History, Style, Authorship: The Question of Origins in the New German Cinema

Abstract

This article will examine the way in which several cherished notions of film criticism - those of cinematic style, authorship, and originality - are in fact conditioned by history. The challenge posed by a historical perspective on these issues should lead to a more balanced understanding of works currently regarded as 'masterworks' by cinema 'authors'. In particular, attention will be given to a movement that is considered to be a new departure in film-making, namely the New German Cinema. The work of Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders, and Peter Handke, is particularly interesting within the scope of this investigation, since these works themselves bring up the very issues we are trying to raise. It is the aim of this discussion to show that the 'originality' of the New German Cinema is itself consciously anchored in literary precedents; that its stylish evolution proceeds from a logic derived from an anxiety over the question of origin; and that the very conception of 'authorship' is somewhat questionable when applied to these works.