Film: Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari
Release date: 18th September 2000
Certificate: U
Running time: 71 mins
Director: Robert Wiene
Starring: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher, Lil Dagover, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski
Genre: Horror
Studio: Eureka!
Format: DVD
Country: Germany
A highly influential piece of 1920s German Expressionism, Robert Wiene's Das Cabinetd des Dr. Caligari is heralded by many as one of the definitive early horrors. It's thought to be the first film to use a certain twist ending which is now found frequently in cinema, though this was not the writers‘ original intention. It is also believed that the film's expressionist style helped influence the invention of the film noir genre. Today, the film has a strong cult following in Germany and around the globe.
The narrative is told as a flashback by main protagonist Francis (Friedrich Feher), as he tells his tale to a disturbed, seemingly elderly gentleman.
This was one of the earliest uses of the Frame Story convention in cinema, and was added to the script by the producer after the start of production. Francis tells his story to explain the trauma suffered by his beloved, Jane, who is also present and acting hauntingly. He describes how his friend Alan and he encountered a Dr Caligari (Werner Krauss) at a carnival, flaunting his somnambulist Cesare (Conrad Veidt) as a sideshow. A somnambulist is, literally translated, a sleepwalker, explained in the film as a person who spends most of their life in a state of trance-like sleep. The strange Caligari can bring Cesare out of this sleep and claims that the man can predict the future.
When Cesare’s predictions of death come true, it causes Francis to grow suspicious, and he begins his tragic investigations into Dr Caligari…
It is easy to see why this film has stood the test of time. Instantly, it grips the audience with its opening scene; the misty graveyard in which two traumatised men exchange competing tales of woe, shortly followed by the entrance of a beautiful but disturbed girl. She mutters to herself with troubled, dark-rimmed eyes, dressed in white - the perfect image of Gothic horror. Unlike F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu, which starts lightly and descends into darkness, this commencement scene reveals the darkness which the characters are headed towards, whilst still keeping the reveal hidden. This draws us in with a sense of foreboding hanging over every following scene - excellent application of a technique, which was new to cinema at the time.
The plot itself, however, is simplistic to a modern audience. It travels from A to B without much in the way of twists and turns – except, of course, for the ending. Interestingly, the end was supposed to be straight forward, but was deemed “too dark” to be released, and so a new ending had to be invented and tacked onto the end. This sudden new ending, fortunately, makes sense with the plot (unlike, say, the proposed alternative sugar-sweet ending for Brazil). It also comes as completely unexpected, as there were, of course, no clues about it seeded throughout the plot. This comes as especially unexpected due to the simplistic, un-subtle nature of the rest of the narrative – if the ending had been intended from the start, it may have been far too obvious. As it is, it shocked audiences who had never seen this happen before, and started a popular trend. There is much debate over the symbolic significance of these additions to the film, and how they affect the original messages; that of mind-washing and corruption in a time when the Nazi party were starting to gain power and favour. Some believe it added to, and others believe it detracted from this message. The only way to form your own opinion is to watch it!
The most notable achievement of the film is the art direction. Hermann Warm’s almost cartoonish sets are creative and expressive; perfect examples of German Expressionist art. Their off-kilter nature reflects that of the film, keeping the audience unsettled with small details, like a crooked door or slanted window. The style has influenced many directors since, such as the personal art and earlier films of American director Tim Burton, as well as many lower-budget cult directors. Richard Elfman’s 1980 cult hit, The Forbidden Zone features very similar sets, and is just one of many. The makeup used can also be seen to have influenced both these men. It is used effectively in the film to exaggerate expressions, particularly in the cases of Caligari and Cesare, where eyes are sometimes painted on top of closed eyelids to emphasize staring.
Whereas the art techniques have only been carried over into more cult or surrealist films, Willy Hameister’s striking use of lighting helped set a bar for later films of many genres. In black-and-white, the use of shadows and light are particularly important, and the bold choice of such drastic contrasts helped set a tone that was adopted by noir as the genre developed. It helps the sets appear surreal, but more importantly keeps the tone edgy and dangerous, which is what made the style so befitting to noir film. Black and white lines were painted on sets to imitate lighting, combining with the actual lighting to warp the images and seemingly bend the laws of physics. One would almost expect the sets to move like a Sally Cruickshank cartoon, fluid and dream-like. In fact, in one moment of distress, animation is used to convey a character’s troubled state of mind, but even without this, the scenes are nightmarish, engaging and memorable, making up for the occasionally slow storytelling.
The camerawork is a weak link in an otherwise strong chain. Stage-like sets and milling marketplace scenes put one in mind of a play more than a movie, and the static camerawork adds to this sensation. Film was still a new art, and it took several decades for moviemakers to fully drop the theatre mentality (later expressed through large musical set pieces), but with such interesting shapes and images on screen, more dynamic and experimental camerawork would have helped bring the potential to life.
Still, this is a product of the time, as is the acting, which, of course, seems over the top to us now. However, it is still highly enjoyable, and we mustn’t forget that there was nothing hammy about it to its original audience. With that considered, some of the acting is very strong, particularly that of Francis, a likable protagonist, and Cesare, a powerful performance from German legend Conrad Veidt. This was one of Veidt’s defining roles, and his presence left a lasting impression on many minds. Again a source of inspiration in the film, his influence can be seen in characters such as Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands.
Though not believable by modern standards, Werner Kraus’ performance also left a lasting impression, expressive and deranged. The damsel in distress, Jane (Lil Dagover), is less convincing to us, but her over-the top use of bold poses convey her distress and fear with strength, in the same way Greek actors would project emotions in an amphitheatre.
The film is available from several distributors, with a choice of optional musical soundtracks. The best quality restoration available in the UK seems to be from Eureka Entertainment.
A modern audience may no longer find this film frightening, but it isn’t one you’ll forget. An art show come to life, it’s worth a viewing purely to feast on the visuals. It is a must-see for historical value, as it has greatly influenced cinema in all areas, from scripting to cinematography. Occasionally campy, but ultimately tragic, Caligari entertains as well as plays on your sympathies, and once viewed, it will change your perception of cinema forever, for its fingerprints are everywhere to be found. AIB
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