"It is reasonable to argue that German cinema is a development of German Romanticism and that modern technique (cinematography) simply gives visible form to romantic fantasies" , says Lotte Eisner. Both Romanticism (late 18th-19th century) and Expressionism (early 20th century) were reactions to a period of collectivist order and intellectual rigidity. Both were consolatory movements that followed the suppression of individualism. Romanticism favored feeling over reason, rejecting its predecessor, the Enlightenment ideal of balance and rationalism, offering instead the hysterical, the fantastic, and the supernatural. Expressionism, then, was the settled dust that enveloped post-revolutionary German society, a frustrated desire for change that followed the outbreak of the First World War, and also a strong reaction to industrialization. If art were an accurate representation of society's psyche, FW Murnau's Nosferatu (1922) could have been released with Samuel Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798) and not appear anachronistic, obviously forgiving the delay in the development of the cinematic medium . The film and the ballad characterized their respective periods and both represented an escape from the constraints of order and logic. It is this symmetry between film and ballad, and the embodiment of their periods, that I hope to explore. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. Specifically, I will discuss how the elements in both Nosferatu and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner are a reflection of the characters' internal states; how the two periods treat nature as a theme; and finally, how romantic sentimentality found its way into Nosferatu. A distinct contribution to the Romantic movement was Gothic Romanticism, the latter a period that depicted mystical adventures of terrified heroes and heroines in the clutches of frightening and mysterious forces, exemplified by Shelley's Mary Frankenstein (the forerunner of science fiction) and The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. These motifs, often associated with horror, were captured in The Ancient Mariner as evil descended upon the Mariner's ship, causing graphic devastation: "With throats unquenched, with black lips baked / We could neither laugh nor lament (185 -186)". These motifs are repeated in Nosferatu, where Orlok's evil hypnotized Ellen into snuffing out life during his stay to meet her. Artists of both periods sought to represent the personal and subjective; rejecting realism, logic and classical Newtonian cause and effect. This desire to bring out inner states has given rise to supernatural motifs and dream states, often out of the ordinary. The fantastic results from the expression of internal states due to "a 'failed' transformation... [where] the strangeness with which displaced and repressed elements erupt into idyllic worlds and relationships" . It is possible to read the fantastical elements as manifestations of social concerns of their respective times. The surreal motifs function primarily as extensions of the minds of the characters in both the film and the ballad. “Coleridge employs supernatural beings not for the gratuitous effects of terror gratia terroris but to symbolically project states and moods of the sailor's inner being.” The killing of the Albatross is Coleridge's moral exercise. The sailor's moral error left him under the weight of guilt, pushing him to seek a solution with the help of external forces. These “forces” are not truly external as they are projections of his tormented psyche: “His skin was white asleprosy / The nightmare of life in death was she (192-193)... I watched'd the water- serpents / They moved in trails of shining white (274-275)". The ghostly apparitions that followed the ship of fate are the reflection of the sailor's pangs of conscience. These are the elements of the ballad's designthe internal state of the character and are not externalities that have an effect on the character. We will see this motif repeated in Nosferatu twenty years later of Ellen for economic reasons, falling into danger under a spell of greed. His reluctance to provide the love Ellen seeks is redundant once Orlok discovers the locket with Ellen's image, with its cryptic evil frame , takes on the role of the “provider” that Hutter never was. Murnau portrays Hutter as emasculated, ineffectual and weak. Orlok, on the other hand, possesses a powerful overwhelming power that hypnotizes Ellen , an alter ego of the "man who never was" but wishes to be. This reading of the film is animated by the contrast of the journeys made by Orlok and Hutter to Ellen. Orlok has full control over nature, travels on a ship with ease, and successfully exercises his evil powers on the ship. Hutter, in contrast, crosses mountains and streams, both on foot and on horseback, which is a much more problematic option than traveling by sea. Orlok's comfortable living room is Hutter's longing extension of a powerful male alter ego. Analyzing Orlok's murders through his shadows leads us to draw the same conclusions. Orlok's attempt to kill Ellen may be an expression of Hutter's repressed desire to kill his wife, but only through his actual alter ego. He is frustrated by his apparent inability to provide (his efforts with flowers have been disappointingly received) and does not appear to love his wife in the traditional romantic way, as