Many artistic movements from all over the world have affected film because of how their styles have shaped culture, and therefore influenced filmmakers. This has meant that some of these styles have shaped the way TV and film is directed even today, as filmmakers have influenced each other, and aspects of style have therefore been carried forward.
German expressionism was an artistic movement in Germany which escalated before the first world war, and had the largest impact during the 1920s.
German expressionist artwork was often distorted, but used simple shapes and bright colours to symbolise emotions or ideas. One of the most important pieces of German expressionist artwork which led to further development of the movement was Franz Marc's Blue Horses, because of how the circular shapes and blue colour of the horses symbolise harmony and tranquility with the natural world. The idea of the piece is that by looking at the painting a part of this harmony between animals and the natural world can be shared with humans.
Films influenced by this creative style involved lots of symbolism, and were against the conventions of realism. Therefore, because of smaller budgets, set design was used to create intense shadows and lighting, with shadows often painted onto the walls of sets. Even though there was this lack of budget, sets were still often large and elaborate, going against the normal conventions of perspective, using geometric shapes and jagged lines with unnatural colours to portray emotions such as fear or pain.
Common themes were often madness, betrayal and other complex, intellectual emotions so camera angles were sometimes used to confuse the audience, such as the tilting of the camera known as 'The Dutch Angle'. The main aim of filmmakers using this style was to show the deeper emotional realities of their characters and narratives.
Two of the most influential directors during this movement were Fritz Lang, known for Metropolis (1927), Destiny (1921, originally titled Der Mude Tod) and M (1931), and F.W. Murnau known for Nosferatu (1922), and Der letzte Mann (1924).
In modern TV and film, the style of German expressionism has been carried forward mainly influencing the genres of horror and film noir with their stylised and typically dark sets, and intense shadows and lighting. An example of how film noir was affected by German expressionism can be seen in Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (1939), as the Dutch angle is used as well as intense shadows and lighting which have become traditional in film noir:
Top: Veronica Mars (2004-2007), Bottom left: Riverdale (2016-), Bottom right: The Virgin Suicides (1999)
Science fiction noir (or tech noir) is also a common variation deriving from this style, and is evident in films such as Blade Runner, The Terminator, and Minority Report, using the style of classic noir but with themes, and a focus on technology especially, that are more commonly found in science fiction.
French new wave films are classified by the fact that they covered important social issues of the time, were shot on location, and used equipment that either required little or no time to set-up, similar to working on shooting a documentary. Filmmakers during this period also experimented with the medium by using long takes, jump cuts, long tracking shots, as well as crossing the line and breaking the 180 degree rule, which led to an editing style that broke the traditional style of Hollywood continuity editing. However, this style was developed during a time period of cultural shift, being just after the end of World War 2, meaning it was often aimed for that the audience would not be dictated to by the confines of a straight narrative, but an ambiguous one instead which raised more questions than it answered by the film's end. Common themes were therefore existential ones, as the films aimed to capture what life in France was like at that time.
The founders of this movement, theorist Andre Bazin and Henri Langlois, are said to have created the style so that filmmakers could express themselves similar to how authors and artists are able to in novels and artwork. Many of the most notable directors in this movement were therefore auteurs, such as Jean-Luc Goddard, Francois Truffaut, and Eric Rohmer, but they also all began work as film critics before becoming filmmakers.
Auteur theory originated from some of Andre Bazin's theory work as well as Alexandre Astruc's 'camera-stylo' theory, stating that the director is the author of the film rather than the screenwriter as the visuals make the film, not the plot line, and allow the film's message to be shown to audiences.
This style was influenced by the documentary-like style of Italian neorealism, because of how it used portable equipment and focused on issues affecting France at the time. Films during the French New Wave were also often shot on very low budgets, so directors would use their own friends and surroundings as cast and locations, much like Italian neorealism's use of ordinary people as actors. This meant that dialogue was sometimes improvised, and scenes would be cut down by taking the long takes and adding jump cuts to reduce the running time of the film and save money. Although, this does mean that Italian neorealism films and those made during the time of the French New Wave have a similar natural, real world look.
Left: Italian neorealism in Germany Year Zero (1948), Right: French New Wave in Breathless (1960)
This rejected the classic constructed Hollywood film look, however the aim of French New Wave filmmakers was to remind the audience that they were watching a film, achieved by a disregard for continuity and sometimes even a closed set, so onlookers could be seen walking into the film in the background.
However, French New Wave was somewhat influenced by Classical Hollywood cinema, which were American films before the 1970s which helped develop the Hollywood continuity style, as well as be produced under the studio system. French New Wave filmmakers championed those directors such as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, and Charlie Chaplin who went against the established style of the studio their films were produced in, instead developing their own styles, as the French New Wave filmmakers focused on the authorship of the director as auteur.
