This article analyzes the use of silhouettes and shadows in plays and film and the relevant history regarding Chinese shadow plays. The article primarily references Shadows (1922), a film that features the "familiar visual patterns, performance styles, and chiaroscuro lighting effects associated with German Expressionist films." Once again it is noted how the shadow play techniques were used to reveal hidden fears and desires and heighten the supernatural elements of their films. In China, some of the earliest films featuring Chinese figures focused on the "mutable, strange body and featured tricks that defied physical limitations" much like the Expressionists and animators were trying to achieve with their fantasy realms.

The article is relevant to the thesis because Reiniger's use of silhouette animation was vital to future films. She would go on to collaborate with other directors to make scenes of shadow plays for other films. The lighting and detail of her silhouettes conveyed the sense of fantasy in the film. The article also points out how the "emphasis on shadow plays and silhouettes is important for a film stressing faith in images." The body language of all the characters, for example in the scene where Achmed is kissing the five servant girls and they begin fighting, is so detailed that the shadows seem to take a life of their own.

 

Maurice, Alice. "What the Shadow Knows: Race, Image, and Meaning in Shadows (1922)" Cinema Journal. 47, Number 3, Spring 2008.

Crafton, Donald. "Before Mickey: The Animated Film, 1898-1928" University of Chicago Press, 1993. (Chapter 7)

Chapter 7 of Crafton's book goes into great detail about commercial animation in Europe. He describes much of the avant-garde work done by other filmmakers and animators, such as Vertov and Starevitch, but also devotes a small section to Reiniger. Here, he discusses her work with silhouettes and puppets and delves into the making of and reception of The Adventures of Prince Achmed. He notes the use of a primitive multiplane camera to develop depth and background images, such as that of the atmosphere. Furthermore, he notes the influence of German Expressionism in her use of shadows, "spiky figures, misty landscapes and fantastic plots."

This chapter of Crafton's book is relevant to the thesis because it supports the assertion that Reiniger's film was Expressionist, and Reiniger had an influence in early technological innovation with the multiplane camera. Her training and the avant-garde culture in Germany certainly influenced her work. Although the book as a whole stops short of discussing Disney, it can be inferred that the advances she made in the making of this film were influential in later films made by Disney. Reiniger's prolific body of works beyond the borders of Germany for decades must have been noted by Disney on one of his many European trips and must have influenced animators who he hired, many of which were European, specifically German.

Thesis: While Disney films are animated to be effectively realistic and in three dimensions, the silhouette film is two-dimensional, stylized, and mutable; this enhances the film's Expressionist nature. Furthermore, Reiniger's film experiments with techniques that would later be refined and used by Disney and other animators and filmmakers. Therefore, Lotte Reiniger's Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) influenced Hollywood, specifically the genre of animation and the Disney company, through its Expressionist style and its technological advances.

This article specifically delves into German influence on Disney. The article points out how Expressionism was a reaction to realism in film and often depicted science-fiction, dystopian or otherwise fantastic settings. Expressionism also relied on stylized sets and character expressions to convey the overwhelming mood. Reiniger's film is no different, though the detailed expressions she creates with cardboard cut outs is beyond impressive. The article gives more examples of Disney films with Expressionist influence.

Although slightly redundant with the material in Allan's book, this article is relevant to the thesis in a similar fashion as that book. Reiniger began work on the film in 1923, during the heart of Expressionism in Germany. She studied and worked with Max Reinhardt, among others, who influenced her style and the style of Hollywood after their escape from Nazi Germany. The Adventures of Prince Achmed was highly stylized to emphasize the setting in a fantastic world. Although they are essentially shadows, the characters gesture in expressive manners. Incredible detail is in each shot as the silhouettes move across the constant background. The Expressionist techniques highlight the exoticism portrayed in the film.

Penny Starfield, "Film and Art : On the German Expressionist and the Disney Exhibitions" Transatlantica, 2006:2, Jan 23, 2007.

Allan, Robin. Walt Disney and Europe: European Influences on the Animated Feature Films of Walt Disney. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana UP, 1999. (Chapter 2)

Robin Allan's book discusses European influences on Disney animated feature films. In particular it discusses the role German Expressionism played in Disney films of the 30s and 40s. The book details how Disney's frequent trips to Europe, and the immigration of Europeans, particularly Germans during the rise of the Nazis, specifically influenced the style of Disney films. Later in the book he discusses Expressionism in Fantasia at length, but the European influence on Disney is apparent in this chapter.

This book is relevant to my thesis because Lotte Reiniger's films exhibited many Expressionist features. The Adventures of Prince Achmed was highly stylized to emphasize the setting in a fantastic world, as can be seen by the Nosferatu-like hands. As with many of the early films, the plots were derived from stories people would have known; in this case, Reiniger's tale is from 1001 Arabian Nights. Also, Expressionist techniques could highlight the exoticism portrayed in the film. Reiniger's use of cardboard cut outs with multiplane cameras also was borrowed by Disney for his later features. The effect of Reiniger's silhouette stop motion animation was to create shadows and various degrees of lighting, both of which were common effects of the German Expressionist movement.

Speed, Louise. Marvels & Tales: Journal of Fairy-Tale Studies, Vol. 17, No.1, 2003. pgs 181-183.

This article discusses the Expressionist nature of Reiniger's film, discusses the role of Wolfgang Zeller's score in the film and compares Reiniger's film to Disney animation. Reiniger is able to create expressive interaction between characters without facial expressions, but only silhouettes. Furthermore, the article discusses the "sexy and voyeuristic" aspects of the film. With silhouettes Reiniger is offered more leeway to have her heroine be spied upon as she bathes in an animated feature. This contrasts to what Disney would ever do, particularly in light of the Hays Code. Furthermore, Zeller's score ties the action to the music. Unique to this time, the Reiniger harmonizes the movement of her characters to the music.

The article is relevant to the thesis because it studies the Expressionist elements and compares Prince Achmed to other Disney films. The score adds an Expressionist element as the characters are allowed to move with the music, adding a rhythm to the film that meshes with the fantastical plot. The "nudity" aspect adds to the exoticism and the nightmarish turn of events for Pari Banu, essentially heightening the stylistic feel of the film. Finally, the film creates a three-dimensional world out of two-dimensional cutouts with varied lighting; the influence in Disney films is seen in the 30s and 40s.