Day 15: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Via: Netflix
Release Date - 1920
Synopsis: At a carnival in Germany, Francis (Friedrich Feher) and his friend Alan (Rudolf Lettinger) encounter the crazed Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss). The men see Caligari showing off his somnambulist, Cesare (Conrad Veidt), a hypnotized man who the doctor claims can see into the future. Shockingly, Cesare then predicts Alan's death, and by morning his chilling prophecy has come true -- making Cesare the prime suspect. However, is Cesare guilty, or is the doctor controlling him?
SPOILER ALERT - If you have not seen the movie do not read.
Well, I'm pretty positive this is the film that inspired Tim Burton's style.
Sunken eyes, sharp corners and a woman whose physical attributes look very much like Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas. This is another film I would prefer not to divulge in terms of the ending. It's from the 1920's, yet still threw me for a loop. I'm so used to quick edits, effects, sound, voices and anything that stimulates the senses that I grew a bit bored. That wasn't the film's fault. It's our current state of affairs with over stimulation via technology. I actually enjoyed this film very much. I can see why its ratings are so high. It's a classic. Great acting and editing and incredibly imaginative sets and atmosphere. The only I had a problem with was the lack of detail. There are many parts where the film leaves you guessing as to what the actors are saying. They try to fill in the gaps with actual text but some of the parts are just completely lost.
The story revolves around Dr. Caligari and Cesar. Cesar is a man who has been sleeping for 23 years straight and is a fortune teller. There is a string of murders that happen around the same time Dr. Caligari and Cesar show up. Who is really to blame?
That's basically it. Keep watching until the end.
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