"It is reasonable to assert that German cinema is a development of German romanticism and that modern technology (cinematography) lends it a visible form to romantic fantasies,” says Lotte Eisner. Romanticism (late 18th and 19th centuries) and Expressionism (early 20th century) were both reactions to a period of collectivist order and intellectual rigidity. These two consolatory movements followed the suppression of individualism. Romanticism favored feeling over reason, rejecting its predecessor, the Enlightenment ideal of balance and rationalism, offering instead the hysterical, the fantastical, and the supernatural. Expressionism was therefore the settled dust that enveloped post-revolution German society, a frustrated desire for change that followed the breakdown of World War I, and also a strong reaction against industrialization. If art were an accurate representation of the psyche of society, FW Murnau's Nosferatu (1922) could have come out with Samuel Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798) and not seemed anachronistic - of course forgiving the delay in the development of the cinematographic medium. The film and the ballad symbolized their respective eras and were both a departure from the bonds of order and logic. It is this symmetry of film and ballad, and the embodiment of their eras, that I hope to explore. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Specifically, I will discuss how elements of Nosferatu and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner reflect the inner states of the characters; how both periods treat nature as a theme; and finally, how romantic sentimentality found its way into Nosferatu. A distinct contribution to the Romantic movement was Gothic romance – the latter, a period which depicted the mystical adventures of terrified heroes and heroines in the clutches of frightening and mysterious forces, exemplified by Mary. Frankenstein by Shelley (the precursor of science fiction) and The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. These motifs, often associated with horror, were captured in The Ancient Mariner when evil descended on the Mariner's ship, resulting in graphic devastation: "With throat unquenched, black lips baked / We could not neither laugh nor moan (185-186).” These motifs are repeated in Nosferatu, where Orlok's evil hypnotized Ellen while snuffing out life during his stay to meet her. Artists from both periods sought to represent the personal and subjective; rejecting realism, logic, and classical Newtonian cause and effect. This desire to bring out inner states has given rise to supernatural motifs and dreamlike states, often larger than life. The fantastic results from the expression of inner states due to "a 'failed' transformation... [where] the strangeness with which displaced and repressed elements burst into idyllic worlds and relationships." It is possible to read the fantastical elements as manifestations of the social concerns of their respective times. The surreal motifs function primarily as extensions of the characters' minds in both the film and the ballad. "Coleridge employs supernatural beings not for the gratuitous effects of terror gratia terroris but in order to symbolically project the states and moods of the Mariner's inner being." The Murder of the Albatross is an exercise in Coleridge's morality. The Mariner's moral error left him under the weight ofguilt, pushing him to seek a solution with the help of external forces. These “forces” are in reality not external since they are projections of his troubled psyche: “His skin was as white as leprosy / Was the nightmarish life-in-death (192-193).. . I looked at the water-serpents / They moved in trails of brilliant white (274-275)". The spectral apparitions that followed the cursed ship are a reflection of the sailor's conscientious scruples. These elements of the project balladethe internal state of the character and are not externalities having an effect on the character We will see this motif repeated in Nosferatu twenty years later Hutter escapes from Ellen's domesticity for economic reasons, himself. plunging into danger in the grip of greed. His reluctance to provide the love Ellen seeks is redundant once Orlok discovers the locket with Ellen's picture, along with his enigmatic evil loom. , takes on the role of the “provider” that Hutter never was. Murnau portrays Hutter as neutered, ineffective and weak. Orlok, on the other hand, has a powerful scanning power that hypnotizes Ellen. We can think of Orlok as a latent side of Hutter, an alter-ego of "the man he never was" but desires to be. This reading of the film is enlivened by the contrast of the journeys made by Orlok and Hutter to Ellen. Orlok is in complete control of nature, easily traveling on a ship and successfully wielding his evil powers on the ship. Hutter, on the other hand, crosses mountains and streams, on foot or on horseback, a much more difficult option than traveling by sea. Orlok's comfortable abode is Hutter's wishful extension of a powerful male alter ego. Analyzing Orlok's murders through his shadows leads us to draw the same conclusions. Orlok's attempt to murder Ellen may be an expression of Hutter's repressed desire to kill his wife, but only through his effective