The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is the first modern Horror Film and it influence a number of contemporary productions.

A real classic!



PLOT:

A man named Francis relates a story about his best friend Alan and his fiancée Jane. Alan takes him to a fair where they meet Dr. Caligari, who exhibits a somnambulist, Cesare, that can predict the future.

When Alan asks how long he has to live, Cesare says he has until dawn. The prophecy comes to pass, as Alan is murdered, and Cesare is a prime suspect.

Cesare creeps into Jane's bedroom and abducts her, running from the townspeople and finally dying of exhaustion.

Meanwhile, the police discover a dummy in Cesare's cabinet, while Caligari flees.

Francis tracks Caligari to a mental asylum. He is the director! Or is he?

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Reviewer: Kristi217 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 21, 2019

Subject: Dr. Caligari One of my favorite movies - May 21, 2019Dr. Caligari

Reviewer: ouractress - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - January 25, 2019

Subject: biography https://ouractress.com/althea-gibson-biography/ - January 25, 2019biography

Reviewer: DanaeKlimt - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 16, 2013

Subject: the cabinet of dr. caligari the cabinet of dr. caligari - June 16, 2013the cabinet of dr. caligari

Reviewer: genesee - - February 26, 2013

Subject: 51 minutes? Where's the other 20 minutes? The 71 minute version is here archive.org/details/thecabinetofdrcaligari - February 26, 201351 minutes?

Reviewer: nbdy10 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 2, 2010

Subject: nbdy10 wow, that was a really cool flick. the movies' distorted look gave it an eerie feel and presence. silent and black and white. excellent. enjoyed it very much. thanks. - May 2, 2010nbdy10

Reviewer: trashmeister - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 13, 2010

Subject: excellent Excellent, excellent silent flick. Truly creepy. I can't praise this movie enough; you should just watch it. - February 13, 2010excellent

Reviewer: ThobiasV - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 1, 2009

Subject: A real treat! This is one of the most beautiful and influential horror films of all time. Even if you're not into silent films, watch this. You will have so much more out of classic Universal, Hammer and Burton films afterwards.



A true classic and a real treat. Proof that public domain movies can enrich your life. - November 1, 2009A real treat!

Reviewer: pickford82 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 29, 2009

Subject: ! I like this genre so I enjoyed this film. It's not really scary (like Nosferatu) but still sort of creepy and weird. Silly me, at first I thought that decorations were cheesy but then I got it that they were made this way to resemble those "distorted" odd expressionist paintings. The twisted end is also cool and unusual for that time. And I'd never tell that the actor who played Cesare the Somnambulist also played Major Strasser in "Casablanca", some 22 years later! - October 29, 2009

Reviewer: carlo subterfuge - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 23, 2009

Subject: Why the Silents Lived Expressionism The history of this film's gift of an epitomic German Expressionism to the silent film world is wrell documented in Cinema Europe. No one dug the vibe more deeply than the Brits.

Its also an essential film for its sourcing readymade 'ersatzen doppelganger' pop star persona. Imagining Peter Murphy without Cesare? It's like Michael Jackson without the 'Little Prince' Bob Fosse sequence. - August 23, 2009Why the Silents Lived Expressionism

Reviewer: wellcopes - favorite favorite favorite - August 9, 2009

Subject: Change Man I'm still thinking about who is the lunatic. A great movie. - August 9, 2009Change

Reviewer: Freebmovies - favorite favorite favorite - August 4, 2009

Subject: 1001 movies This Same movie is listed in 1001 movies you must see before you die - August 4, 20091001 movies

Reviewer: asidd - favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 1, 2009

Subject: great another film i've not seen for years (the last time was a poor vhs copy whilst at college). it casts a shadow over so many films that have borrowed from it. - June 1, 2009great

Reviewer: B-Movie Ben - favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 9, 2009

Subject: You fools, this man is plotting our doom! We die at dawn! He is Caligari! A German Expressionist classic with warped sets, lots of shadows, and heavy makeup, this is one of the first modern horror films.



It is also one of the first serious films with a "twist" ending. You never are really sure of what is going on, and you are soon caught up in trying to figure out who is committing the murders.



