Thinking About Genre-Analyse

ANALYSE


Both Frankenstein and Nosferatu had very low budgets, and they were both very high grossing films. The low budget meant that they could not use intricate sets, but the simplicity of both films added to the fear of what might exist. Because they were both shot on location, the directors could use the natural setting and elements of their locations to both portray the foreign setting and to also add the the natural fear of both films.


The use of foreign setting in both was very affective, and in Frankenstein it developed a wider idea of the events of the time. Frankenstein was set in a war and depression stricken 1931 Germany. They had just come out of a failed war effort and their country's economy was at rock bottom. The views of Germany at the time were well and truly portrayed in Frankenstein. People saw Germans as evil, blood thirsty killing machines, after causing inappropriate terror on the world in World War 1. When Dr Frankenstein made his blood thirsty monster, this symbolised the stereotypical idea of Germans at the time. Being a USA produced film, their points of views of Germans were well and truly portrayed through the Symbolism of the monster.


 The effect on society created by the use of Foreign Setting of the film in Frankenstein was that the stereotypical view of Germany at the time of evil monsters was reinforced. There was a fear of Germans created as a consequence of people in the western world seeing this film. After Nosferatu, a impact on society was a large fear that a spooky town like Transylvania could exist. This was reinforced by the shot on location in Romania which made the viewer feel it was real. It also reinforced their current fears that the plague was contracted by and unknown source. This relates to the current events of the plague (at the time) in Europe and people were already scared  even without seeing the film. The film takes the current fear of the plague and exposes it to the viewer in a more harsh way.


In most critical reviews of the respective films, the Foreign Setting is not commented upon because it is overridden by other ideas developed in the film, but the y do comment that having a single location to film at made the budget much less, and it is still very effective in the way the setting links the the narrative and the wider ideas as a whole.


In conclusion, the Foreign Setting in both films adds an element of fear, and although it may not be the most important convention in both films, it is still use in such a way that it contributes to building the base of a lot of other conventions to make both films great.