Review - The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Halloween Horror From a Classic German Expressionist Film

Oct 7, 2008

Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari was one of the leading films of the Expressionist cinema movement during 1920s Germany. Read on for critical and contextual analysis.

In the 1920s, after First World War defeat, Germany went through a period of radical change. State funded film company Ufa (Universum Film AG) controlled most cinematic output and distribution. Nobly, they set out to recapture Germany's place in world culture.

Germany's Golden Age

By 1925 enough films were being produced to rival Hollywood, achieving a golden age for German cinema. Arguably, Caligari kicked off the surge in quality film-making. Later Expressionist masterpieces Metropolis and Nosferatu soon confirmed that art was back in German cinemas.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - A Story in Pictures

Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920) introduced strange looking, geometric set design - soon to become a common feature of Expressionist cinema. Art director Hermann Warm called the sets “drawings brought to life”. It was a surreal backdrop for a nightmarish tale:-

A travelling circus arrives in town with a strange spectacle to behold. A somnambulist, who has slept in a box for 25 years, is about to be awoken. The keeper of said box – a large coffin shaped cabinet – is one Dr. Caligari. He rouses the sleeper, Cesare, and invites questions from the townsfolk, claiming Cesare can tell the future. Cesare predicts death for a member of the throng and sure enough, murder soon follows. Owing to the evening's spooky predictions, Dr. Caligari and his somnambulist are now firmly implicated as suspects.

German Expressionism - A Major Influence on Tim Burton

The stark, horror of this silent era, black and white film is apparent even to modern viewers. Blood curdling scenes, such as when Cesare arises zombie-like from his cabinet, tap into universal psychological fears. The imagery and design of Caligari further enhances the anxiety through use of dark eerie shadows, awkward angular sets and extreme low/high angle camera shots. These techniques embody the essence of German Expressionism, and easily lend themselves to a cinema of horror. Modern films, and directors such as Tim Burton, are noticeably influenced by Expressionism. Edward Scissorhands, for instance, creates the mood of classic horror films by using such Expressionist techniques.

Reading Caligari as Political Protest

Caligari can be read as an anti-authoritarian parable, whereby the powers that be (represented by Dr. Caligari) manipulates the proletarian masses (represented by Cesare the somnambulist) to carry out acts of murder. It's easy to see how this struck a chord with a German nation decimated by war, but conversely it was important that the distributor, Ufa, was not seen to be openly critical of the government. Bound not to bite the hand that feeds, the production was a web of political intrigue.

Caligari's problems were finally resolved by producer Erich Pommer. His response was to enclose the narrative within a framing story. Whilst this enfeebled the anti-authoritarian message, it did serve its purpose. It's unfair to reveal exactly how the framing device is used - such information can ruin a film for nascent German Expressionist viewers. Suffice to say, as a technique it's one which has been assimilated into cinematic culture, and is now easily recognisable as a form of narrative resolution. Similar, but not the same, as when Dorothy wakes up in The Wizard of Oz to discover it's just been a dream.

Classic Horror for Halloween

The influence of Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari on the horror genre has been huge. Its story is enduring, encouraging a spate of re-makes and homages over the years. Whether interpreted as political metaphor or just as brilliant horror film, the original is rightly hailed a masterpiece, well deserving of its classic cinema status. Dig it out and set the scene for vintage Halloween fun.

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