Two men, Alan and Francis, are rivals for the same girl, Jane (Lil Dagover). After visiting a circus with Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) and his somnambulist Caesar (Conrad Veidt), Alan (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski) is murdered. Suspicion, of course, falls on the somnambulist. When the murderer comes to kill Jane, he takes her instead.



After chasing the murderer, Francis (Friedrich Feher) ends up at an insane asylum, where he discovers the Caligari secret.



But does he really discover what is going on? - April 9, 2009You fools, this man is plotting our doom! We die at dawn! He is Caligari!

Reviewer: deck - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - January 2, 2009

Subject: GENIUS The creator of this movie is certainly a genius,his vision is truly original. The working of the mind, the bizaar sets that put you in lah lah land with the somnambulist. He is played by Conrad Viedt who made many American movies as a spy or Nazi officer in the 1940's. The most memorable,probably the only memorable, example is his portayal of Colonel Strasser in Casablanca. - January 2, 2009GENIUS

Reviewer: dracula lugosi - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 6, 2008

Subject: no its the full length its just played at a faster frame rate

but its still nothing short of a masterpiece - October 6, 2008no its the full length

Reviewer: Brian Pinette - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 5, 2008

Subject: Condensed version This is an hour condensed version, specifically edited/restored for TV during the late 1950s and 1960s. It tells the story and cuts out a lot of the narrative. However, there are "Complete" versions available from many sites. Check out moviesunlimited et cetera. This, however, is superbly edited and restored and GETS TO THE POINT and maintains the aura. PERFECT for beginner silent film enthusiasts .... - October 5, 2008Condensed version

Reviewer: Vance Capley - favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 29, 2008

Subject: Close the Cabinet before it ends! Great horror look and feel! Really creepy! Many directors STILL borrow from it today!

Turn it off, though, before the end, trust me! - September 29, 2008Close the Cabinet before it ends!

Reviewer: KmiloA - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 8, 2008

Subject: Version Is this one the original version of 1919?.



If it isn't, where can I find the original one?.



Thanks - June 8, 2008Version

Reviewer: FreedomWalker - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 8, 2007

Subject: The Cabinet Bizarre all through the movie. It reminds me of some of the strange dreams that I've had over the years so I can relate. Abstruse is the word that comes to mind. I enjoyed the film greatly. Well made and it gets the imagination and sight juices flowing. A haunting movie that will stay with you for some time to come. Thank you for posting this movie, it is much appreciated. - August 8, 2007The Cabinet

Reviewer: beirwer - favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 7, 2007

Subject: Could've done without the shell. A great movie that is everything everyone says. The template for all the standard horror, murder mystery, and psychological thriller stories to come.



Personally, though, I could have done without the "it's just a story" trick. From this to "The Wizard Of Oz" to "The Princess Bride", that angle has never worked for me. - March 7, 2007Could've done without the shell.

Reviewer: gratefulviewer - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 5, 2007

Subject: Outstanding! I have this on DVD, so I have not watched it here. I did, however wish to share this: it is a phenomenal movie that is so original and well-executed that it most certainly deserves viewing!



I personally enjoyed the impressionistic settings, and how the psyches of the characters were so thoroughly explored. I can still remember everyones eyes from this movie.



For sure a 5-star film. Many thanks to the Internet Archive folks! - February 5, 2007Outstanding!

Reviewer: gusferatu - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 4, 2006

Subject: the doctor is in-sane twists and turns. thats whats in store for you when you enter the world of francis. we first meet him in an alcove of an asylum where he is in conversation with a fellow visitor(francis is visiting his beloved)as francis begins the story of how his beloved bacame interred within an asylum ,we are introduced to the world of his antogonist - dr. caligari. caligaris world is filled with multiple juxtapositions. the scenery is askew , doors , windows , buildings , even hills are presented extremely angular , the mannerisms of people are slightly odd , and the plotline weaves in and out leaving no time for questioning the areas that dont seem to make complete sense until the twist ending. the old man that francis is telling the story to , realizing that he has been conversing the entire time with an inmate , and has listened to a tale woven more than likely on the spot , is a beautifully captured moment of reaction you can actually follw his flow of thought as he understands that the hero of the tale he has just heard is not only lying about everything , but has done it so convincingly that the reality of where he is and whom he is with , scares him only a little more than it does us .highly recommended. if you can , get a hold of the color-tinted version , as it plays at a more normal speed, there are less jumps and cuts , and it is visually clearer. intrigue--insanity--mystery--they all await you--, and the doctor is in. - September 4, 2006the doctor is in-sane

