German Expressionism and Noir Horror

In looking at the earlier horror films in conjunction with film noir, we're exploring the visual heritage of each genre--German Expressionism.  The dark shadows and distorted visuals in film noir and earlier horror derive from it, and in some instances, such as Wiene's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Lang's M.  The first chapter of Meehan's Horror Noir, our text, covers the connection in detail.  The main line of horror films we'll pursue is what Meehan terms "psychological" horror (as opposed to "supernatural" horror).  Frankenstein lies between the two, Cat People firmly in the former category. This psychological horror fits (and even blends in some instances) with film noir.

This image from Caligari displays both the shadows and visual exaggeration of German Expressionism.