Director: Robert Weins
Year: 1920
Country: Germany
Language: German
The film begins in a German Town called Hostenwall. After a short prologue, the story begins. A sideshow director named Caligari (Werner Krauss) arrives to show the Somnambulist. A zombie-like figure, a man who has been sleeping since he was born over two decades ago. His name is Cesare and he sleeps in a coffin, he is handled by the seemingly mad doctor who then claims that he can answer any question. A man named Alan (Hans Heinz von Twardowski) who is friend's with this film's protagonist known as Francis (Frederich Fehler), bravely asks the strange man "When will I die?" The reply is rather frightening "At first dawn!"At dawn Alan dies. Of course everyone is suspicious of the sideshow director and his strange presentatiion Cesare. However, the next morning his wife has been kidnapped. Lending us to believe that Cesare could not be responsible for these crimes. At first the plot is not that strange, however it gets strange when somehow Ceasare becomes alive. Carrying Jane with being chased by a mob. Caligari has somehow learned to bring the Somnambulist to life, all the while controlling him.
The first thing you will notice about The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is it's strange look. Radical distortions like tilted walls, sharp angles, odd landscapes make for a dream-like atmosphere which sets the film apart from anything that came before or after it. These stylized two dimensional sets are perfect for a horror film where nothing is certain. For the film is about delusions, madmen and deception. No character can believe anyone and no character is to be believed. The longer shots show the spiky rigidness of the background, which is supposed to make the character feel claustrophobic. There is no resting place nor is there any safety. The ingenious use of the iris shot provides the characters with the assurance that there is no privacy. The audience is the detective, the all seeing eye, watching mysterious events as they unfold.
The film was made during the 1920's, in which Surrealism and expressionism were rising quite fast. This movement was said to be a reaction towards the horror that had been experienced throughout World War One. The war that ended several decades of piece and happiness and became an all out blood-bath. Surrealism was the mood of the European people at the time, a mood of imbalance, disharmony, depression and alienation. Common values were rejected, tradition was thrown to fire and anarchy was a rising trend.While Cabinet of Dr.Caligari might have been upsetting to some American viewers at the time, it represented exactly what Europeans were thinking and feeling. A disorderly film for a disorderly world.
In conclusion, there is no doubt that The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari is one of the most important films ever made. Without it we wouldn't have Film Noir or any kind of Mystery film whatsoever. We also wouldn't have very much horror. It's look is unlike anything you will ever see in your life. It's the world of the insane, the world of the heartbroken. This film is one that needs to be seen and studied by anybody who wishes to call themselves a film buff. It also needs to be shown in every film class as it's essential to understanding the History of Europe as well as the history of film. Praise it! 5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment