From Morning to Midnight
From Morning to Midnight

Movie spotlight

From Morning to Midnight

1920
Movie
72 min
German

A cashier in a bank in a small German town is alerted to the power of money by the visit of a rich Italian lady. He embezzles 60,000 Marks and leaves for the capital city, where he attempts to find satisfaction in politics, sport, love and religion.

Insights

IMDb7.0/10
Director: Karlheinz MartinGenres: Expressionism, Drama

Plot Summary

A nameless bank clerk, driven by a mysterious woman and a desire to escape his mundane existence, steals money from his employer. He embarks on a frantic, surreal journey through a nightmarish cityscape, encountering various bizarre characters and experiencing a series of increasingly absurd and tragic events. His quest for meaning and freedom ultimately leads him to a desolate, empty plain where he confronts his own existential despair.

Critical Reception

As a seminal work of German Expressionist cinema, 'From Morning to Midnight' was highly influential, though its avant-garde style and bleak themes made it challenging for mainstream audiences. It is critically acclaimed for its innovative visual techniques and potent exploration of societal alienation and the human psyche.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its groundbreaking visual style and powerful, unsettling atmosphere.

  • Recognized as a key example of early cinematic modernism and Expressionism.

  • Critiqued for its abstract narrative and challenging, often bleak, thematic content.

Google audience: Audience reception is difficult to gauge due to its historical context and niche appeal, but it is generally regarded by cinephiles as a significant artistic achievement in early film.

Fun Fact

The film is considered one of the earliest and most significant examples of German Expressionist cinema, predating more widely known films like 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' and 'Nosferatu'.

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