The Impact of Architectural Spaces on Iranian Expressionist FilmsA Comparative Study with German Expressionist Cinema

Problem statement: 

Cinema and architecture are regarded as two corresponding categories that have had a mutual impact on each other since the life of cinema. In the last century, the impact of architecture on cinema has been reviewed. Since Iranian cinema is considered as one of the most effective stylish ones, the impact that it has had on the architectural spaces can naturally make it necessary to study in this field. Perhaps the most prominent style that influenced architectural form in cinema was the influence of expressionist architecture on cinema between the two world wars, where architecture and cinema are immensely close together. Expressionist, as one of the manifestations of the 20th century, has also appeared in Iranian cinema during decades, however, the lack of research in this area has left the impact of this type of architecture on Iranian expressionist films unknown.

Research objective:

The aim of this study is to investigate Iranian expressionist cinema in the contemporary period and how films are influenced by architectural spaces.

Research method:

This study was a qualitative study with comparative study and content analysis. In this passage, the expressionist concept and its concepts in architecture and cinema are discussed first, then by examining the examples and content analysis, the role of architectural spaces in Iranian expressionist cinema is examined.

The results show that the influence of architectural spaces on expressionist films in “A Party in Hell” has a tangible and intuitive reference to architectural spaces due to its massive decoration and adherence to expressionist pillars. Unlike other examples where these expressionist films have reduced the physical effects of architectural spaces to a minimal extent, other elements such as shadows and light have also been taken into consideration.