The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) - Video On Demand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Cabinet of Dr Caligari - Movie Review |
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One of the first and most famous examples of German Expressionism, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari achieves most of its effectiveness and importance from brilliant mise-en-scene, primarily in the area of set design. Its lasting ability to interest contemporary viewers makes it easy to understand the film’s wide influence, extending beyond Expressionism directly to the horror genre and to films depicting a darker side of the psyche. The film tells the story of the deranged Doctor Caligari and his faithful somnambulist Cesare and their connection to a string of murders in a German mountain village, Holstenwall. Caligari presents one of the earliest examples of a motion picture "frame story" in which the body of the plot is presented as a flashback, as told by the narrator, Francis. Producer Erich Pommer first asked Fritz Lang to direct this film, but he was committed to other projects, so Pommer gave directorial duties to Weine. Filming took place in December 1919 and January 1920. The film premiered at the Marmorhaus in Berlin on February 26, 1920
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The Cabinet of Dr Caligari - Cast & Crew |
| Directed by: Robert Wiene Written by: Carl Mayer, Hans Janowitz Starring: Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher, Hans Heinrich Von Twardowski, Lil Dagover, Werner Krauss Crew: Erich Pommer, Rudolf Meinert, Willy Hameister Copyright: Public Domain Format: Silent, Black + White Duration: 71 mins Year: 1920 Tags: Caligari, Expressionism, German, Horror, Janowitz, Madness, Psyche, Wiene |
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari Trivia - Did You Know?The expressionist styles of the sets in Francis's story were the result of the character's insanity. Fritz Lang suggested that writer Hans Janowitz add an opening scene and a closing scene in a non-expressionistic setting, the garden, to show the difference between normal reality, and the expressionistic reality of the madman Francis. When Robert Wiene came in to direct the film, he followed Lang's suggestion and added the opening and closing scenes to the film. The sets were made out of paper, with the shadows painted on the walls. Related FilmsNosferatu | M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Morder | Phantom Of The Opera | Bride of the Monster | A Woman | |
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