alter ego. He is frustrated by her obvious inability to provide for himself (his efforts for flowers were met with disappointment) and does not seem to love his wife in the traditional romantic way, as evidenced by his desire to leave her, and her rejection uncomfortable with his affection. The fact that only shadows are committing the murders, and not Orlok in his physical form, represents the suppression of murderous thoughts, where only a shadow was able to escape from Hutter's mind. Accepting Orlok as the emboldened and accomplished side of Hutter conveniently excludes Orlok's evil intentions, which is a quality of Hutter that one would not expect to be expressed. However, Elsaesser clearly explains that "the motif of the Double is indeed quite close structurally to the motif of the creature, emancipating itself from the creator and turning against him... The interpretation of the Double, or the shadows, [is the] symbolic representation. internal irrational forces at work.” Greed is the sin that motivates Hutter's journey. These evil intentions, embodied in Hutter's creation of Orlok, led to punitive consequences. Orlok turns against Hutter by winning over the woman Hutter so wants to please, but, ironically, never truly loves. Knock, the driving force behind Hutter's journey of discovery, is in turn under Orlok's manipulative spell. In this way, we are able to trace the source of Knock's intentions back to Hutter's alter ego, Orlok. We are now able to appreciate Nosferatu as a chaotic intercourse of one man's internal emotions, much like how the Albatross, Life in Death, and the Wedding Guest were tools for probing the dark corners of the Mariner's psyche. mental state of the characters, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner andNosferatu both take an in-depth look at their era's relationship with nature. It was only in the Romantic era that walking in the woods was not dangerous, but an opportunity to enjoy and contemplate stunning views. Europe has become more civilized, safer and its citizens now feel freer to travel for simple pleasure. Romanticism cultivated a sentimental treatment of all subjects, including nature. The albatross embodied nature in The Ancient Mariner and, like Romantic society's embrace of nature, it brought luck to the ship and was welcomed with joy. The killing of the Albatross is an unnatural sin of the sailor, and he is duly punished. The countless references to nature throughout the poem are not enough to distinguish it as a "romantic treatment of nature." However, Coleridge uses the sun, the moon, the sand, the sea, including a "hermit in the forest", to express the mental states of the mariner and how they evolve with the natural environment: "O happy living beings! no tongue/ Their beauty could declare (283- 284)". After a stanza of observations of colorful animals, the Mariner proclaims their beauty and happiness. Through his blessing of the nature around him, the Mariner is finally redeemed and the spell begins to break. Coleridge personifies nature with a touch of the supernatural and merges it with the sailor's subconscious, sealing The Ancient Mariner as a play acutely reflecting the natural motif of romanticism. is not lost in Nosferatu. Murnau explores the interaction between man and nature. First, he questions the legitimacy of cannibalism. We see Venus flytraps, Knock flies and spiders with their evil webs. . If carnivorous activity is widespread in the animal and plant kingdoms, should we think that Orlok's desire for his fellow humans is evil or unjust? Second, the horses' fear of the hyena is comparable to the fear of the hyena? villagers and the omnipresent evil of Orlok. Finally, we see Hutter's comfort in nature: first, when he ignored advice and went to Orlok Castle at night, and then again when he returns home to Ellen. Murnau is generous with images of Hutter crossing bridges and paths, which represent a relief from Hutter's clustered concrete house. It's as if Murnau himself draws his energy from outside. This accords with Paul Brian's view of nature in Romanticism: “It is precisely the inhabitants of urban environments, aware of the stark contrast between their daily lives and the existence of nature's inhabitants, who romanticize nature. » Like nature, sentimentalism was celebrated in romanticism. Romantic period. This is evident in the Ancient Mariner. We don't see the sailor in love or married, but we can still read much about his brief encounters with the Hermit and the wedding guest. Both friendships have their roots in the romantic belief in human connection and destiny. The relationships between the sailor and the hermit, and between the sailor and the wedding guest, are not cynical and hypocritical, but reassuring and profound. The Hermit senses danger as he approaches the sailor's ship, but decides to continue: "Dear Lord! he looks devilish- / (The pilot replied) / I'm afraid" - "Push, continue!" / Said the hermit cheerfully. (539-543)". The Hermit ultimately saves the sailor from his sinking ship. They share a deeper bond when the Hermit cleanses the sailor of all guilt by asking him to tell him the story of the albatross. It is an optimistic and joyful message to assume human relationships, typical of the romantic period..