The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari backdrop
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari poster

THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI

Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari

1920 • DE HMDB
February 27, 1920

Francis, a young man, recalls in his memory the horrible experiences he and his fiancée Jane recently went through. Francis and his friend Alan visit The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, an exhibit where the mysterious doctor shows the somnambulist Cesare, and awakens him for some moments from his death-like sleep.

Directors

Robert Wiene Robert Wiene

Cast

Werner Krauss as Dr. Caligari

Werner Krauss

Dr. Caligari

 Conrad Veidt as Cesare

Conrad Veidt

Cesare

 Friedrich Fehér as Francis

Friedrich Fehér

Francis

 Lil Dagover as Jane

Lil Dagover

Jane

 Hans Heinrich von Twardowski as Alan

Hans Heinrich von Twardowski

Alan

 Rudolf Lettinger as Dr. Olsen

Rudolf Lettinger

Dr. Olsen

 Henri Peters-Arnolds as Young Doctor (uncredited)

Henri Peters-Arnolds

Young Doctor (uncredited)

 Rudolf Klein-Rogge as Criminal (uncredited)

Rudolf Klein-Rogge

Criminal (uncredited)

Hans Lanser-Rudolf

Old Man (uncredited)

Ludwig Rex

Murderer (uncredited)

 Elsa Wagner as Landlady (uncredited)

Elsa Wagner

Landlady (uncredited)
Dramma Horror Thriller Crime
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Crew
Production: Erich Pommer (Producer) — Rudolf Meinert (Producer)
Screenplay: Hans Janowitz (Screenplay) — Carl Mayer (Screenplay)
Music: Giuseppe Becce (Original Music Composer) — Alfredo Antonini (Original Music Composer)
Cinematography: Willy Hameister (Director of Photography)

REVIEWS (1)

Marco Castellini •
Dr. Caligari presents to the public a somnambulist named Cesare capable of predicting the future. One of the attendees is told that he will soon die and punctually the man is murdered. A girl is kidnapped by the clairvoyant somnambulist but it will not be her who dies, but Cesare himself. In the end, we discover that all the characters in the story are patients of an asylum of which Dr. Caligari is the director. It has been defined as "the masterpiece of German Expressionism". This work from the early 1920s represents one of the earliest examples of horror cinema and has indelibly marked the history of horror cinema. The element that most strikes us today are the contorted and unsettling sets (work of three Expressionist painters) that reflect the nightmare lived by the protagonist of the story but at the same time the twisted human psyche that resolves into madness. "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is certainly a small masterpiece of the genre but it must be specified that it is absolutely not an easy film: at times hermetic, inevitably slow and certainly not suitable for everyone. Recently available again on cassette, warmly recommended if you want to spend an hour (the film lasts just over 60 minutes) of great cinema.
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COMMUNITY REVIEWS (2)

CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

8 /10

This is a seriously creepy affair that follows the story of the young "Franzis" (Friedrich Feher) who goes to a fairground one night with his friend "Alan" (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski). They happen upon the performance of the coffin-dwelling somnambulist prophesier "Cesare" (Conrad Veidt) and his spooky master "Dr. Caligari" (Werner Krauss). "Casare" - who is all but skeletal in appearance, portends looming disaster for "Alan", and when he is found murdered next morning suspicions turn to this enigmatic pair- even though there is no real "evidence" at all! Things take an even darker twist when the anaemic seer predicts that "Jane" (Lil Dagover), a gentle creature admired by both the deceased and his surviving friend, is not long for this mortal coil either... It falls to "Franzis" to solve the mystery and save his love from... The story is bleak at times, the settings stark and angular, frequently almost abstract in appearance. Veidt is outstanding, as if he were in a nightmare in an Escher drawing, or some other such challenging structure for our minds to comprehend; and Krauss, too, with his maniacal eyes and almost orchestra leading hand gestures is wonderful too. The photography has a tendency to draw out the shots a little too much, but again - they help create a genuine sense of scariness. Nothing gory, or bloody - just eerie, and enormously effective. Unlike so many films that have attained critical acclaim, or cult status, this is actually a really good story with strong acting talent and wonderfully vivid visuals from Robert Wiene (and Willy Hameister) that really is amongst the best of it's - or any other - genre..

Horseface

Horseface

1 /10

This is the worst movie I've ever watched 15 minutes of. Lars von Trier once said he knew at the latest fifteen minutes into a movie whether it was worth continuing, and I took that advice to heart, so here we are.

Okay. Seriously. SERIOUSLY? Yes, 102 years ago, "cinema" was in its early years. Silent movies, someone on a piano going plonkty plonk while people were drinking moonshine, smoking plutonium and coughing up pneumonia. Great. How fantastically interesting in a historical perspective. (Seriously, though, it is.)

But hello, and welcome to reality in the now. This is absolute garbage. The only way this is useful in any way is as a source for memes. I'd like to see this with a death metal soundtrack. Or in MST3K form. Anything. Or simply as something displayed on the wall at a rave, for kitsch.

This is TERRIBLE. Anyone who rates this more than 1 stars is either a movie historian (thumbs up, dudes, I do appreciate you work, whatever it is, maybe not actually) or a pretentious dumbbell, who has never enjoyed a movie in his or her life for fear of being wrong about enjoying it.

Christ on a mongoloid horse. Garbage.

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