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The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Original title: Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari
  • 19201920
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 7m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
63K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
Trailer for The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Play trailer1:32
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Horror
  • Mystery
  • Thriller

Hypnotist Dr. Caligari uses a somnambulist, Cesare, to commit murders.Hypnotist Dr. Caligari uses a somnambulist, Cesare, to commit murders.Hypnotist Dr. Caligari uses a somnambulist, Cesare, to commit murders.

IMDb RATING
8.0/10
63K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Robert Wiene
  • Writers
    • Carl Mayer
    • Hans Janowitz
  • Stars
    • Werner Krauss
    • Conrad Veidt
    • Friedrich Feher
Top credits
  • Director
    • Robert Wiene
  • Writers
    • Carl Mayer
    • Hans Janowitz
  • Stars
    • Werner Krauss
    • Conrad Veidt
    • Friedrich Feher
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 263User reviews
    • 180Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
    Trailer 1:32
    The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

    Photos101

    Lil Dagover and Friedrich Feher in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Friedrich Feher, Werner Krauss, Rudolf Lettinger, and Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Friedrich Feher, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Rudolf Lettinger, and Ludwig Rex in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Lil Dagover and Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Rudolf Klein-Rogge and Ludwig Rex in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Lil Dagover and Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Ludwig Rex in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Werner Krauss and Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Lil Dagover, Werner Krauss, and Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Lil Dagover and Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Werner Krauss
    Werner Krauss
    • Dr. Caligarias Dr. Caligari
    Conrad Veidt
    Conrad Veidt
    • Cesareas Cesare
    Friedrich Feher
    Friedrich Feher
    • Franzisas Franzis
    Lil Dagover
    Lil Dagover
    • Jane Olsenas Jane Olsen
    Hans Heinrich von Twardowski
    Hans Heinrich von Twardowski
    • Alanas Alan
    • (as Hans Heinz v. Twardowski)
    Rudolf Lettinger
    Rudolf Lettinger
    • Dr. Olsenas Dr. Olsen
    • (as Rudolph Lettinger)
    Rudolf Klein-Rogge
    Rudolf Klein-Rogge
    • Ein Verbrecheras Ein Verbrecher
    • (uncredited)
    Hans Lanser-Rudolf
    • Ein alter Mannas Ein alter Mann
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    Henri Peters-Arnolds
    Henri Peters-Arnolds
    • Ein junger Arztas Ein junger Arzt
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    Ludwig Rex
    Ludwig Rex
    • Ein Mörderas Ein Mörder
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    Elsa Wagner
    • Die Wirtinas Die Wirtin
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    • Director
      • Robert Wiene
    • Writers
      • Carl Mayer
      • Hans Janowitz
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Francis, a young man, recalls in his memory the horrible experiences he and his fiancée Jane recently went through. It is the annual fair in Holstenwall. Francis and his friend Alan visit The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, an exhibit where the mysterious doctor shows the somnambulist Cesare, and awakens him for some moments from his death-like sleep. When Alan asks Cesare about his future, Cesare answers that he will die before dawn. The next morning Alan is found dead. Francis suspects Cesare of being the murderer, and starts spying on him and Dr. Caligari. The following night Cesare is going to stab Jane in her bed, but softens when he sees the beautiful woman, and instead of committing another murder, he abducts her. Jane's father awakens because of the noise, and he and some servants follow the fleeing Cesare. When Cesare cannot outrun his pursuers anymore, he gently places Jane down on the ground, and runs away. Francis and the police investigate the caravan of Dr. Caligari, but the doctor succeeds in slipping away. Francis pursues the fleeing Dr. Caligari, and sees him disappear into a madhouse. Francis enters the madhouse, where he is sure he will find the truth behind all these mysterious events. —Maths Jesperson {maths.jesperson1@comhem.se}
    • somnambulist
    • mental patient
    • sleepwalking
    • mind control
    • insanity
    • 136 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • The most amazing story ever screened.
    • Genres
      • Horror
      • Mystery
      • Thriller
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Writer Hans Janowitz claims to have gotten the idea for the film when he was at a carnival one day. He saw a strange man lurking in the shadows. The next day he heard that a girl was brutally murdered there. He went to the funeral and saw the same man lurking around. He had no proof that the strange man was the murderer, but he fleshed the whole idea out into his film.
    • Goofs
      In the wide shot, the sign at the asylum reads "Insane Asylum," in English. In the close-up, the sign is written in German (Kino Blu-ray Disc version, may not be present in all editions of the film).
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Dr. Caligari: Now I also know how to cure him.

    • Alternate versions
      USA laserdisc reissue restores the original hand-drawn title cards that have been missing from every known print of the film since 1923. When first released on video in the United States, film was in black-and-white, and played back many scenes at double speed and featured different music. Although no scenes were cut out, the running time was reduced to only 51 minutes. The restored version restores the colour-tinting, restores the original title cards, and plays the film back at regular speed, returning the film to its original 69-minute running time.
    • Connections
      Edited into People Who Die Mysteriously in Their Sleep (2004)

    User reviews263

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    The film that changed my life
    I saw this film on the same day that I saw Trainspotting, and those two films made me realise what cinema can really do. This is a film that tells it EXACTLY as the film makers see it. The warped visuals say more about its subjects than words ever could. The travelling fair is as twisted and ugly as all travelling fairs seem to be, and the expressionist sets and lighting sum up perfectly the sense of urban alienation in a very unnerving way. It's story is simple enough to be accessible, but don't expect a straightforward film - just let it speak to you.
    helpful•69
    35
    • Urchin
    • Dec 6, 1998

    FAQ7

    • Why doesn't this movie show up in the IMDB top 250?
    • Is this movie based on a novel?
    • Was there a real person named Dr. Caligari?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 27, 1920 (Germany)
    • Country of origin
      • Germany
    • Language
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Кабінет доктора Каліґарі
    • Filming locations
      • Lixie-Atelier, Weißensee, Berlin, Germany
    • Production company
      • Decla-Bioscop AG
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $18,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $8,811
    • Gross worldwide
      • $8,811
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 7 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Silent
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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