Introduction
World War I was a critical turning point for the film industry as everything changed once the war broke out. The impacts were everlasting as the film industry we know today wouldn’t be what it is if it weren’t for the war and its effects. World War I played a crucial role in the development of the American film industry. Especially, as Hollywood was in its infancy during this time. As a result of the war, the rapid development and ascent of the film industry both in the United States and globally had a profound effect on cinema.
A New Direction
The most notable effects were propaganda films, new genres such as slapstick comedy and German expressionism, and the rise of Hollywood. These factors played key roles in shaping cinema. Propaganda films have only evolved as there are still many instances of these kinds of films being released such as military recruiting ads or certain films that glorify one nation’s presence in a foreign country.
German expressionism heavily influenced certain themes in film noirs such as contrast lighting and themes of mystery and alienation. In turn, the development of these film noirs alongside other genres such as slapstick comedy led to the advancement of Hollywood as the leading film industry globally. The dark times that the war had cast upon the United States had led to an increased demand for entertainment, especially in the new medium, film. American film studios began churning out films for all Americans to watch and it laid down the path for the further development of film as an art and as a business.
Propaganda
During World War I, cinema was still a new concept and medium for art. Therefore, the first documented production of film as a means to spread propaganda was during World War I. The Germans were quick to jump on this new trend, as were the Americans. German propaganda films were spread around the nation as a means to convince young German men to enlist in the armed forces as well as spread ideas of nationalism to the greater public.
These films tended to fixate on the great strength of the German Empire and its military prowess. One of these films released was titled, Heldenkampf in Schnee und Eis (Heroes Fight in Snow and Ice). Released in 1917, it was an Austro-Hungarian film depicting their soldiers fighting in the Alps. The film was released to turn their soldiers into heroic figures and display their superiority over the enemy. These films were designed carefully to appeal to the ego of the consumer. Professor Wolfgang Mühl-Benninghaus of the University of Berlin would later state in 1997:
“The theoretical origin of all efforts to use the media for the propagation of particular interpretations of the war and its goals was based – as was censorship – on clear ideas about the weak-egoed consumer. This led to belief in rather extreme possibilities for propaganda both inside and outside Germany”
Patriotism
In America and the United Kingdom, propaganda films aimed to spark patriotism and support for the war effort were designed to appeal to the emotions of the American and British people respectively, as did the German films. In some American films, citizens were encouraged to buy war bonds and conserve electricity and food. Nevertheless, many of the films released by Germany and the United Kingdom were quite dark and brutal, such as the British film Battle of the Somme (1916).
The film made waves in Britain and Europe, stunning the audience with its grim depictions of life during wartime. Battle of the Somme went on to become one of the most viewed non-fiction films made during World War I. In the ensuing weeks after the film’s initial theatrical release, it was screened by approximately fifteen to twenty million people in Britain, roughly a third to half of its total population. It was also exported to numerous countries throughout Europe.
The success of Battle of the Somme ultimately was the lynchpin in the development of propaganda studios in both Britain and Germany. Film was undoubtedly becoming weaponized in this manner. It beckoned to the audience’s ethos as a strategy to draw men and women into the “good fight” against the German Empire. This method wouldn’t be abandoned when the war came to an end though. It would become much more widespread and effective during the wars that followed, especially during World War II.
New Genres
Subsequently, the concept of propaganda film has persisted throughout time and has only adapted to the nature of our world and its conflicts today. Aside from propaganda, World War I also sparked the creation of new genres in film, namely, German expressionism and slapstick comedy. German expressionism reflected the dark times that Germans had faced during and after the war. German expressionist film was part of the overall expressionist movement that took hold of Germany in the interwar and postwar periods.
The films that came out during this time were more experimental, utilizing unconventional lighting and angles that would evoke strong emotions in the audience. The themes displayed in the films were also unconventional, as many of the plots fixated on themes of horror and psychological distress. Some of the most famous films that reflected these themes were The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) and Nosferatu (1922), both had intense and dark visual styles reflective of the horrors of reality.
These films stunned audiences in both Germany and America, garnering a lot of interest in this new and twisted genre. Catering to the audience, in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a prison cell is shown with angled walls, tilting upwards to an unseen point. A small window is also placed, just out of reach, to emit to feeling of repression.
Slapstick
On the other end of the spectrum, slapstick comedy was much more on the lighter and digestible side. It was like a blissful escape for the viewer. Slapstick comedy is a form of humor that emphasizes exaggerated physical comedy. The term originates from the slapping sound a wooden plank would make when it hits an actor. This humor focused more on the visual aspect of comedy, therefore most of these films were typically silent.
Slapstick came at the perfect time for the average moviegoer, as many people felt desperation and gloom due to the war and its effects. Writer Mark Sufrin stated in a 1987 article in The periodical The Threepenny Review:
“The background of the comedies – Los Angeles before World War I – had a lonely, corner lot look, the haphazard perspective of a dream. The forlorn, spacious boulevards with their baroque Spanish and Byzantine fantasies, gingerbread frame houses with verandas, and the seaside and rickety amusement park, give the films a nostalgic criterion…We come to the films with a sense of personal relief: as if after a long journey, we had suddenly and sentimentally come home”
Many iconic characters found their fame in this genre, most notably Charlie Chaplin, who remains a household name over a century years later. Chaplin starred in many noteworthy films such as The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925), and The Great Dictator (1940). The Kid was a massive success with audiences globally, receiving critical acclaim, and is now considered to be one of the greatest silent films of all time. The film’s heartwarming, yet comical nature appealed to an exhausted and somber audience that was trying to heal after the war.
Inventing Hollywood
This led to the continued development of comedy as a genre. It remains an essential part of film history. Despite the success of films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Metropolis, among others, the European film industry was unable to keep up with its American counterpart. Europe was struggling to recover from the war economically. This in turn created the perfect opportunity for the American industry to take over and expand.
There was a sizable increase in demand for entertainment – namely, films. This is because Americans needed a coping mechanism with the brutality of the war. The demand for films of all genres led to a surge and the development of the titan that Hollywood is today. It grew rapidly with many studios being built and actors, producers, and screenwriters coming onto the scene and it has been the king of the film industry ever since.
Hollywood embedded itself into the American Dream as well, as for many aspiring performance artists, it became their main goal. Hollywood became an iconic place where one could reinvent oneself, in a cultural sense, and propagated by the glamour and luxury it consisted of. It inherently led to the glamorization of the United States and the American Dream.
The location for Hollywood was ideal as well, as it’s located in California which has a warm climate year-round, allowing for easy year-round filmmaking. Also, the costs of production were relatively cheaper, and the mountainous terrain made for incredible natural backdrops. Hollywood became the mythical center of the film world that we now know today. It’s an industry so powerful that it is still expanding and making billions of dollars for the American economy.
Conclusion
In summary, World War I had an adverse and immense impact on Global cinema history as well as the American film industry. It set the course for the continued development of film both in America and worldwide. The Great War led to the first-ever usage of film for propaganda and propaganda films have continued to be prevalent in the medium ever since.
The brutality of WWI led to the creation of incredible film genres like slapstick comedy, which are still beloved and appreciated today. This is despite the genre branching off into different types of humor. The war and the scars it left behind definitely played a crucial role in the development of Hollywood and its tremendous rise to fame. Overall, the war to some extent can be credited with shaping cinema and allowing it to evolve into masterpieces suited for every generation.
