The original screenplay did not contain the frame that many use in their analysis of the film. As it was intended by the authors,it presents a story in which "Caligari represents the insanity of unlimited power, and his medium is the common man, which the authoritarian state trains to do its killing." The story was written by Hans Janowitz, a Czech, and Carl Mayer, and Austrian. They combined events of their lives to come up with a fantastic tale. Janowitz supposedly saw a pretty girl he wished to speak to but she was being followed by another man. He gave her up as lost but the following day he learned that the girl, whose name was Gertrude, had been murdered the night before. He recalled the suspicious man, who was also at her funeral, but he had no evidence against him and so said nothing. Meyer, whose father committed suicide, had to undergo many psychiatric examinations and grew to hate psychiatrists. They determined to write a script together combining these two things, but had no plot for it until they visited a fair together. There they saw an exhibit entitled "Man or Machine" in which a man performed amazing feats and uttered prophecies while under hypnosisthey had their story. It combined all three experiences into a horrific thriller.
The story, however, was not to be produced as they intended. According to Otto Friedrich, the "authors of Caligari intended it not just as a horror movie but as a kind of revolutionary allegory." As such, the powers that be were bound to find it unacceptable. Producer Erich Pommer bought the script and added and opening and closing scene. In the opening scene Francis is sitting on a bench in some kind of park with another man. They watch Jane walk by, seemingly in a trance. Francis then begins to tell his story. After he is finished explaining everything that happened the audience soon sees Francis in the lobby of the asylum with many other people, including Jane. Francis begs Jane to finally marry him but she responds, "We queens are not permitted to follow the dictates of our hearts." As the much friendlier looking director/Dr. Caligari comes down the stairs, Francis begins screaming that he is Caligari. Francis is put into a straight jacket and put in a cell. The director/Dr. Caligari puts his glasses back on and once again looks fairly creepy. He then says, "At last I understand mania. He thinks I am that mystic Caligariand now I also know how to cure him." Instead of a story about the triumph over authority, it is simply the babble of a madman.
Simply appreciating the story and the meaning behind it is not enough. Instead of being played in an ordinary world, the entire set is expressionistic. Buildings are painted at angles. Doors and windows are crooked or rounded. Nothing meets at right angles. It appears as a world not entirely in the realm of fantasy nor is it completely on earth. Despite the story and the scenery being fantastic, everything is a reflection of the real worldincluding the fact that Cesare and Francis both lose in the end. The authorities winin reality and in the film. Even the props lend themselves to this overblown idea of authority. The town clerk's desk and stool are set very high. In order to get to the police, the characters have to walk up stairs, and even still, their furniture is higher than normalin case there was a question as to who was in charge. The shadows and lightening also reflect the film's expressionism. The backdrop was painted with extensive shadows to further the eerie quality. In addition, the entire screen is rarely completely illuminated. The audience's attention is focused on the important by using what would be a spotlight in a play. Sometimes only a person's face or the spinning top of a carousel can be seen at all, sometimes they are brightest while the rest of the screen is darker, and sometimes the entire scene is in full view. This gives it a very story-like feel and does much to enhance the movie.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a classical example of expressionism. Ironically, it is an expressionism tempered by authority. Regardless of what the audience of today thinks of the once incredibly popular movie, few would walk away from it feeling as though they had wasted their time. Original audiences may not have realized that it was, indeed, the story of triumph over authority, but those of today are better able to see this.
The story, however, was not to be produced as they intended. According to Otto Friedrich, the "authors of Caligari intended it not just as a horror movie but as a kind of revolutionary allegory." As such, the powers that be were bound to find it unacceptable. Producer Erich Pommer bought the script and added and opening and closing scene. In the opening scene Francis is sitting on a bench in some kind of park with another man. They watch Jane walk by, seemingly in a trance. Francis then begins to tell his story. After he is finished explaining everything that happened the audience soon sees Francis in the lobby of the asylum with many other people, including Jane. Francis begs Jane to finally marry him but she responds, "We queens are not permitted to follow the dictates of our hearts." As the much friendlier looking director/Dr. Caligari comes down the stairs, Francis begins screaming that he is Caligari. Francis is put into a straight jacket and put in a cell. The director/Dr. Caligari puts his glasses back on and once again looks fairly creepy. He then says, "At last I understand mania. He thinks I am that mystic Caligariand now I also know how to cure him." Instead of a story about the triumph over authority, it is simply the babble of a madman.
Simply appreciating the story and the meaning behind it is not enough. Instead of being played in an ordinary world, the entire set is expressionistic. Buildings are painted at angles. Doors and windows are crooked or rounded. Nothing meets at right angles. It appears as a world not entirely in the realm of fantasy nor is it completely on earth. Despite the story and the scenery being fantastic, everything is a reflection of the real worldincluding the fact that Cesare and Francis both lose in the end. The authorities winin reality and in the film. Even the props lend themselves to this overblown idea of authority. The town clerk's desk and stool are set very high. In order to get to the police, the characters have to walk up stairs, and even still, their furniture is higher than normalin case there was a question as to who was in charge. The shadows and lightening also reflect the film's expressionism. The backdrop was painted with extensive shadows to further the eerie quality. In addition, the entire screen is rarely completely illuminated. The audience's attention is focused on the important by using what would be a spotlight in a play. Sometimes only a person's face or the spinning top of a carousel can be seen at all, sometimes they are brightest while the rest of the screen is darker, and sometimes the entire scene is in full view. This gives it a very story-like feel and does much to enhance the movie.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a classical example of expressionism. Ironically, it is an expressionism tempered by authority. Regardless of what the audience of today thinks of the once incredibly popular movie, few would walk away from it feeling as though they had wasted their time. Original audiences may not have realized that it was, indeed, the story of triumph over authority, but those of today are better able to see this.