Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari ( The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari )

Starring: Conrad Veidt, Freidrich Feher, Lil Dagover, Werner Krauss
Director: Robert Wiene
Producer: Rudolf Meinert and Erich Pommer
Production Company: Decla-Film-Ges. Holz & Co. (Berlin)
Audio/Visual: silent, black & white
Source: Internet Archive
Via k-otic.com
Creative Commons License: Public Domain
Screenplay
Retelling and Resources

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This chilling tale begins with Francis (Fredrich Feher) relating his chance encounter with Dr. Caligari. As the scene fades, we find ourselves in the tiny German village of Hollenstan, where a carnival has put down stake. Francis, along with his good friend Alan, decide to head out for a day of fun, but little do they know what terror awaits them. At the same time, a strange and dark figure with thick spectacles approaches the town’s clerk in hopes of securing a permit for the fair. After a lengthy wait, Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) finally gets his permission to exhibit.

Barking loudly for all to hear, Caligari entices the patrons with the tale of Cesare (Conrad Veidt), the somnambulist, a man who has slept day and night for 23 years, who only awaken to tell the fortunes of others. Intrigued by what mysteries the tent may hold, Francis and Alan enter. While inside Alan dares to ask, “How long will I live?” to which the Cesare prophesies “to dawn tomorrow”. At first he is a little shocked by his foretold demise, but Alan madly laughs it off as pure nonsense only to meet his untimely end at the hands of a shadowy figure as he sleep.

This is not the first murder in recent days for earlier the town’s clerk was found murdered. Francis vows not to sleep until he finds out who killed his dear friend as the deadly words of the somnambulist echoes in his mind. Quickly he’s off to confront Caligari only to find out later that the authorities have captured the man who they think is responsible for the death. Fearing that his secret maybe uncovered, the doctor sends Cesare out to dispose of Francis’ fiancée Jane (Lil Dagover), but once the beast catches a glimpse of her beauty he decides to steal her away. A mad chase begins in pursuit of this monster.

Jane is later found abandon on the side of the road with no sign of his abductor. A still dazed and confused Jane tells Francis that it was Cesare, but he doesn’t believe her because he had been watching Caligari all night. When the authorities finally decide to talk to Caligari, they find a dumb of Cesare in his box as the good doctor flees. Francis finally tracks down doctor to an asylum where he is the director. Finally, Caligari’s mad obsession is revealed or is it???

This was one of the first Expressionist films to come out of Germany and it helped to lay the groundwork for such classics as “Nosferatu”, “The Golem”, “Metropolis”, and many others. This style of filmmaking grew from many influences such as the artistic works of Van Gogh and Edvard Munch (The Scream), as well as, the writings of Sigmund Freud. In his book “The Rise and Fall of the Horror Film”, Dr. David Soren discusses the Expressionist’s use “disorienting diagonal” as a way to illustrate the perversion of the moment. It is from this skewed vantage point that Caligari’s madness seeps out. Also, like many of the films from post-WWI Germany, the social commentary of the time is deeply rooted in the final product. So much so that rumors have persisted for years that tell of the government’s pressure on the filmmakers in forcing them to add the prologue and the ending. This was done so that the body politics was seen as the cause, but rather the solution for the insanity of the characters. The film was directed by Robert Wiene, who was the second choice after Fritz Lang (”Metropolis”) declined the reins. A must see for any horror fan! — from House of Horrors

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