Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari. (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) poster & wallpaper

Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski

Two men on a park bench discuss the story of Cesare, a sleep-walking circus performer under the control of the murderous Dr. Caligari. But all, of course, is not quite as it seems.

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32 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 9 min.

Directed by: Robert Wiene

Release Date: January 1, 1920

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DVD Release Date: October 15, 1997

Stats: 1,292 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,292)

  • ohagankieran
    April 15, 2009
    ohagankieran
    Robert Wiene's 1919 classic "Das Cabinet Des Dr Caligari" is, in every way, a courageous piece of film making.

    The Expressionistic set design, as the backdrop to the story of a mad doctor and his manipulation of a somnambulist, is brilliantly conceived, especially when cons...( read more)idering the twist at the end of the film. The sets give the film a definite and appropriate dreamlike quality.



    The importance of the film cannot be overstated since it undoubtedly influenced the later Universal monster movies that proliferated in the 30's and 40's as well as later horror films.

    It seems certain James Whale was inspired by German Expressionism, if not "The cabinet of Dr Caligari", for the set design on his version of "Frankenstein".



    The DVD has been designed to emulate the Expressionism of the film. Good production values and attention to detail with an in-depth audio overview of the film.



    This film is essential viewing for anyone interested in early German cinema or the history of horror films but, it is equally valid as an important piece of German Expressionist art.
  • PvtCaboose91
    November 16, 2008
    PvtCaboose91
    "Spirits surround us on every side... they have driven me from hearth and home, from wife and child."


    Prior to F.W. Murau's Nosferatu there was Robert Weine's silent horror masterpiece Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari (translated to the more common titl

    ...( read more)e; The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari). In the annals of the horror genre, these two instances of German Expressionistic cinema stand above all others as pivotal filmic creations. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is amid the few archetypal horror films accountable for influencing fundamental elements of horror. These aforementioned elements include: a mad scientist, a "monster" slave to its master (think Frankenstein...even though the novel was published a century beforehand), and the pangs of guilt triggered by beauty or kindness.

    This is a strikingly different piece of cinematic history due to its sheer artistry and eerie atmosphere. Visually, the film is unmistakably Expressionistic: weird, contorted angles, dark shadows, as well as bizarre, surrealistic sets and just about anything else that could assault the normal perception. Cinematic Expressionism (often referred to as "Caligarism") fundamentally involves images speaking for themselves more than any text or speech. This film abides by said law. To design the stylised décor of the movie, director Weine hired Hermann Warm, Walter Rohrig and Walter Reimann. These men turned to the paintings of Edvard Munch and the Expressionist stage designs of revolutionary impresario Max Reinhardt to find inspiration for the cramped, crooked town of Holstenwall. It's a fairly dated film, but the sheer audacity of the film's physical and psychological conceit will haunt you forever.

    The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a film that boasts numerous firsts - the first horror film, the first psychological thriller, and the first German Expressionist film. This is a true classic of international cinema, and one of the most avant-garde horror films of its generation. The horror may be superficially insipid and tame, and the acting is unsurprisingly relatively hammy, but the eerie and unsettling atmosphere in addition to the eccentric imagery generates a lingering feeling of haunting unease - and that's what horror films should do.

    This chilling tale is of a fairground barker who misuses his hypnotic powers to compel a mournful cipher into doing his evil bidding. Beginning with a harmless day of fun, Francis and his good friend Alan (Von Twardowski) attend a fair that recently rolled into town. The fair's main attraction is the enigmatic Dr. Caligari (Krauss) who's exhibiting a Somnambulist named Cesare (Veidt). Cesare has been in an uninterrupted sleep for twenty-three years, and he knows the secrets of the past and the future. A curious Alan inquires when he will die...and Cesare reveals he'll be dead by dawn tomorrow. The small town is held under a grip of fear when the prediction proves true and Alan is murdered. However, this is not the first in recent days. Caligari and his Somnambulist soon become the prime suspects in a series of killings. Francis vows not to sleep until he catches the killer.

    "You fools, this man is plotting our doom! We die at dawn! He is Caligari!"