we can tell from his desire to leave her, and her uncomfortable rejection of her affection . The fact that only shadows commit the murders, and not Orlok in physical form, represents the suppression of murderous thoughts, where only a shadow could escape Hutter's mind. Accepting Orlok as the emboldened, achiever side of Hutter conveniently excludes Orlok's diabolical intentions, which is a quality of Hutter that is not expected to be expressed. However, Elsaesser clearly explains that "the motif of the Double is in fact very close structurally to the motif of the creature, emancipating itself from the creator and turning against him... the interpretation of the Double, or of the shadows, [is the] symbolic representation of irrational forces internal to the work.” Greed is the sin that motivates Hutter's journey. These evil intentions, embodied by Hutter's creation of Orlok, lead to punishing consequences to please, but who, ironically, never truly loves Knock, the driving force of Hutter's journey of self-discovery, is himself under Orlok's manipulative spell the source of Knock's intentions to Hutter's alter ego, Orlok We are now able to appreciate Nosferatu as a chaotic relationship of one man's internal emotions, much like the Albatross, Life-in-Death, and the Host of the marriage were tools for probing the dark recesses of the sailor's psyche. mental state of the characters, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Nosferatu both examine in depth their period's relationship with nature. It was only during the Romantic period that walking in the woods was no longer a danger, but an opportunity to enjoy and meditate on wonderful views. Europe had become more civilized, safer and its citizensthey now felt freer to travel for the simple pleasure of it. Romanticism cultivated a sentimental treatment of all subjects, including nature. The albatross embodied nature in The Ancient Mariner and, like Romantic society's embrace of nature, brought good luck to the ship and was welcomed with joy. The killing of the Albatross is the Mariner's unnatural sin, and is duly punished. The innumerable references to nature in the poem are not enough to distinguish it as a "romantic treatment of nature". However, Coleridge uses the sun, moon, sand, sea, including a "hermit in the wood", to express the sailor's mental states and how they evolve with the natural environment: "O happy living beings! no language / The their beauty could declare (283-284)". After a verse of colorful animal sightings, the Sailor proclaims their beauty and happiness. Thanks to his blessing on the nature around him, the Sailor is finally redeemed and the spell begins to break. Coleridge personifies nature with a touch of the supernatural and merges it with the Mariner's subconscious, sealing The Ancient Mariner as a piece that poignantly reflects the nature motif of Romanticism. The "nature" motif is not lost in Nosferatu. Murnau explores the interaction between man and nature. First, it questions the legitimacy of cannibalism. We see Venus fly traps, Knock catching flies and spiders with their webs of evil. If carnivorous activity is prevalent in the animal and plant kingdoms, should we believe Orlok's desire for his fellow man to be evil or unjust? Secondly, the horses' fear of the hyena parallels the trepidation of the villagers and Orlok's ever-present evil. Finally, we see Hutter's comfort in the wilderness: first, when he ignores the advice and travels to Orlok Castle at night, then again, when he returns home to Ellen. Murnau is generous with footage of Hutter crossing bridges and paths, representing relief from Hutter's clustered concrete house. It is as if Murnau himself draws energy from the outside. This agrees with Paul Brian's interpretation of nature in Romanticism: "It is precisely people living in urban environments, aware of the stark contrast between their daily lives and the existence of nature's inhabitants, who romanticize nature." Romantic period. This is evident in the Ancient Mariner. We don't see the sailor in love or married, but we can still read a lot from his brief encounters with the Hermit and the wedding guest. Both friendships find their roots in romantic belief in human connection and destiny. The relationships between the sailor and the Hermit, and between the sailor and the wedding guest, are not cynical and insincere, but are reassuring and profound. The Hermit senses danger as he approaches the sailor's ship, but decides to continue: "Dear Lord! He looks devilish - / (replied the pilot) / I am afraid" - "Push forward, push forward!" / He said cheerfully the hermit. (539-543)". The Hermit eventually saves the sailor from his sinking ship. They share a deeper bond when the Hermit cleanses the sailor of guilt by asking him to tell him the story of the albatross. This is an optimistic and cheerful deal with human relationships, typical of the romantic period. As a result, the wedding guest initially distrusts the sailor, but is touched by the connection he felt with him and eventually listens to his story (he holds him with his twinkling eye--/ . The wedding guest stood still, / and listens like a three-year-old: / The sailor has his will, lines 13-16) Halfway through the sailor's tale, he is afraid and gets tired, and yet he stays and at the end he leaves a little better person: "He went away like one who has been stunned, / And it is of sense.