Blog Task 6 – Influence on Contemporary Cinema

Identify at least one film which appears to have been influenced by the visual style of classic German Expressionist Cinema:

The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton

Jack Skellington, a being from Halloween Town, finds Christmas Town and is instantly enchanted. The situation becomes riveting when his obsession with Christmas leads him to abduct Santa Claus.

There were many similarities in set design and costume between “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”.

Make-up:

Cesare heavily inspired Jack Skellington’s look. Both have very pale white skin resembling a dead person, they both also have black surrounding their eyes creating an unhuman feel.

Costume:

Both Jack and Cesare have very thin legs and a wide ribcage. They are clothed with a full black pantsuit. Covering their arms and legs.

Set:

The Nightmare Before Christmas on Behance

Both movies include outside eerie sets. In these specific photos they are both in elevated places with the same camera shot and angle the same to show the height of the structures.

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