Title: Das Kabinett Des Doktor Caligari (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari)Genre: Fantasy, Horror
IMDB User Score: 8.1/10 Stars
Year: 1919
Language: German
Format: Black & White, Silent
Length: 71 Minutes
Director: Robert Wiene
Producer: Rudolf Meinert, Erich Pommer
Screenplay: Hans Janowitz, Carl Mayer
Photography: Willy Hameister
Music: Alfredo Antoini, Giuseppe Becce, Timothy Brock, Richard Marriott, Peter Schirmann, Rainer Viertbock
Cast: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher, Lil Dagover, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski, Rudolf Lettinger, Rudolf Klein-Rogge
Oscar: No
Oscar Nomination: No
Budget: DEM 20,000
Revenue: ?
Reason it’s Significant:
- Directly influenced the works of Tim Burton and Rob Zombie
- A key movie in the development of expressionistic film-making, and most likely THE most influential German expressionistic film.
- Introduces fundamental horror elements to cinema that have now been used to the point of cliché (mad scientist villains, sideshow settings, women-abducting monsters, etc)
- Considered by many to be the first “true” horror film
Aaaaaaah yeah. Here’s the juice. I LOVE this shit. Movies like this create an atmosphere of creepy mystery and wonder that just cannot be topped. And I’m glad that I’ve finally seen the father of the genre, because it delivers on every level. The moment you step into this movie, you’re stepping into a different world. One based in the mind of a mad man. Anyone with eyes can see Tim Burton’s inspiration overflowing from this movie. Sets are made out of cartoony cardboard clumsily glued together, platforms slant and zigzag in awkward and nonsensical directions, and there is a thick, creepy atmosphere in every scene, aided by the film’s carnival setting. Simply put, this is a world that would have both Batman and Jack Skellington feeling right at home. In fact, the “monster” of the film reminded me a lot of the protagonist of Edward Scissorhands (1990) in his appearance.
The imagery of the film is fantastic and the plot, while not too groundbreaking for today’s audience, is very good. To spoil the film would be criminal, but suffice to say, there is one hell of a twist here. The basic idea of the film’s final moments has been replicated in years since, but I have never seen it done better than it was here. I was genuinely shocked. The great thing about it though, is that the movie leaves the truth up to interpretation. It lets the viewer decide just what the ending is supposed to mean, and how it affects the characters involved. It’s bound to leave a chill up your spine, no matter which way you interpret it. This movie is a key figure in the expressionistic movement for very good reason.
And this IS a creepy film. The titular character of Dr. Caligari is one scary bastard. The fact that the filmmakers painted shadows on peoples faces to add to the surrealism doesn’t help. It makes even the most normal people in the film look like they could be the walking undead. The sense of ever-present dread and uncertainty mixed with disturbing and bizarre villains serve to create unsettling experience that most modern horror movies only wish they could rival. Believe me when I say that this one was appearing in my dreams the next night.
The imagery of the film is fantastic and the plot, while not too groundbreaking for today’s audience, is very good. To spoil the film would be criminal, but suffice to say, there is one hell of a twist here. The basic idea of the film’s final moments has been replicated in years since, but I have never seen it done better than it was here. I was genuinely shocked. The great thing about it though, is that the movie leaves the truth up to interpretation. It lets the viewer decide just what the ending is supposed to mean, and how it affects the characters involved. It’s bound to leave a chill up your spine, no matter which way you interpret it. This movie is a key figure in the expressionistic movement for very good reason.
And this IS a creepy film. The titular character of Dr. Caligari is one scary bastard. The fact that the filmmakers painted shadows on peoples faces to add to the surrealism doesn’t help. It makes even the most normal people in the film look like they could be the walking undead. The sense of ever-present dread and uncertainty mixed with disturbing and bizarre villains serve to create unsettling experience that most modern horror movies only wish they could rival. Believe me when I say that this one was appearing in my dreams the next night.
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