How Nicolas Cage was inspired by German expressionism
Throughout his career, every time Nicolas Cage stepped in front of the camera, he displayed a deep sense of eccentricity that made his characters come to life. Even early into his time as a movie star, Cage embodied a volatile vulnerability that would go on to make him one of the most sought-after actors of his generation.
One such instance arrived in 1987 with the Norman Jewison-directed romantic comedy-drama Moonstruck, starring Cher, Danny Aiello, Olympia Dukakis and Vincent Gardenia. Cher plays a widow Italian-American who falls in love with her finance’s younger brother, played in a typically-hot-tempered manner by Cage.
Cage is well known for his intense and visceral performances, so much so that they always look like they come from deep within him. Interestingly, though, for Moonstruck, the young actor had been greatly inspired by the movie of the German expressionism movement, and he once explained exactly how.
“It was shocking when the anger hit,” Cage told Vanity Fair. “I remember Norman Jewison said, ‘You can get really hot really fast on camera’. That moment where I’m going, ‘I lost my hand, I lost my bride! Johnny has his hand, Johnny has his bride!’ that was a designed, rather choreographed move that I got from an old Fritz Lang movie called Metropolis.”
Metropolis is a truly groundbreaking work of cinema, a beautiful visual feast serving as one of the first forays into dystopian science fiction cinema. The 1927 movie explores the division of the working class and elite in a futuristic city, showcasing the decaying urban landscapes that would become a staple of its genre. Lang’s film is quite rightfully considered a masterpiece in the world of film.
Going on to note the moment of Metropolis that informed his Moonstruck performance, Cage said, “The mad scientist takes his glove off and shows his robot hand, so that was a direct steal. I was very impressionable when I first saw Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. That moment with the scientist made a real impact on me, and it’s designed, it’s choreographed, and that’s what German expressionism was in my view – almost choreographed acting.”
“I try to put that in – the moment of looking up at the hand and seeing it was a very grandiose gesture – and it worked,” he added. Evidently, Cage has a deep love for all four corners of the cinematic medium and finds inspiration wherever he looks, in the case of Moonstruck, deep in the genius of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis.
