German National Cinema is the first comprehensive account in English of German cinema from its origins to the present. From The Cabinet of Dr Caligari to Run Lola Run, Sabine Hake examines a range of films in relation to the social, political, economic and technological events surrounding them. Hake assesses the work of directors such as Fritz Lang and Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and stars like Marlene Dietrich and Louis Brooks. From the Wilhelmine Empire to post-reunification, she traces the artistic currents, technological innovations, and social-transformations which defined each era of German film and shows how a highly-politicised cinema often produced surprisingly apolitical films. Embracing popular traditions and other cultural legacies such as music, literature and prominent art movements like Expressionism, she explores the competing definitions of German cinema as art cinema, quality entertainment, political propaganda and rival of Hollywood. [Publisher description].