Aspects of this style are still evident in the films of directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino. Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Coppola made their names during the American New Wave period of the 1970s, which was influenced by French New Wave due to these directors taking authorship over their films and developing their own distinct styles, much like the auteurs of the French New Wave. Quentin Tarantino is also openly a fan of French New Wave filmmakers such as Jean-Luc Goddard, who he dedicated his first film Reservoir Dogs to. Tarantino frequently references other films during his own films, inspired by the French New Wave filmmakers who also included this in their own films.
German expressionism (1910s-1930s)
Left column, centre: Metropolis (1927), Middle top: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Middle bottom and bottom right: Nosferatu (1922), Top right and middle right: Der letzte Mann (1924)
German expressionist artwork was often distorted, but used simple shapes and bright colours to symbolise emotions or ideas. One of the most important pieces of German expressionist artwork which led to further development of the movement was Franz Marc's Blue Horses, because of how the circular shapes and blue colour of the horses symbolise harmony and tranquility with the natural world. The idea of the piece is that by looking at the painting a part of this harmony between animals and the natural world can be shared with humans.
Common themes were often madness, betrayal and other complex, intellectual emotions so camera angles were sometimes used to confuse the audience, such as the tilting of the camera known as 'The Dutch Angle'. The main aim of filmmakers using this style was to show the deeper emotional realities of their characters and narratives.
Two of the most influential directors during this movement were Fritz Lang, known for Metropolis (1927), Destiny (1921, originally titled Der Mude Tod) and M (1931), and F.W. Murnau known for Nosferatu (1922), and Der letzte Mann (1924).
In modern TV and film, the style of German expressionism has been carried forward mainly influencing the genres of horror and film noir with their stylised and typically dark sets, and intense shadows and lighting. An example of how film noir was affected by German expressionism can be seen in Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (1939), as the Dutch angle is used as well as intense shadows and lighting which have become traditional in film noir:
Directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Tim Burton can also be seen to have been greatly influenced by German expressionism. For example, Alfred Hitchcock uses sets that are reminiscent of German expressionism in their use of geometric shapes and harsh shadows. A notable example of this is the dream sequence in Spellbound (1945), which uses shapes such as eyes and jagged rectangles which fit together at a disjointed angle to confuse and put the audience on edge:
However, his most common theme of obsession can also be said to be influenced by German expressionism and its strong emphasis on complex and negative emotions.
The elaborate city sets which reject realism, and therefore also perspective, can also be said to have influenced science fiction films such as Blade Runner (1982) and Batman Returns (1992), which both involve large, crowded, futuristic city scapes with buildings that have jagged lines.
Blade Runner (1982)
Batman Returns (1992)
This is particularly reminiscent of the German expressionist film Metropolis (1927):
Film noir (early 1940s-late 1950s)
Top left: Sunset Boulevard (1950), Top right: The Lost Weekend (1945), Top middle: Spellbound (1945) Bottom left and right: Double Indemnity (1944)
Film noir pictures usually originated in Hollywood and were highly stylised, sharing low-key black and white aesthetics influenced by German expressionism. The style evolved from crime fiction literature which had become popular during the Great Depression in America, so common themes were characters and narratives that expressed cynical attitudes, and sexual motivations. Most film noir pictures often involved a lot of melodrama, experimenting with morbid plots and unconventional visuals such as unbalanced framing, but could cross several genres from gangster films, crime dramas, and even romance. However, some films are classified as being in the genre of film noir, such as Strangers on a Train, Sunset Boulevard, and Double Indemnity.
Because of its black and white low-key aesthetic style, film noir often involved harsh shadows, a large contrast between dark black and bright white in its images, as well as the Dutch angle influenced by German expressionism. This made the pictures look dramatic and serious, creating an edgy and dark look that was very different to the style of the technicolour films of the same period.
Left: Strangers on a Train (1951), Right: Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Film noir directors include Billy Wilder, known for Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Lost Weekend (1945), and Double Indemnity (1944), as well as Alfred Hitchcock with his films Strangers on a Train (1951), Notorious (1946), and Spellbound (1945), and Fritz Lang with his later films, The Big Heat (1953) and The Woman in the Window (1944), explaining the strong influence German expressionism had on the style.
Newer noir films that did not fall into this time period of the 40s and 50s are often referred to as being part of the Neo-noir genre, which involves the same themes and a similar aesthetic style, but is updated slightly to appeal to a more modern audience, most notably including more violence than classic film noirs.
Another variation of film noir is teen noir, seen in TV crime dramas such as Veronica Mars and Riverdale, and films such as Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides.
Science fiction noir (or tech noir) is also a common variation deriving from this style, and is evident in films such as Blade Runner, The Terminator, and Minority Report, using the style of classic noir but with themes, and a focus on technology especially, that are more commonly found in science fiction.
