Hughes was an erudite and pugnacious critic. The first two episodes of this series are really worth the time in order to get a general sense of the cultural and historical context of Expressionism. As a bonus note the futuristic 70s soundtrack.
This is a pretty good example of Expressionist mise-en-scène. From FW Murnau’s Phantom (1922).
COLQUHOUN: Manifest... Destiny. Westward Expansion. You know, come April... it'll all start again. Thousands of gold-hungry Americans... will travel over those mountains... on their way to new lives... passing right... through... here. We won't kill... indiscriminately. No... selectively. Good God... we don't want to break up families. BOYD: People are not stupid, Ives. COLQUHOUN: Really? BOYD: You'll get caught. Continue reading
2. This is a silent film adaptation of Haggard’s novel from 1925 (the year of his death). You’ll have to adjust your sense of cinematic time to appreciate it. From 34:33 to 39:44 we get the reveal.
