Movie Review : The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Title : The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Language : Silent Movie
Year : 1920
Director : Robert Wiene
Genre : Horror
IMDB Link
Watch movie on YouTube
Lead Role : Friedrich Feher, Werner Krauss

The movie is widely acknowledged as one of the landmark revolutionary offerings from the long gone era when movies did not speak. It may be technically incorrect to call a silent film German, nevertheless it was made in Germany during a time period when the European nation was in turmoils after the devastating World War I.

The story begins with a young man by the name of Francis starts narrating the hardships faced by him and his fiancee (Jane) and the very peculiar, even horrifying doings of a strange man, Dr. Caligari. Dr. Caligari owns a stall at a nearby exhibition, and on display is a somnambulist Caeser, who allegedly has slept for 23 straight years! The doctor awakens him, and he answers questions asked by the spectators. To the horror of the locals, his prophecies comes true. Meanwhile, the town is gripped in fear as a series of murders takes place.

The makers have chosen very unorthodox lighting and skewed drawings throughout the picture, and there is a reason which I shall not reveal for the delight of watching it. Anyways, I am pretty sure the movie would not end where or how you expected it to.

A lot has been discussed about this movie since then, even drawing parallels to the autocratic rule of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party.

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