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Well, it's October - and everyone's acting spooky. Just like any other month. But in the general theme of "spookiness", we bring to you scholars...."The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari"! *cue scary music*
This film is considered by many to be the first "horror movie"! Although 100 years later - scary it ain't! "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" gives us a look at the fascinating world of German Expressionism, which is a very distinct film style. German film professor Anton Kaes wrote,
"The style of German Expressionism allowed the filmmakers to experiment with filmic technology and special effects and to explore the twisted realm of repressed desires, unconscious fears, and deranged fixations"
...Good times. There's a definite "look" to German Expressionist cinema - a shadowy, dark, heavy look! These photos demonstrate it quite well:
ABOVE: "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920)
ABOVE: "Destiny" (1921)
ABOVE: "Nosferatu" (1922)
"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" was inspired by the experiences of the 2 writers (Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer), who distrusted authority after their own experience with the German military in World War 1. Totally. Understandable. In short, the story reveals the dangers of arbitrary authority over conditioned minds that do whatever they're told. Heavy stuff. The name Caligari came from a book that Hans had read and was not settled upon until the script was finished. Actor Werner Krauss (who played Dr. Caligari) added personal touches to his character's appearance, such as a top hat and cane. Star Conrad Veidt, still a relatively new screen actor, gave a stellar performance as Cesare, the murdering sleepwalker!
Hans and Carl arranged to submit their script to a German studio, thanks to a director they knew named Fritz Lang. The head of production, Erich Pommer, told them to leave the script and he would read it later. The 2 men refused, and instead read the script aloud to him. We're wondering how much work Erich got done that day... Well, unorthodox it may have been, but Erich and his assistant were so impressed with the script after it was read that they refused to let Hans and Carl leave until they signed a contract! Erich said he was drawn to the script because it could be filmed inexpensively but would also be popular because Expressionism was "in". Erich later said:
"They saw in the script an 'experiment'. I saw a relatively cheap film".
Spoken like a true production head. Germany was, as it turns out, in a bad spot economically after World War 1, so everyone was trying to save money whenever possible!
A backdrop used in the film
The bizarre, distorted perspective of the set design was created by art director Hermann Warm and 2 of his associates. The men studied the script and came up with sketches in the Expressionist style, rather than a more naturalistic one. The director, Robert Meinart, agreed to their ideas, telling them to make the sets as "crazy" and "eccentrically" as possible! His reason? Expressionist art was very popular at the time, and Robert felt that even if the story fell flat, the film would still get attention at the box office! Also, Hollywood had pretty much dominated the international film market, and the German studios wanted to make their product different than American films. The Cabinet's distinct style was definitely a stark contrast to what Hollywood was churning out!
For all the wonder of the final product, this film was shot at lightning speed. Shooting began during December of 1919, and by the end of January 1920, it was done! The advertising had already been released before the film was finished so...they kinda HAD to follow through, in our opinion. The Cabinet was filmed entirely on indoor sets without any exterior shots, which was very unusual at the time. The camerawork was simple - primarily to showcase the aforementioned "crazy" sets. And when it was released to Germany...it was a hit! Many German directors were influenced by the movie, making German Expressionism a bonafide film genre of it's own.
Sam Goldwyn acquired The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari for distribution in the US, and premiered it in New York City in 1921. As was common for many theaters, a live theatrical prologue and epilogue was included to help the audience understand the film. Can we bring this back?? Because a lot of modern films throw everything around like confetti and viewers easily get lost...just saying. It premiered in Los Angeles soon after - but it was met with protests from the American Legion. Why? Well, it had nothing to do with the film itself, and had everything to do with fears of unemployment by importing German films. In the end, the film WAS shown in large American cities (where it did well at the box office), and also smaller towns (where it did NOT do well). No one could come to a general consensus about this film, it seems. Sorry, Sam... The Cabinet was also shown in many other countries - but just like in the US, people either praised it or blasted it to pieces. It was really one of those movies you either love or hate - there was no in-between, people.
In modern times, however, the reaction is mostly positive. A lot of people today recognize the artistry for what it is, without worrying about unemployment or importing films from Germany (which apparently was an issue for many countries after World War 1). The fact that it was shot so quickly and inexpensively, while still retaining quality is also a remarkable achievement that many today admire. Have a look at the English-subtitled version below:
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