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 1, 2006

Subject: Spotting the Loony Is Sometimes Not So Easy This landmark German expressionist film set the tone for horror for years to come. A strange doctor comes to a village fair with a "somnambulist" who tells fortunes. Soon after his arrival, strange murders start happening. A young man solves the mystery by discovering that the doctor is the head of a local insane asylum and is using a strange cabinet to carry out the experiments of an 18th-century crazed monk named Caligari in controlling the behavior of a catatonic patient, including making the patient commit murder. The young man calls on the law to confront the mad doctor Caligari, who ends up locked up in his own asylum, raving mad. But the story is told in the young man's flashbackÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂand he turns out to be the insane one! This is one weird film, especially for its time. Especially weird are the bizarre, twisted setsÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂeverything that should be straight and rectangular (such as walls, doors, windows, etc.) is instead slanted and curved at wacked-out angles. This adds to the nightmarish quality of the film, which is also enhanced by the fact that you can't tell the sane from the insane half the time. A recommended early landmark in weirdness. A 1919 German film.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: *****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: *****. - September 1, 2006Spotting the Loony Is Sometimes Not So Easy

Reviewer: PINK FLOYD FAN - favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 30, 2006

Subject: ONE OF THE BEST EVER ALTHOUGH RUN VERY FAST COMPARED TO MOST VERSIONS , ITS STILL ONE OF THE BEST SILENT FILMS EVER. IT FARES FAVORABLY ALONGSIDE ANY OTHERS FROM THE SAME ERA . RECOMMEND THE KINO VERSION . IF YOU LIKED THIS FILM , CHECK OUY THE STUDENT OF PRAGUE (SAME 2 LEAD ACTORS) , OR ANY MOVIE FROM DIRECTOR FRITZ LANG . - August 30, 2006ONE OF THE BEST EVER

Reviewer: coachmarko - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 28, 2005

Subject: Dr. Caligari build his dream kitchen cabinets? ;-) I agree with other reviewers that the tinted version is to be preferred, but I think that the films impact goes far beyond subtle colors. The sets are especially spectacular examples of German Expressionism. coachmarko -- October 28, 2005Dr. Caligari build his dream kitchen cabinets? ;-)

Reviewer: jotace - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 27, 2005

Subject: Write review for Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - October 27, 2005Write review for Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari

Reviewer: JuanSchwarz - favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 25, 2005

Subject: Where's the colour? I know that this is a black and white movie, but what happened to the tinting, the original version had?

But anyway, apart from that little thing it's a really good print. - September 25, 2005Where's the colour?

Reviewer: tambora - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 8, 2005

Subject: Way too short of a review for such a great film: A chilling film, both in immaculate set design and in several unforgettable scenes. You'll never be more scared by a pair of eyes than when Cesare the Somnambulist first wakes up and, ever-so-slowly, opens them wider and wider. That scene alone sells the whole movie. Forget about the artistic ground that was broken with the expressionism in this film and just watch it to see some other-worldly chills. And even though the ending wasn't what the director originally wanted, I think you'll be surprised by it, and I think you'll agree that it works. - August 8, 2005Way too short of a review for such a great film:

Reviewer: LamontAllard - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 18, 2005

Subject: Caligari... double-time!! I've seen a number of prints of "Caligari", and they're all about 65 minutes long. But this one is a mere 50!



However, you won't find any scenes missing; when they created this version for American audiences in 1952, Film Renters/Famous Films just speeded up the frame rate, and then timed the music to that! So... if you're running short on time, this is the version to watch. ;-)



But to be fair, it's a great print, and one of the most complete I've seen, short of the restored editions. - July 18, 2005Caligari... double-time!!