“We die at dawn! He is Caligari!“
Something of a chaotic dream, the 1920 silent film The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari is equal parts horror story and political dissertation. On the surface, it is a tale of a demented doctor that uses a somnambulist (that’s a five dollar word for “sleepwalker that engages in tasks while sleepwalking”) to murder…..but the story has a twist that I really don’t want to spoil. Below the surface, the film is littered with political commentary, most of which is concerned with control, power, and authority. In a world still reeling from World War I and being prepped for World War II, the film spoke volumes. It takes aim at the German government specifically, but the film’s themes can be applied across history. There are other themes and elements in the film, but I’m neither an historian nor a sociologist, so I won’t bother much more with these elements, however they are very noteworthy.
What I will talk about are the performances of the cast and the brilliant set design. Friedrich Feher is wonderful as Franzis, the film’s protagonist. Lil Dagover does a great job as Jane, Franzis’ fiancee, who becomes the target of the wicked Dr. Caligari, played with twisted fervor by Werner Krauss. Conrad Veidt portrays Cesare, the suffering tool of murder utilized by Caligari. Veidt says more with his face than many modern actors can manage with a brilliant script.
The film was written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer. It was directed by Robert Wiene. One of the most impactful parts of the film is the visuals and stage design. Almost all of the film features buildings, streets, and even trees with jagged edges, bizarre angles, and varying scale sizes. It’s intentionally done this way and considered to be a high point of German Expressionism. A trio of men are given credit for coming up with the brilliant set design. Those men are Hermann Warm, credited with designing the visuals, Walter Reimann, who painted the sets and gave them their unique, jagged style, and Walter Röhrig, who assisted in constructing the wildly designed sets. As I stated in my original review of this film, it has a very Tim Burton-like look and feel to it, but it’s obviously decades prior to even the birth of Burton. It’s a brilliant set and one of my favorites in film.
Be sure to check out The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari. I’m sure that you’ll love it. Thanks for checking out my review.
