141
The
Cabinet of Dr Caligari
(Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari)
Release date 26th February 1920
Country : Germany
Running time : 71 mins
Genre : Horror
Starring Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt
Screenplay by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer
Directed by Robert Wiene
Dr Caligari's somnambulist Cesare predicts that Alan a visitor to a fairground has only hours to live. The prophecy is correct and Alan is murdered. Eventually Alan's friend Francis tracks the sinister Dr Caligari to a mental asylum, it appears the doctor is the director or is he ?
(Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari)
Release date 26th February 1920
Country : Germany
Running time : 71 mins
Genre : Horror
Starring Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt
Screenplay by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer
Directed by Robert Wiene
Dr Caligari's somnambulist Cesare predicts that Alan a visitor to a fairground has only hours to live. The prophecy is correct and Alan is murdered. Eventually Alan's friend Francis tracks the sinister Dr Caligari to a mental asylum, it appears the doctor is the director or is he ?
This now looks fairly primitive
with its stylised sets and odd angles. Though its particular brand of
fantasy wasn't duplicated it heavily influenced the film noir and
horror genres and is usually considered the first German Expressionist
classic. The plot still intrigues and it was important as one of the
first films not to try to duplicate reality, in the world of art
generally it was a milestone, the surrealists would be influenced
too.
Fritz Lang was originally set to direct this film but other work commitments prevented it.
DVD
available from Kino Home Video (also Image and many poor PD discs) :
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.amazon.com/
Digitally Obsessed (Kino Edition)
DVD Talk (Kino German Horror Classics Boxset)
DVD Beaver
(comparison of Kino and Image editions)
142 140
Written content copyright Derek McLellan,2005.
Copyright © The Fedora Chronicles
Cabinet of Dr Caligari image from
http://mobledqueen.com/
