistic theories as Brecht and his contemporaries did. Instead, Toller's work was more tending towards traditional expressionism with very original and specific insight to the notion of providing message to the public. Toller's work chiefly depends on his expressionistic technique which often tells the story in his dreamlike segments of play which occurs inside consciousness. While choosing very non-real setback for his plays, Toller always succeeded with providing his messages to the viewer; his technique, however, was very different to the notions that Brecht embraced in his work. Toller used to provoke the viewer by implanting the emotion that would further be a root of understanding how severs the issue is. As Toller did not have a long life and died of an unfortunate suicide at a time when his works were ready to bloom ahead, he did not have a large number of works. Whatever little he had produced came into attention to international dramatists and readers later in the course. His most widely knows play in Masses and Men which was named 'Masse Mensh' in German. It contains a tragic portrayal of failed revolutions with a plot that is driven mostly by dream-like imagination of the protagonist. While typical Marxist opinions try to justify revolutionary activities, 'Masse Mensh' depicts a cruel and unjustifiable form of revolution as war which puts a question over the reflective action by the masses, their significance in achieving any noble cause and over the justification provided in support of it. It is another most significant piece of German Expressionism as this play consists of a very strong leap to drag the viewer or reader in the imaginations of the protagonist. Even there are no names for most of the characters but only the protagonist is named as Sonja Irene L. Whole the play is taken in by the horrors of possibilities when masses loose out from the control of authorities: an idea that confronts somehow with the left-wing trust over the authorities of masses. From Toller, Fritz Lang and F.W. Murnau German expressionism has enhanced in its branches for all the upcoming twentieth century passing its legacy to Hollywood and many European territories. There arose many artistic movements and art-form which had their heritage borrowed from the themes and patterns of German expressionism. Most of the further Hollywood revolution had its credit very much to German expressionism which was also a precursor to German New Wave in Cinema that further transferred to Italian New Wave, French New Wave, European neo-realism and New Hollywood movements that paid very much to the development of Cinema afterward. However, along with German expressionism, other paralleled theories such as Brecht's epic theater and non-Aristotelian drama were also significant to future development of Cinema and theater. Especially when it comes to Cinema, Brecht's and Vertov's efforts had played a very important role in avoiding excessive use of dramatic techniques in Cinema. It was due to the Brecht's epic-theater that upcoming dramas would be less dramatic and more provoking in terms of emotional sequences. After Brecht, it was quite normal in theater that emotional sequences would not be filled with artists throwing their emotional appeals to public which previously sometimes was so exaggerated that audience used to feel as if it is being victimized of a blackmailing through emotional craving of the characters. A parallel comparison of Brecht's theories and German Expressionism Taking both the theories upfront, Aristotelian and non-Aristotelian drama both arrive with their justifiable perspectives. Anyways, when we confront with the Brecht's opinion to Expressionistic Theater, we found out that Brecht did not try to undermine the artistic power and influence of German expressionism. He was not an anti-expressionistic dramatist. Quite differently, Brecht's effort was to bring out a separate theory of drama which consists of sharper faculty to fulfill the ideals that Brecht considered important for his tending towards Marxism and other materialist theories. It is quite evident that times had been requiring new approaches to traditional drama during the earlier decades of twentieth century. Revolutionary approaches were rising around entire world. As modernism was blowing up its trumpet, all the traditional approaches towards art were questioned and criticized. Modernism somehow arrived out of people's distress to unsatisfactory traditional art that was widely involved in presenting rotten stuff of ancient morality, orthodox belief and typical preaching of religion. Material theorist had been claiming to be scientific in their approaches towards socialism and politics too. As a result, most of the materialist tried to rectify art on a very rational basis. Even there were a number of approaches when human consciousness and nature was tried to be examined over a structural patterns. Simultaneously, new age thinkers like Freud and Jung were involved in proposing theories that claimed notions about human behavior as if it is very much a result of outer circumstances. In such an environment, many theories had been tending to rectify behavioral patterns of Human nature. It was quite later in the course that structuralism theory were considered less important as human behavior was found immeasurable over mathematical and rational pattern because of human freedom that accompanies human consciousness with the power of choice. It was mostly existential thinkers who denied the structuralism theories after the Second World War was over and those theories had been involved in a revaluation of earlier theories. Thus in the beginning of the twentieth century structuralism were prevailing as compared to any other philosophical doctrines that could drag people's attention. Brecht's theories also had a significant contribution in structuralism as his idea was very much Marxian in the sense it tried to burden art with a kind of responsibility and morality which art should take as a medium for social service. On one hand, German Expressionism was more individualistic as it dedicated art to the expression of artist, Brecht’s theory tried to make art more social like a public phenomenon with a mutual contribution and less of an artist’s dealing with the viewership. Both the theories had had their significance in their places. As we see in history, materialistic theories could never sustain without a ground of social support because they do not base their doctrine in human nature or even human freedom but in a vague consideration of social morality which they expect from every individual over the idea of a common social justice. Brecht's claim that Expressionism cannot be taken as a serious representation of reality may seem useful if movie like Metropolis are compared with the real world in term of people and objects that exists in society; but if we seriously try to examine the fact that such artistic expressions do not deal with the method of direct photographic presentation but those are a symbolic portrayal of reality that implies to reality and explores the issues beyond the possibilities that are visible blurred in its current society, then only we come to know that expressionism dealt with a wholly different ideal which was actually developed later in other doctrine like surrealism holding with totally unreal images and performances that actually relates to reality but in a much Freudian and existential way as to be compared with the straightaway presentations of reality that comes out of daily routine stuffs of the viewers to identify the element in their personal day to day life. Conclusion Earlier there had been a debut about photography to consider it as an art. Initially many thinkers failed to acknowledge photography's power to evoke certain emotion or to provoke the viewer to think because it was a direct presentation of reality without the manipulation of an artist as a photographer. It was only later in the course that photography developed its method. It was realized that even choosing a particular frame and particular lights to capture a piece of reality represents artist's expressions; thus, it must be considered as an art. It is quite an opposite example of what happened in Brecht's case. While Brecht tried to overemphasis over the photographic presentation of drama that will only come out from the very accurate life of people in society, he somehow preferred the way photography operates. However, as compared to photography, painting already had a much higher reputation as an art. It consisted of a serious manipulation by the artists that evoke certain feelings and emotions too. In a current world, we can easily understand that both painting and photography have their particular significance at their places. While photography presents a much straight and clear view of absolute reality, painting has its extreme power to bring out artist’s perspective and worldview towards life, society, emotions and philosophy. None of those two genres can be nullified as inferior to other. Similarly, as Brecht had argued that German Expressionism do not have enough faculty to bring out a valuable presentation of absolute reality also seems to be an opinion derived out of his tendency to materialism. Because, as matter of fact, German expressionism did not base its doctrine in presentations of absolute reality; rather, its core was to bring out artist's retrospection and worldview to drag the viewer into his own world where viewer can see through the eyes of artist and further can make out his opinion of the relevant issue. In a modern world we can see how both the theories have their significant areas to operate. Both types of dramas are prevalent in various mediums. Cinema also is continuing to borrow its techniques from both theories. Further experiments are forwarding those theories to bring out new realm of artistic presentation. In such an environment, looking back at Brecht's opinions and idea for German expressionism, it is quite clearly seen that materialist thought made Brecht tend to develop his theories for bringing out the results that coincide with his insight. In the course of it, he made an observation of German expressionism for his own demands to assert that German expressionism does not bring out reality as he saw it. Later in the history, artistic formats had been developing to reveal that it was a doctrine that based itself into different grounds from Brecht's assertions. Expressionism targeted to bring out a more symbolic view of the world which provokes viewer's own insight to grab the reality. It develops his worldview over the vision that it provides him, instead of making him interact with absolute reality. References Aristotle. (350 B.C.). Poetics. (S.H.Butcher, Trans.) Internet Classic Archive. Brecht. (2011). On Experimental Theatre. Encyclop?dia Britannica. Lang, F. (Director). (1927). Metropolis [Motion Picture]. Vertov, D. (Director). (1929). Man with a movie camera [Motion Picture]. Read More