In recent decades special effects have become a major new area of research in cinema studies. For the most part they have been examined as spectacles or practical tools. In contrast Special Effects and German Silent Film foregrounds their function as an expressive device and their pivotal role in cinemas emergence as a fullfledged art. Special effects not only shaped the look of iconic films like Nosferatu 1922 or Metropolis 1927 but they are central to a comprehensive understanding of German s