An important aspect of cinematography is the use of camera angle. By combining sets, lighting, and use of the camera, directors can utilize formal elements just as painters can to create emotional responses and deepen the impact of the subject matter.
German directors working in the early 1900s experimented with setting and camera angle in a way that has been lastingly influential. Wiene's Cabinet of Dr. Caligeri and Murnau's Nosferatu (both in 1919) used unusual camera angles and elaborate sets to take advantage of line, light and dark, composition, shape, asymmetry, and the treatment of space to underscore meaning in the films.
Nosferatu is the first film adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Note the use of light and dark, the use of composition, and the cross cutting to create a sense of menace as Dracula attempts an attack on Jonathan Harker.
Also note how few dialogue cards are necessary, as most of the action of the film is effectively communicated through the use of cinematography and editing.
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