|
MOVIES THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI
This classic German silent film tells the story of a somnambulist and his caretaker. In case you, like I, are lacking knowledge of many English words, somnambulist is a sleep walker. The story starts out with two men in the woods (or a backyard, perhaps) and one man tells the other his story about his hometown some years back. A travelling fair came to the town, and the man's friend, Alan, wanted to go. An odd, older man with a large hat visited the Town Clerk that day, trying to get a permit to have his show be part of the fair. He wanted to display his somnambulist, named Cesare, who has been sleeping for 25 years. The odd man's name is Dr. Caligari, and he gets his show in the fair. That night the Town Clerk is murdered. The next day there is a large crowd at the Caligari tent. The doctor displays his "cabinet" (which resembles a coffin) to the crowd, and opens it to reveal Cesare, fast asleep. Caligari wakes him and then tells the crowd that Cesare knows all. He encourages someone to ask a question about their future. Alan asks how long he will live, to which Cesare responds that he does not have long - he'll be dead by dawn. Alan does not live through the night. He was murdered. The man telling the story suspects Caligari and his somnambulist, and with the help of the police, tracks him down and tries to solve these murders. The story weaves its way to an insane asylum, and we are left to wonder who is truly insane. This is an old, old film. And it has a reputation of being a masterpiece. I believe it's the first motion picture to use suspence and horror on its audience. Taking that into consideration, it really is a piece of art. It is a silent film, and the picture quality has degraded over the years. The acting may seem exaggerated to today's moviegoers, and the pace is drastically slow. But it offers quite a bit to the one who can stomach slow silent films. The themes, the bizarre sets, the lighting are all great. The way different shapes are used and the sets are surreally designed add a touch of insanity to the goings-on of the film. The twist at the end may be the first such twist in motion picture history. The themes and design have been copied many times since. Truly a classic horror film, but one to be watched by students and those interested in older films. Quality: 8.0 Visuals:
7.0 Intensity: 3.5 reviewed
2004
|
