The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer and directed by Robert Weine, was produced in 1919 by Erich Pommer for Decla-Bioscop. In that year, the movie industry underwent a significant transformation into a massive industry. Despite being produced in 1919, the film was not released in the United States until 1921 when filmmakers sought to prove its artistic value. Among the 525 films released in 1921, only 50 remain today, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is one of those fortunate few.
Upon its release in America, horror films were uncommon as many filmmakers deemed the subject matter distasteful or repulsive, not to mention challenging to adapt to the silent screen. The first documented horror film was Frankenstein in 1910, and elements from Frankenstein can be seen in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Director Robert Wiene used the demonic somnambulist Cesare’s intrusion into Lil Dagover’s bedchamber to tap into a fear that we all share. Sleeping and defenseless, the woman is rendered utterly vulnerable. Wiene conveys this vulnerability by transporting her into his expressionist labyrinth, which serves as a metaphor for the darkest torments of the human mind and soul. This scene also alludes to the popular themes of Beauty and the Beast in horror films, as a beautiful woman is abducted by evil.
Expressionism was employed in films that delved into the realm of dreams, nightmares, and the human psyche, and their narratives were driven by emotions rather than actions. The movie The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari effectively utilized angular sets and pronounced shadows to create a chilling and eerie ambiance, contributing to its storyline centered around murder and insanity. Notably, the deliberate use of artificial-looking sets further enhanced the artistic vision of the film.
The deliberate distortions in this text aim to depict the perceptions of a tormented soul. The German expressionism movement, also known as dada and surrealism, rejected traditional understandings of reality. As part of the German expressionist movement, modern art was already in progress. The movement employed tilted sets and twisted cardboard trees to convey its message. Light and shadow were used strategically to evoke an emotional response from the viewer.
Two German films, Passion and Sumurun, featuring the actress Pola Negri, were imported and opened the way for other German imports. The popularity of Negri and Caligari together contributed to the creation of a small art-house market.
Despite being widely distrusted at the time, the expressionistic style was replicated by American directors who sought to incorporate European culture into their films. The style became so renowned that a parody called The Life and Death of a Hollywood Extra was created in 1928, which tells the story of a Hollywood extra whose aspirations for fame and fortune are hindered.
Caligari had significant influence on the content of future Hollywood movies, which can be observed in later films like The Bells (1925) and Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932).
