8/3/2019 The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) Film Review

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TheCabinetofDr.Caligari (1920)

Dir.RobertWeine

TheCabinetofDr.Caligari iswidelyconsidered“the

firsttruehorrorfilm”(Ebert,2009)andisamassively

influentialpieceofclassiccinema,presentingfuture

filmmakerswithnow-iconicelements,suchasthe‘twistending’.FilmcriticColeSmitheyaddressesthis,saying,

“Thefilm'sripplesofinfluencecanbefoundinavantgarde,

 filmnoir,horror,andthrillersrangingfromcrimeto

 psychologicalsuspense.”(Smithey,2011)

Thefilmappearstohopfromonegenretoanother,

startingoffwithatoneofsuspenseandmystery,likethatofa

psychologicalthriller(followingtheideaofCesarehavingthe

abilitytopredictone’sdeath),movingontosomewhatofa

slashermovie,withserialmurderbeingrifethroughouttheslightlydisjointedvillageofHolstenwallbytheendofthefilm.

Ofcourse,beingthepredecessortothetypicaltropesof

thesegenres,thefilmdoesnotfeeloverlycomplexor

strangelyridiculous.Itfeelsasifthismergedcombinationof

unusualsituationsisperfectlynormal,whereasnowadays,

thismash-upofgenreswouldbeputdowntoa

misunderstandingofbasicfilmmaking.

Thefilmisavisualdelight,setwithinawarpedworld

oftwistedstreets,loomingstaircasesdrapedaround

distortedbuildingsandhillsidesthatlookasiftheycouldbefoundwithinthepagesofa

pop-upbook.Themesmerizing,somewhatunsettlingsettingdepictsthethemesofinsanityanddelusioneffectively,constantlyresettingideaswithinthemindsoftheaudiencewith

eachnewscene.

“Slatheringthescreenwithforcedperspectivesandallkindsofbizarrediagonalsand

slants;thereishardlyarightangletobefoundinthisfilm.Itresultsinvivid,dreamlike

logicandaterrifyinglackofcontrol.”(Anderson,2008)

Thesetsareprimarilytwo-dimensional,muchlikethatofatheatreproduction,but

atnopointdothesefacadesfeelobviousandunreal.Theseamlessintegrationofthe

sceneryandtheplotmaketheentirefilmutterlyimmersive.ThecharacterofCesarethe

Somnambulisthashadanobviousinfluenceonvariouscharactersthroughoutcinema.

SimilaritiescanbefoundincharacterssuchasNosferatuandmorerecently,Edward

Scissorhands.

Fig1TheCabinetofDr.Caligari 

FilmPoster

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Theunbelievablyflamboyantmelodramaputforwardbythecastissomewhatsuppressed

bytheaskewnatureofthesetdesign,makingtheover-the-topperformancesappearperfectlyrationalinavillagethatisanythingbut.

Therearevariousstorytellingtechniquesfoundwithinthefilmthatarenow

consideredsomewhatcompulsoryintheaveragefilm.Thefirstofthesetechniquesisthe

flashback.Flashbacksareusedwhenthefilmmakerwishestoportraytheconclusionofthe

plotinitially,beforetheaudienceisclearonwhyithasoccurred.Thisplaysonthe

audience’ssenseofcuriosity,leavingthemdesperatetoknowwhathappenedandensuring

thattheyareconstantlyengagedwiththeplotofthefilm.Anotherstorytellingtechnique

displayedisthetwistending.Twistendingsareusedtoapplyashockfactortotheplot,

typicallyinthefinale.Theplotisplayedoutandtowardstheendofthefilm,theresultthe

audiencewasexpectingisswitchedoutforsomethingentirelyspontaneousand

unexpected.ThistechniqueisusedliberallybydirectorssuchasM.NightShyamalanandcanbefoundinfilmssuchasTheSixthSense,Se7en,FightClub andTheEmpireStrikesBack .

TheworldinwhichTheCabinetofDr.Caligari issetperfectlyreflectsthedislocated

toneofdissolutionpresentedbytheplot,makingitexceedinglyclearwhythefilmhashad

suchanimpactonthehistoryofcinema.

Bibliography

ImagesFig.1.TheCabinetofDr.CaligariFilmPoster From:TheCabinetofDr.CaligariDirectedby:RobertWeine.[film

poster]Germany:Decla-Bioscop

Fig.2.ComparingtheAppearanceofCesare,NosferatuandEdwardScissorhands

ImagesTakenFrom:TheCabinetofDr.CaligariDirectedby:RobertWeine.[filmstill]Germany:Decla-Bioscop

NosferatuDirectedby:F.W.Murnau.[filmstill]Germany:FilmArtsGuild

EdwardScissorhands Directedby:TimBurton.[PromotionalPhotograph]US:20thCenturyFox

QuotesandReferencesEbert,R.(2009)TheCabinetofDr.Caligari. In:rogerebert.suntimes..com 03.07.09[online]

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090603/REVIEWS08/906039987/1023(Accessed

On26/10/10)

Smithey,C.(2011)TheCabinetofDr.Caligari-ClassicFilmPick. In:colesmithey.com03.10.11[online]

http://www.colesmithey.com/capsules/2011/10/the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari.html(AccessedOn26/10/10)

Anderson,J.M.(2008)TheCabinetofDr.Caligari. In:combustiblecelluloid.com13.02.08[online]

http://www.combustiblecelluloid.com/classic/cabcaligari.shtml(AccessedOn26/10/10)

Fig2ComparingtheAppearanceofCesare,NosferatuandEdwardScissorhands