'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) is a haze of phantasmagoria and disassociation that drags you directly into the mind of the German Expressionist movement, and into the ominous unreality of post-war Europe.
The film operates within an unreliable narrative, and opens with Francis, a protagonist within the film, telling the story of a sinister psychologist known as Dr. Caligari and his fairground attraction: a somnambulist who can tell the future, often with lethal results.
The catch of the film is that, in reality, the events are staged within the mind of an 'insane' man. The haunting entrapment of the somnambulist, the ends of his victims, the evil of Dr. Caligari all exist within his subjective perspective of the world. This plot device makes the film an excellent and gripping feature which ages well upon each re-watch.
German expressionism and a bleak reality
The reality, or unreality of the film, is shown to the audience through employing German Expressionist features such as a high contrast, geometric world, painterly effects both on sets and character costuming and makeup, alongside a bleak, bittersweet storyline that reflects the chaos and uncertain ending of WWI.
Germany's state of disrepair and loss lies evident in German Expressionist filmography - sometimes combatted, as in Metropolis, and sometimes embraced and reflected back at the elites of society, as in Dr. Caligari. It is as if the film urges its audience to look upon the chaos and embrace the unreliable narration as a segment of a 'new' reality. I would also argue that this film embraces the evolution of the Auteur, and of the validity of the production design as key to the impact the film has on its audience.
I found that though the film did not contain an original soundtrack, the visuals enraptured me to the point where I felt myself involved in the world regardless! In essence, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is required viewing for anyone interested in film, not only because the visuals of German Expressionism are so important to film history, but because it is... just that interesting!
Overall score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
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