Director: Robert Wiene.
Cast: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher, Lil Dagover.
Certificate: U.
Running Time: 77 minutes.
Synopsis: A man named Dr. Caligari (Krauss) shows up in town displaying his somnambulist (Veidt) who makes dark predictions. After murders begin to happen in town, suspicion falls on Caligari.
Usually labelled as the first true horror film, DAS CABINET DES DR. CALIGARI deserves its title as well as standing up today. This latest reissue may be rated U, but don’t let that fall you in the slighest. DAS CABINET DES DR. CALIGARI remains an artistic piece of true horror which, despite its age, still manages to create unsettling emotions as well as offering up plot twists before they were cool.
Sometimes it’s hard to judge a silent film, out of fear that too much relies on reviewing the film based on what it achieved and how it would have played to audiences back in the day. 94 years on and Wiene’s seminal classic can be judged purely on its own merits. Granted it left a trail of influence still followed to this day, but so many imitators have yet to recapture the magic of this must see for any horror fan (or film fan for that matter).
Caligari is a true monster of cinema, played with devilish delight by Krauss. Silent film actors had to really work those faces, and Krauss has twitchy eyes, curling lips, and a brow that says more than any dialogue ever could. Meanwhile his sleepwalking almost undead friend Cesare (Veidt), has a stare that could pierce the soul of any man, while still retaining enough humanity to create sympathy for this misused creature.
Still striking today is the incredible set design and unbelievable backdrops. Although drawn on paper, which causes notable ripples as people move past, the exaggerated sharp lines of buildings create a dangerous looking village straight from a pop-up book. This is a world that went on to influence Tim Burton, Guillermo Del Toro, countless music videos, and that freaky Judderman advert. The gothic style merges a sense of childlike creativity with darker elements of pure terror. It’s a world that has no need to be seen as completely real, but rather a distorted world, perfect for the minds of the characters.
This latest reissue from The Masters Of Cinema, gives us the most stunning looking print for years. The shadows and highlights are all crisp, without losing the old world charm. The colour tints to certain scenes allows the film to experiment with the use of colour in a pioneering yet subtle fashion.
DAS CABINET DES DR. CALIGARI continues to work on so many levels. Whether you explore it as an artistic piece or watch it as a horror, it always delivers. In this day and age the film is perhaps even more refreshing than when it first appeared, thanks to a lack of gore and no shock tactics in terms of jump scares. The twist may have been replicated, but never bettered. For its time and even for now, this is exceptional work.
[usr=5]DAS CABINET DES DR. CALIGARI is in cinemas from 29th August
