The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant film but an explanation for all!
Review: It has been rumored for years that when the producers set out to make The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari they intended to end the film with Caligari getting captured and no framing story. Wrong! A first draft of the film's script shows there was always intended to be a framing story. But the one that was first intended was different than the one presented on film. Originally Francis and Jane were supposed to be at a picnic years later and reminiscing about their days in the town when murderer Caligari showed up. This was changed to the looney bin frame story probably so authority woudn't be depicted quite so negatively. Agreed the film is brilliant and powerfully scarey in it's final execution (no pun intended).

Rating:
Summary: A Foundational Work of World Cinema
Review: World War One sent a shockwave through the arts and one of the results was expressionism. The term is difficult to define; in a general sense, however, it refers to a type of art that makes a statement about internal emotion and psychology. Often linked to surrealism and cubism, in the 1920s expressionism became one of the dominate styles in visual and performing arts and was particularly associated with Germany.

The 1919 THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI is perhaps the only film made in a purely expressionist style. As directed by Robert Wiene and designed by Herman Warm, Walter Reimann, and Walter Rohrig, everything about the film is exaggerated, off-center, and disorienting. The sets are strange, deliberately artificial constructions of flat surfaces in odd angles and broad strokes of paint; the make-up and costumes are equally exaggerated. The result is a unique look that has the paranoid essence of nightmare, and the story links with the visuals to remarkable effect.

A carnival has come to a small German town, and among its attractions is Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) and "sonambulist" Cesare (Conrad Veidt). When awakened from his sleep, Cesarea makes predictions of the future--predictions of death! And through his power over the sleepwalker, Caligari ensures that the predictions come true. It is frequently described as the first true horror film. But while the story was shocking by 1919 standards, it was really the visual style of the film that outraged critics and the public alike; many described it as "degenerate," and it proved extremely controversial where ever shown.

It also proved incredibly influential--so much so that it is virtually impossible for any one serious about film as art to avoid it. But there are quite a few releases that you should avoid: the film is in public domain, and the result has been a series of DVD and VHS "budget" releases that are dire to the nth degree. It is a matter of getting what you pay for, and while the KINO release is the most expensive print available, it is also the only one worth having. The picture quality is as good as it can be short of digital restoration and the film has been restored to its original tints as well.

The KINO release offers a choice of soundtracks, a 43 minute version of director Robert Wiene's GENUINE: THE TALE OF A VAMPIRE, and archival footage of Wiene on the set of I.N.R.I. While these are interesting, it is a pity that KINO did delve a little deeper; this is a film truly worthy of a double disk treatment crammed to overflowing with additional information. But the film itself is the important thing, and where that is concerned you have the best possible. Strongly recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Rating:
Summary: a note to confused amazon users...
Review: Amazon does NOT differentiate its reviews of titles (be it book/DVD's/vhs etc) by this or that edition by any of the many companies that release them....so your review of the cheapy public domain Alpha dvd(to name just one of the several CRAP distributors of old movies)and the words you write about the restored fine print Kino International(to name one of the very excellent distributors of old movies)will be all on the same page, WHATEVER version you have selected!!

Having said that , my review is of the KINO dvd release , a very fine one as this company does not distribute anything less(you pay more, but if you know anything about silent and classic movies it will be no secret to you that if you pay peanuts that is exactly what you will get....)...it is however disconserting to see that even the best available dvd release still hasn't been cleaned up to the degree that other classic silent masterpieces have..surely with todays technology a digital "hoovering" of this film is not too much to ask.

Wonderful film of course, but you know that otherwise you wouldn't even be reading these reviews, and the KINO version is , so far, the best you can get for your money.


Rating:
Summary: Landmark Filmmaking!
Review: I am at a loss why some are reviewing the Image Entertainment version when the KINO INTERNATIONAL VERSION is the one listed above. The Kino print is wonderfully clear and very sharp with excellent detail...there are some specks left here and there but this in no way detracts from the enjoyment. The intertitles are a bit on the slow side, but at last you can read them.

I really have little to say that hasn't gone on before except this is a superb silent film with an incredibly delicious plot twist at the end...Very dark cinema and excellent soundtrack as well!

Bravo KINO!!!

Rating:
Summary: "There are spirits all around us..."
Review: This is the film that set the pace for German expressionistic films. Its dark, its creepy, its strange. Its Edward Gory meets Frankenstein. If you like Tim Burtons work, you will appreciate the skewed perspectives, the painted sets, and the Edward Scissorhads-esque "Somnambulist". In a world where nothing is as it seems and nightmares are reality, Robert Wiene takes you to the edge of sanity and hurls you off the ledge.

This is the digitally mastered version of the 1923 German re-issue of the 1919 original. I'd call it a black and white silent film, but it has been tinted in sepia, purple, and green at times supposedly to better reflect the original director's intent. This version also has a new score by Timothy Brock which fits the eerie film very well, in my opinion. Very avant-garde.

*As a bonus, this edition also has an excerpt of another Wiene film "Genuine" whish is supposedly about a vampire, but theres not enough footage to really tell you what its about- only teases you and leaves you wanting more.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Film, Terrible Transfer.
Review: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is an excellent film, and others have covered this fairly well. I give the film five stars.

