A short thought from a class today: In discussing the style of German expressionism in film, a question came up. What is a more “real” representation of reality? When movies have extremely detailed sets and realistic props and characters, is that an acceptable representation? The German expressionist directors created a world where the film sets were abstracted, convoluted, and much more artistic. The sets often reflected the emotions of the characters, whether it was paranoia, claustrophobia, loneliness, excitement, or fear. Perhaps this style works better at representing what our world really is. Is our reality made up of a bunch of rigid characters and complex set pieces, or the interactions and emotions the characters are struggling with?