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showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsDas Cabinet des Dr. Caligari. (1920) More at IMDbPro »
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Hans Janowitz (writer)
Carl Mayer (writer)
Release Date:
19 March 1921 (USA) more
Tagline:
You must become Caligari. more
Plot:
Dr. Caligari's somnambulist, Cesare, and his deadly predictions. full summary | full synopsis
NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
A look under the Veil Of Blood; DVDetails
(From Fangoria. 12 November 2009, 8:47 AM, PST)
Lists of Doom XXX: Travis Miguel of Atreyu
(From Fangoria. 26 October 2009, 7:18 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Expressionism At Its Finest more (137 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast) | Werner Krauss | ... | Dr. Caligari |
| Conrad Veidt | ... | Cesare |
| Friedrich Feher | ... | Francis (as Friedrich Fehér) |
| Lil Dagover | ... | Jane Olsen |
| Hans Heinrich von Twardowski | ... | Alan (as Hans Heinrich v. Twardowski) |
| Rudolf Lettinger | ... | Dr. Olsen |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari (Germany) (alternative spelling)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (USA)
more
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
71 min | France:78 min | Spain:50 min | USA:67 min | USA:51 min (video version)
Country:
Color:
Black and White (tinted)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Germany:18 (1920) | Finland:K-15 (new rating: 2001) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Australia:PG | Germany:12 (bw) (1964, 1995) | Spain:7 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:U (video rating) (1993) | UK:A (original rating)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Producer Erich Pommer wanted to have Fritz Lang as the film's director. Lang was interested, but then decided to work on another film. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Alan and Francis part company, they are initially right next to each other, but then at arm's reach. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Man in garden:
Spirits surround us on every side... they have driven me from hearth and home, from wife and child.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The World of Gods and Monsters: A Journey with James Whale (1999) (V) more
FAQ
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?Was there a real person named Dr. Caligari?
Any recommendations for early German movies similar to "The Cabinet of Dr Caligari"?
more
more (137 total)
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Related Links
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The original message of this film is fairly pedestrian (an outcry against the weak authority in Germany at the time), although the political intrigue surrounding the production led to a fascinating framing story which re-established "the authorities," and in turn made the UFA happy enough to distribute the film. This suggests that in its own time the political message of the film was fairly powerful, but compared to the work done in such films as The Golem, Nosferatu, and Metropolis it is not so far-reaching.
What sets this film apart from its contemporaries is its absolute commitment to the expressionist movement. Mutated sets, heavy dark/light makeup, light and shadow, and a Gothic storyline are classic expressionism. The photography is beautiful and so crisp that it creates an eerie sense that this hellish scene is actually the real world, and that our everyday lives are the delusional Technicolor dream of a madman.
While there are many better movies made in this period, I feel that this one is the pinnacle of the imagery that is characteristic of the expressionist art form. It is an absolute must-see for anyone who is interested in the Expressionist movement.