(fig 1, Poster for "The cabinet of Dr Caligari)
Made by Robert Wiene, “The cabinet of Dr Caligari” is one of
the earliest entries into the horror genre of movies and has left a noticeable
impression that’s lasted almost a century. The film is based in the delusional
mind of Francis and tells the story of Doctor Caligari and his pet somnambulist.
Whilst it seems like a straightforward tale at first, it gradually becomes more
surreal and by the end you’re not sure what is real or merely imagined. As
Robert Ebert put it “He is making a film of delusions and deceptive
appearances, about madmen and murder, and his characters exist at right angles
to reality” (Robert Ebert, 2009). None of them can quite be believed, nor can
they believe one another. If you are a fan of Tim Burton this film will feel
very familiar to you, it combines Gothic horror and surrealism in a way he often
recreates.
The set design is probably the most interesting thing in
this film looking back. Instead of going for the most realistic scene possible
they created this twisted and unnatural world. To quote the Moving image education
organisation "Caligari can be seen in the film's use of extreme canted
camera angles, exaggerated gestures by the actors and irregular distorted
shapes” (Moving image education, 2016). The buildings loom over the streets
with oddly placed windows and doors, the fair is an incomprehensible sea of
ropes, cloth and merry-go-rounds. All of this is feeding into the fake and
delusional nature of the story. The events of the story are mostly made up so
having the art direction mirror that shows a certain creativity that you rarely
notice in films.
(fig 2, The cabinet of Dr Caligari)
Like all early filming the camera work and acting is largely
theatrical. The camera is static and the actors walk in and out of shot as
needed. This does make sense, cameras at the time were large, unwieldy
contraptions and ill-suited to moving about the set. This was also limited by
the sets, as they were only built to work with one camera angle. It adds to the
charm of the film in my opinion but it does date it a fair bit.
Another standout thing in this movie is what they did with colour.
Although the film was made in 1920, firmly in the black and white era, they
managed to add a bit of colour into the movie. They tinted parts of the film
reel different colours to help generate a different tone. A warm orange for the
daytime, a dull green during night. They use a rosy red for some of Jane’s
scenes for a comfortable sense of romanticism.
(fig 3, The cabinet of Dr Caligari)
Through all of this, and more, the film accurately conveys a
deep feeling of unease and sometimes madness. As the film picks up speed it
becomes hard for the viewer to keep up, unsure with what is real and what is
just delusional. It also deals well with the limitations of early cinema
sometimes even finding a stylistic use for them. That’s not to say it’s
perfect, far from it. The film is very slow, almost to a crawl in the 5th
act. Also like most films of the time the acting is rarely believable and seems
better suited to a stage rather than a set.
Overall, while the film has its detractions, it is still one
of the most influential films of all time. It practically created the horror and
German expressionist movie genre. It also firmly established movies as an
art-form to rival any other, with complex stories and imaginative visuals. It
also holds up as a movie that is still worth watching even almost 100 years
later.
Bibliography
Roger Ebert. (2009) The cabinet of Dr Caligari [1920]. At: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari-1920 (Accessed on 24 September 2017)
Moving image education. (2016) Expressionism. At: https://movingimageeducation.org/analyse-film/film-culture/expressionism (Accessed on 24 September 2017)
List of Illustrations
Fig.1 IMBD. Poster for The cabinet of Dr Caligari. At: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0010323/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt (Accessed on 24 September 2017)
Fig.2 Listal. Still from The cabinet of Dr Caligari. At http://www.listal.com/viewimage/553760 (Accessed on 24 September 2017)
Fig.3 Film grab. Still from The cabinet of Dr Caligari. At https://film-grab.com/2014/11/05/the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari/ (Accessed on 24 September 2017)