However, I give these cheap prints of the film one star, and so my score of three is a reminder to potential buyers that you get what you pay for. I have one of the cheap $6 DVDs of this film, and will not make this mistake again. The transfer on these cheap versions is simply terrible. Invest in the more expensive version if you want to purchase this; the cheap ones are murky and somewhat trying to watch. Since a major part of this film is the innovative interplay of light and shadow used to create the mood, a crisp transfer (as much can be expected from such an old film) is paramount. What else is paramount is being able to see what's going on and which character is which, issues that aren't always easy with the cheap versions. Spend the extra $10, buy the good version, and save yourself the frustration of trying to figure out what's going on in almost every scene.

Rating:
Summary: Pedestrian compared to Haxan
Review: Before beginning to write this review I read a couple of the previous reviews, and one person said something that summed up my thoughts quite well. You Tim Burton fans will see stuff here that was obviously a large influence on him. Specifically, the sets. You can imagine movie-goers of that era feeling as if they were seeing an alternate world as they watched this movie.

I think my thoughts on this movie will differ from those of most of the reviewers, though. I think the sets and the look of the characters are the most interesting things about this movie. Is it actually from 1921, though? On the VHS I have, it says "released in 1919" right on the box. Beyond that, the camerawork and production values seem to be quite a bit less than the those of many other films from the early '20s.

This movie has its moments, but if you really want to see a movie from the early '20s that is psychotic and strange even by many of today's standards, try Haxan, from 1922. For those of you who think Dr. Caligari or the flying monkeys scene from Wizard of Oz are creepy or scary, you will be utterly horrified by Haxan. Haxan is a movie that couldn't have been made by American studios until probably the late '60s... and lots of people still would have been outraged even then, I'm sure.

Haxan has better cinematography and production values, and every aspect of it is more twisted and evil than anything in Caligari. Plus the acting is alot better. Caligari is worthy as an historical artifact and for its influence, but Haxan is better in every single way. There are things in Caligari that are laughably bad or just boring. Haxan is a twisted masterpiece of evil and perversion, and worthy of many more viewings.

Having said this, if you are really into Dr. Caligari, Mark Dresser (incredible bassist, improvisor, composer) released a music cd of the same name. His The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is available on this website in the music section.



Rating:
Summary: Open the doors of the Cabinet
Review: "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" remains possibly the most watchable of the silent films, even to those who are not silent film aficionados. Werner Krauss's use of a landscape of obtuse angles and hand-painted shadows creates a dream-like/nightmare-like reality that is heightened by the distance and the crackling of the ancient cameras. The characters, the enigmatic Dr. Caligari and his sinister somnambulist Cesare, are both creatures of dark corners of the imagination, and could happily hold court with Count Dracula, The Phantom of the Opera and other famous monsters of filmland.

The storyline is equally gripping, with plot twists and turns to rival any modern film. The innate fear of the carnival is played for all of its creepy value, as the strangers who inhabit this strange world must by their very nature carry some dark secret. It truly is a masterpiece of any age.

The downfall of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is its presentation. As equally deserving of restoration and a "special edition" format as "Nosferatu" and "Metropolis," there has yet to be a definitive version of this classic film. Also dampening its effect is the soundtrack. On the version I have, there is a sort of light jazz piano playing in the background. If composer Philip Glass would work his magic on Caligari, the way he did on Tod Browning's "Dracula," then this would be a powerhouse of a film.

Kino International is releasing a new DVD of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." Although it doesn't have the newly composed soundtrack I would hope for, let's hope they work the same magic with the restoration that they did with their release of "Metropolis (Restored Authorized Edition)."

Rating:
Summary: The shadow of the Third Reich
Review: Behold the eyes of Cesare, the somnambulist, as he awakens at the carnival that is the human city under the shadow of the future. His eyes are full of desolation and dread, utter frenzy, and something like the power of rape. Cesare is a puppet - a homunculus of someone else's dreams. He is a passive victim, whose body radiates pure violation. Yet he is a taut monster, a creature of deprival that stalks the tortured landscapes of our dreams. He is Frankenstein's monster who would drown us all as an act of love.
In this film we find out that our hopes have been pre-programmed by the those who would betray them. We learn that our father figures are gods of doom and that the insane asylum is being run by those who are most insane - this , the most terrible of all the discoveries of modern man.
In this film there is no Number Six hell-bound and heaven bound on escape. The drive for freedom has been destroyed before the film even begins.

Rating:
Summary: Very unexpected ending!
Review: This is only the second silent film that I have seen, and I find that I am quickly becoming a fan. This movie had an intense, surreal aspect to it that reminded me of Kabuki and Noh theater in Japan. The background music was superb and helped to further intensify the atmosphere. The actor portraying Dr.Caligari was truly eerie and I found myself amazed at the effectiveness of the "overacting". To be honest, initially I thought the plot was simplistic until the very end when I found out that I had jumped to a premature conclusion.
I couldn't help but think that this movie directly influenced Tim Burton, from the angled buildings and dream-like sets, to the Somnambulist who definitely seemed to be the predecessor of Edward Scissorhands.
I highly recommend this movie, not only for the historical value, but because it was extremely entertaining and engrossing.