从清晨到午夜

GeorgKaiserdecribesinhisExpressionisttheaterplaytheattemptofabankcashiertoescapehismiddleclassdailylife.DirectorKarlheinzMartin'sadaptationtransfersKaiser'splayintoanExpressionistfilmofradicalstylization.TheGermanfilmindustrywassoirritatedbytheresultthatthefilmneverfoundadistributionandwasnevershowninGermancinemas.TheonlyexistingprintofthisclassicsurvivedinJapanwherethefilmreceivedacinemareleaseandwaspreservedbytheNationalFilmCenter.<br/>　　ThematerialworldofVonmorgensbismitternachtsseemslikeahallucinationandassuchischaracterizedasdeliberatelybanalaswellasfragile,unfinishedandunstable.ThearchitectRobertNeppachusedthedazzlingsimplicityofthepainteddécortoillustratethenatureofthings,socialandhumanrelationships.Here,thebankrevealsitselfasalife-suckingdungeon,thefenceatthecashier'shouseaccentuatesaprison,itselftrappedinitsownlocation.Theunreal,paintedraysoflightonthehotelstaircaseleadingtothelady'sroomsimultaneouslyillustratedesireandtheabsenceofanykindofbasisforit.Strongcontrasts,distortedformsandperspectivesindicatestructuresofrealitywithoutdepictingadifferent,fantasticnature,andcondensethemtosuchanextentthat&quot;thefabricoftheouterworld&quot;becomesdiscernible.<br/>　　Light,costumeandmakeupdesigncorrespondedtothegraphicconceptandthesharplycontrastingemphasisonlightanddarkness.Alsothecashier'sclothes,contouredwithstripesofwhitepaint,seemtorn,appearingtomirrorhismentalconstitution.Evenifthecharactershavenotquitediscardedtheir&quot;organicform&quot;completely,producerRudolfKurtzhadapoint:they&quot;areparts,formalelementsofadecorativethoughtprocess,theyarepartofathree-dimensionalimage,aretornbyflecksoflightandstripeswhichhavebeenpaintedontothem.&quot;Thecashier'smakeupcomplieswiththegraphicblackandwhitecontrasts.Hiswhiteface,hispandaeyes,theblackcontourlinesalonghisbrowandthebridgeofhisnoseandarampantmoustachecharacterizeapersonwhoissociallydeformedandyetthirstyforlife.Theremainingcharactersalsohavetheirrespectivesocialcharacteristicspaintedontheirfacesindrasticallyemphaticandexaggeratedphysiognomicdetail.Eventhemostdazzlinglighteffectsarenotusedtoformthree-dimensionalspacebutaccentuatelinesanddetailsofgraphicimagecompositioninaccordancewiththedécoroftheset.<br/>　　Themainstylisticprobleminalmostallexplicitlyantinaturalisticfilmsishowtheactor,whocanonlyartificiallyexaggeratehisnaturalphysiognomictraitstoacertainextent,canbeintegratedintotheimagecomposition.InnootherfilminthetraditionofnarrativecinemaoutsidethefantasygenrehasthisbeendonesoobviouslyasinVonmorgensbismitternachts,wheretheactorshavealsoformallybecomepartoftheconceptofdécorandimage.ErnstDeutschintheroleofthecashierdissolveshismovementsintotenseandthensuddenlyexplosivegestures;heemphasizes,lengthens,oracceleratessingledetailsandneverpresentsanorganic,overallsequenceofmovements.Theblack,mimiclinesonhisface,mainlyhischeekbonesandhiseyesockets,whichessentiallycharacterizethegauntfaceoftheactor,arepaintedontoachalkywhiteface,givinghimtheappearanceofawoodcut.Theambivalentroleofthecashier;thechangefromaninitiallygeriatricappearance,fullofburninginnerintensityinthefirstpartofthefilm,toayoungerexteriorfilledbytheadvancingsenilityofthedesiredinnerfulfillment,wasportrayedtoitsfullestextentbyErnstDeutsch.Hisamazingabilityto&quot;agesosuddenlyandterribly&quot;hadalreadybeennotedinhisrebelliousyouthfulrolesinexpressionistplays.<br/>　　KarlheinzMartinalsousedimagescomposedwiththehelpofcinematechnologytoagreatextent,whenevertheycouldbeintegratedintotheartificialstyleconcept,suchasthefootageofthesixdayrace,withtherushandecstasyofthespectatorsaddictedtoentertainment.Differentcameraperspectivesshowseveralterracedrowsofseatsinhistoricalstructure,wherethesocialstratumoftheprivilegedclass,thebourgeoisie,thepettybourgeoisie,andtheproletariatisillustratedandtheacceleratedrhythmofthemovementofthecamerasuddenlybecomesavertiginousrideinapaternoster.Theraceitselfhasanaccentuatedcinematicform.ThecashiersaysinKaiser'sdrama:&quot;Iseeacircleandagaudywavyline.&quot;Itisdisplayedinatotallydarkenedroomwhichillustratesanabstractionofaracetrackasanellipticalwarpedstripofdazzlinglight.Thecyclistsappearracingthroughthissetinlap-likeinternals.Thewholescenewasfilmedthroughamirrororaconvexlens,givinganunreal,distortedimpressionoftherace.LotteEisnerdescribedthissceneasfollows:&quot;Thecyclistsaretransformedintoananamorphosis,theyarestretchedandthroughthemagicoflightandwiththehelpofadistortinglenstheybecomesparklingfacets.&quot;<br/>　　Vonmorgensbismitternachtsmayhaveenrichedthedevelopmentofcinema-aesthetics,neverthelessapublicshowingnevertookplaceinGermanyinthe1920s.ProducerRudolfKurtzblamedtheradicaluseofrealhumanbeingsasadesignelementintheconstructionofthefilmimageforthereluctanceofcinemaownerstoshowVonmorgensbismitternachts:&quot;Thismovingaroundofhumanbeingswhichonlyserveasformalelements,obstructsanyaccesstothefilm.&quot;Theeffectofcoldnessandstrangenessresultingfromtheunusual,artificialformalrestrictions,thedenialofthree-dimensionalityandobjectarrangementaswellasthesimilarlyinorganicandrhythmic-mechanicalactingstylewasadeliberatecalculation.Itsumsupratherpreciselytheintentionsofthisproduction:toilluminatefrozenandgrotesqueimagesofsocietywiththesamedazzlinglightasdesperate,andhenceequallydistorted,attemptstobreakoutofaworldwhichisunwillingtochange.Thefactthatthefilmwasignoredbycommercialdistributorsandcinemassetanearlylimitonthemarketabilityofrigorouslyabstracttendenciesinnarrativecinema.<br/>　　JürgenKasten