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The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari

This film is truly the keytone to many films in

both the horror and thriller genres and is held inhigh esteem. It is also the inspiration to many

great directors and has a style and influence that

can still be seen in modern film

With all the weir d gaping and gurning,

and the distorted perspective of i ts

expressionist sets, Cal igari is a

nightmari sh cinematic extension of Bram

Stoker 's 1897 classic Dr acula, combining

as it does romanti c superstiti on with the

supposedly rational world of psychiatri c

surveil lance and contr ol.(F ig 1)

With this in mind you can see the mood

of the world at this time broken after

war. The world had gone to a dark place

which can be seen in all mediums of art

and this film is a crucial part of the

expressionist movement

Undoubtedly one of the most exciting and

inspired horror movies ever made. The story is

a classic sampli ng of expressionist paranoia

about a hypnotist who uses a somnambulist to

do his mur ders, ful l of the gloom and fear that

prevailed in Germany as it emerged from

WWI (Fig 2)

The film world of the time and shows us how

art was the cinematic world and because of

this we now have highly stylized directors

who both tell a story and give us a visuallymasterpiece like Tim Burton who as anyone

who knows his work and now has seen this

can see where his spark was lit

Robert Wiene uses jagged sets, non-

naturali stic acting and flashbacks within

f lashbacks to discombobul ate, before deliver ing

a twist so blindsiding its ripped off to this day

(F ig 3)

This visionary way of making a set and environment to translate an emotion is now can

all be atoned to this film and this has now given us the rise of horror sets and his

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imaginative story has given us the plot twist in film and paved the ways for directors

like Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese and more to give us these truly mind

bending and beautiful films. This is why this film needs to be seen it helps it view to see

the origin and should be seen just as we should see any ground breaking piece of work

of art.

Bibliography

(Fig 1) The Cabinet of Dr Caligari reviewoccult scary-movie touchstone from 1920 |

Film | The Guardian. Available from:

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/28/the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari-film-review

[Accessed 25/09/2014]

(Fig 2) The Cabinet of Dr Caligari | review, synopsis, book tickets, showtimes, movie

release date | Time Out London. Available from:

http://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari [Accessed 25/09/2014]

(Fig 3) Empire's The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari Movie Review. Available from:

http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=138758 [Accessed

25/09/2014]