German Expressionism in 'The Machinist'

German Expressionism is defined as a mode of artmaking that does not aim to depict an external reality but convey the artist’s feelings about themselves, their subjects or their characters' state of mind. In film, the movement had its origin at the start of the 20th century and its influence has reached long through time, continuing to affect artists and filmmakers in the 21st century.

It is not uncommon for a modern day filmmaker to study the past styles of his craft for inspiration and understanding and, in doing so, adapt the style for his own purposes. Popular filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton and George Lucas have all claimed to adapt a variety of genres and styles into their films. It is often done out of respectful recognition of the significance of artistic movements in history as well as to perpetuate common themes and ideas that artists in the past have also strived to illuminate through film.

Brad Anderson's 2004 film The Machinist possibly represents an example of this practice among artists because the visuals, acting and story all possess the strong influence of German Expressionism.

​

To begin with, the visuals of the film, due to a strong combination between the setting and cinematography, permeate with a feeling of an overwhelmed and overworked humanity that is a state typically associated with the struggling German working class whose plight helped give rise to the movement.

The most prominently used locations for the film are mostly urban: a claustrophobic, dingy apartment for the main character; a dark, crowded workplace, lined with countless welding machines; an eerily anti-septic, 1950s-era, advertisement-heavy, airport lounge; and vast expanses of highway. Combined with highly desaturated, nearly black-and-white cinematography, the sight of these places emphasize the strong theme of industrial depersonalization encountered in German Expressionism.

​

The actors in the film, in appearance and performance, also add to the atmosphere of dread, decay and paranoia that fills out the expressionistic heart of the film. Perhaps the most shocking aspect of the acting in the film is the appearance of the main character. Played by Christian Bale, the main character Trevor Reznik, is as thin as a skeleton and as pale as one too.

According to online sources, the actor lost an astonishing sixty pounds to play the role. His emaciated appearance conveys the starving quality of his character as he searches for meaning behind the seemingly mysterious and unexplainable events he finds himself subject to. Most of the other characters in this film also have an unhealthy, pale look to them. The only exception is Trevor’s love interest, a prostitute, who appears beautiful and healthy at the beginning of the film but is unable to escape the suffering and harm The Machinist’s world has to offer. She is later beaten and scarred by another of her customers.

​

At the core of the film is a story loaded with madness, paranoia and obsession fully encapsulating the heart of German Expressionism. It introduces the main character as a murderer who has just completed disposing of a dead body. The primary conflict occurs later on when Trevor suspects that his co-workers want him fired for causing a near-fatal accident on the job. Growing suspicion, guilt and a cryptic trail of clues cause Trevor to drop off the edge of sanity, alienating all those close to him and sinking deeper into guilt and fear.

Since the story is told from a very subjective point of view, it is difficult for the viewer to understand the many mysterious and frightening events in the film, simulating the perspective of a person caught in a nauseating, indecipherable trap. This approach to the story is clearly more aligned with the expressionistic intention of capturing a highly-personalized feeling and a very volatile inner conflict characteristic of the German art movement.

​

Amidst the many various styles of filmmaking to draw upon, German Expressionism represents the darkest, most gothic side of the artform. Its unique mark can be seen in countless films but perhaps more prominently in films originating in the more industrialized, developed parts of the world. The style reflects a humanity changed by great war and a dying spirit. Brad Anderson, in his 2004 film The Machinist, manages to capture the essence of German Expressionism in its bleak visuals, frightening appearance of its main actor and the intense, paranoia-filled story of a festering guilty conscience.