    For a time during pre-production, Fritz Lang was originally assigned to direct. He claims he worked extensively on the screenplay, although this has never been proven. Given the brilliance of Lang's work (he went on to make masterpieces such as M and Metropolis) it would be fairly interesting to see what he'd have done with the film. If anything, the film could've used stronger direction. Robert Weine's direction is competent, but occasionally lacking solidity. Weine never made a masterpiece like this again, though he tried.

    The final screenplay was written by Czech poet Hans Janowitz and Austrian artist Carl Mayer. A copy of the original shooting script disproves Janowitz's contention that the film's remarkable visual appearance had been devised by the writers. The design of Holstenwall was conceived by a separate creative team (whose names were mentioned before). On a more pragmatic level, an electricity shortage meant it was more efficient to paint in the lighting effects as opposed to using precious power. This subtle touch generates a heightened sense of menace.
    Krauss and Veidt (who played Caligari and Cesare, respectively) were both Reinhardt alumni and were capable of fashioning their own grotesque make-up and exaggerated gestures.

    German Expressionism can be perceived as inspiration for the depiction of supernatural images due to the techniques in relation to lights, shadows, out-of-focus images, and image juxtaposition. In spite of the surrealism depicted in Expressionistic movies, they always told a story related to common matters of human society. For example: the outsider (as shown in Murnau's Nosferatu) as well as prejudice and ignorance (Metropolis). The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari conveys a theme in relation to corruption that can easily affect humans, compelling them to act foolishly.

    Robert Weine's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari has always been considered a keystone of the horror genre. This is mainly a moody film, with its tone set by grotesque art direction. The deliberately ambiguous twist ending will come as a substantial jolt for a viewer. Rather than providing visceral shocks (ala Hostel, Saw, etc), Weine's masterwork plays games with the mind. It's interesting that while Germans created films with artistic merits, Americans were cranking out brilliant slapstick comedies (like the works of Charlie Chaplin) or morality tales. Thanks to the subversive nature of their films, the Germans ushered in a new era of filmmaking. Whether or not the film works depends entirely on your tolerance for silent cinema. If you have an interest in cinema in general, or if you're a horror fan keen to visit the roots of the genre, I recommend you check this one out. Robert Weine literally wrote the book of screen horror in 1920, and filmmakers have poured over it ever since.


    "I must know everything. I must penetrate the heart of his secret! I must become Caligari!"
  • Saxia
    October 24, 2008
    Saxia
    Certainly entertaining, but I wasn't blown away by it (I'm not sure how I should rate it, the style should get more stars than 3..)

    The black and white, and the music complement the surrealistic style. I've never seen anything like it. But I'm definitely in for more!!

    "Du musst...( read more) Caligari werden!!"
  • QueenCityFilms
    March 27, 2008
    QueenCityFilms
    four stars for its impressive influence on horror films
  • jplong39
    March 20, 2008
    jplong39
    THE most influentail fim of all time, and a hell of a good story for the era
  • blacksheepboy
    November 12, 2009
    blacksheepboy
    An icon of the German Expressionism, a radically anti-bourgeois work of art that has influenced an entire post-war era and managed to express with its chilling stylized visuals the deepest feelings of a society in crisis and its search for artistic innovation.
  • soniachartray
    November 8, 2009
    soniachartray
    Complètement hallucinant!
  • Donegal
    October 30, 2009
    Donegal
    Very interesting (and visual) portrayal of insanity.
  • HarleenQuinzel
    October 27, 2009
    HarleenQuinzel
    Visually stunning and ahead of its time -- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is an excellent example of early screen horror and strange German expressionism.
  • zdravkoduck
    October 24, 2009
    zdravkoduck
    I gotta see this again...or hump a waste basket

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Comments

  • oreomoviejunkie
    September 30, 2007
    oreomoviejunkie
    somebody PLEASE make a skin for this movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • panchof28
    September 24, 2006
    panchof28
    if you love cinema you MUST see this one
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Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari. (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) Trivia

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  • The character "Cesare the Sleep Walker" is from what German Expressionist film?  Answer »
  • In which film does the somnambulist kill people on the doctors orders?  Answer »
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