Gothic cinema

E48886

Gothic cinema is a film tradition characterized by dark, atmospheric settings, themes of horror and the supernatural, and an emphasis on psychological terror and the macabre.


Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf cinematic tradition
film genre
emergedInPeriod early 20th century
emphasizes atmosphere over explicit violence
emotional excess
psychological conflict
exploresTheme conflict between rationality and superstition
fear of the unknown
repressed sexuality
the double or doppelgänger
the uncanny
transgression and punishment
hasCharacteristic castles and mansions as locations
dark atmospheric settings
emphasis on psychological terror
foggy and nocturnal imagery
gloomy visual style
haunted or decaying settings
horror themes
macabre themes
melodramatic tone
period settings
romanticized horror
supernatural elements
themes of death and decay
themes of madness and insanity
themes of repression and forbidden desire
use of shadows and chiaroscuro lighting
hasInfluenceFrom 19th-century Gothic novels
Expressionism
surface form: "German Expressionist cinema"

Gothic literature
isAssociatedWith Hammer Film Productions
surface form: "Hammer Horror films"

Universal Classic Monsters
surface form: "Universal Classic Monsters films"

ghost stories
haunted house films
mad scientist narratives
religious and occult imagery
vampire films
isSubgenreOf fantasy cinema
horror cinema
oftenFeatures doomed romance
family curses
secret passages and hidden rooms
storms and turbulent weather
tragic antiheroes
voice-over narration or framing stories
usesTechnique dramatic musical scores
expressionistic set design
high-contrast black-and-white cinematography
ornate production design

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Gothic literature influenced Gothic cinema