Top left: Blade Runner (1982), Top right: The Terminator (1984), Bottom: Minority Report (2002)
Italian neorealism (1944-1952)
Top left: La Terra Trema (1948), Top right: Ossessione (1942), Bottom left: Germany Year Zero (1948), Bottom right: Paisan (1946)
As Italian neorealism occurred during the first world war, it most commonly explored themes which represented the conditions of the poor and lower working class such as oppression and injustice. This meant that normal people often starred as actors but had not been trained as such as some were only children, as well as shooting on location being more common than shooting in a studio on a built set. Therefore, it created a much more realist approach than other art movements which affected film, so it is actually a style closer to that of traditional documentary. This is highlighted by the fact that during these films either everyday life is depicted or difficult and controversial issues are tackled, such as murder or housing problems.
Unlike German expressionism, this movement evolved from film critics who wanted a more realist approach for films, contra to the popular mainstream constructions of Hollywood films as they felt that what was really happening in Italy was not represented on screen.
The most influential filmmakers of this movement were Luchino Visconti, known for Ossessione (1942), La Terra Trema (1948) and thought of as the first practitioner of this style, as well as Roberto Rossellini, known for Paisan (1946), Germany Year Zero (1948), and Francesco, giullare di Dio (1950), influencing other filmmakers such as Ermanno Olmi, and Paolo and Vittorio Taviani to continue using Italian neorealism in their films. 
From Padre Padrone (1977), directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani
Due to its focus on realism, Italian neorealism influenced other film movements such as Parallel cinema in India, which focused on more sociopolitical subjects and naturalism, contrary to the traditional song and dance numbers which frequently appeared in mainstream Indian films.
This also influenced French New Wave, as this style used equipment that was portable, therefore reducing time needed for set-up and involving a way of working more similarly to documentary filmmaking.
French new wave (1958-late 1960s)
Top: 400 Blows (1959), Bottom left and middle: Breathless (1960), Bottom right above: Une Femme est une Femme (1961) Bottom right below: The Collector (1967)
The founders of this movement, theorist Andre Bazin and Henri Langlois, are said to have created the style so that filmmakers could express themselves similar to how authors and artists are able to in novels and artwork. Many of the most notable directors in this movement were therefore auteurs, such as Jean-Luc Goddard, Francois Truffaut, and Eric Rohmer, but they also all began work as film critics before becoming filmmakers.
Auteur theory originated from some of Andre Bazin's theory work as well as Alexandre Astruc's 'camera-stylo' theory, stating that the director is the author of the film rather than the screenwriter as the visuals make the film, not the plot line, and allow the film's message to be shown to audiences.
This style was influenced by the documentary-like style of Italian neorealism, because of how it used portable equipment and focused on issues affecting France at the time. Films during the French New Wave were also often shot on very low budgets, so directors would use their own friends and surroundings as cast and locations, much like Italian neorealism's use of ordinary people as actors. This meant that dialogue was sometimes improvised, and scenes would be cut down by taking the long takes and adding jump cuts to reduce the running time of the film and save money. Although, this does mean that Italian neorealism films and those made during the time of the French New Wave have a similar natural, real world look.
This rejected the classic constructed Hollywood film look, however the aim of French New Wave filmmakers was to remind the audience that they were watching a film, achieved by a disregard for continuity and sometimes even a closed set, so onlookers could be seen walking into the film in the background.
However, French New Wave was somewhat influenced by Classical Hollywood cinema, which were American films before the 1970s which helped develop the Hollywood continuity style, as well as be produced under the studio system. French New Wave filmmakers championed those directors such as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, and Charlie Chaplin who went against the established style of the studio their films were produced in, instead developing their own styles, as the French New Wave filmmakers focused on the authorship of the director as auteur.
Aspects of this style are still evident in the films of directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino. Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Coppola made their names during the American New Wave period of the 1970s, which was influenced by French New Wave due to these directors taking authorship over their films and developing their own distinct styles, much like the auteurs of the French New Wave. Quentin Tarantino is also openly a fan of French New Wave filmmakers such as Jean-Luc Goddard, who he dedicated his first film Reservoir Dogs to. Tarantino frequently references other films during his own films, inspired by the French New Wave filmmakers who also included this in their own films.
References in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009) Left: Battleship Potemkin (1925), Middle: Metropolis (1927), Right: The Wizard of Oz (1939)
References in Jean-Luc Goddard's Breathless (1960), Top left: Michel studies the poster for the film The Harder They Fail (1956), Top right and bottom left: As he moves to the left he looks as this picture of the film's star Humphrey Bogart, Bottom right: Then he imitates Bogart's signature gesture of contemplation by rubbing his lip, as well as being dressed similar to Bogart's detective characters, such as Rick from Casablanca.
The "Bogart gesture"
Rick from Casablanca (1942)
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