The

Cabinet of Dr. Caligari by Robert Wiene

From the start of this movie the visuals are like nothing seen before, but also
seem familiar. The Cabinet of Dr Caligari uses very stylized sets with quirky and
whimsical environments to convey the story about the characters emotions to
the viewer, as it is a silent film. To get a sense of what is going on, you must really
keep your eyes peeled on the environment and set design and see if that relates
to that particular characters emotions.

In the opening scene a dark vignette fades out and shows two men sitting
looking dejected telling a story about spirits. The environment is moody and
edgy with scratchy noise like textures in the background, which reflects how the
two men are feeling. An Angelic woman wearing a white gown flows past them,
she completely counteracts the moody background and looks like she is of
another planet and looks like she is playing the part of a spirit from the mans
story.

We are then looking through the younger mans eyes as he reminisces and
explains his story. The visuals of the environments from here are extremely
stylised and are rampant in reflecting how the story and the characters plots as
they unfold. The houses roofs in the town are very jagged which gives a sense of
danger to them, it looks mysterious and claustrophobic as the tiny houses look
like they are falling in on top of each other. From the first scenes you can tell that
this mans story is going to be one of true horror as the colours are dark and
moody and the backdrops are mesmerizing in their complexity.

As the town is alive with the fair we are introduced to a crimpled figure of an old
man wearing all black as he unsteadily shuffles towards the screen as the
shadows focus in towards his disgruntled face. It is clear that this man is going to
be the evil protagonist of the story.


We learn that the man telling the story is named Francis and his friend is named
Alan. They both go to the fair together where we see the old man again while he
gives his card to a man which reads Dr. Calligari to be brought into the towns
clerk office.

The clerk office is fantastic at

conveying the emotions of the
characters through the set
design as the Clerk is perched
high up on a tall stool while Dr
Caligari is sitting in the corner
of the room on a miniature
stool. The stage in this scene
shows a massive comparison of
authority as the Clerk is seen as
a notable figure while Caligari
is seen as a nobody and it
almost looks like he is sitting in
a childs naughty step. The fact
that Caligari is looking quite
uncomfortable and seems to hunch into himself, making him look and feel
miniscule and insignificant in comparison to the clerk shows that the production
design is mimicking Caligaris emotions and feelings. Caligari timidly goes up to
the Clerk to ask to be apart of the town fair and is shot down with an insult,
which shows how authoritative and empowered the Clerk thinks he is.

At the fair the music gets quicker and resonates well with the rotating of the
carousels as random civilians look happy taking in the festivities however, the
music quickly turns more sinister as Caligari enters the fair from the side of the
screen with very shifty, wide eyes, which shows that he is up to something.
Caligaris facial expressions match the switch in music with ease, which shows
that the production design to tell the story stretches from not only the visual
aspect but also the sound production.

After Calligari announces to the
audience at the fair about
Cesare the somnambulist we
are told that a mysterious
murder happened that night.
Again the set tells the story
itself as the imagery of where
the murdered victim lays has a
lot of dagger like triangles with
one triangle pointing in the
direction of where the victims
corpse is. The triangle looks
almost like an arrow indicating
to the viewer that it happened
here, but it also could be a hint that the victim was stabbed with something
resembling a stake. The set design of this scene is particularly striking in hinting
to the viewer the details about the murder. We then read that the victim turns
out to be the town clerk, which is ironic after the way that he treated Caligari, but
also that he was stabbed with a sharp instrument.


After Francis declares that he
wont sleep until the murders
stop we see him emerging from
the pitch-black suffocating
shadows as he walks down the
steps. Its interesting that there
is a white line going down the
steps with black lines inside it.
It almost resembles blood
trickling down from the stairs,
which could be an indication to
Alans gruesome murder and as
Francis emerges from the
shadows could show that he is
deeply affected by his friends loss, or is it possible that he is responsible for
Alans murder? They did both have a fascination for Jane the angelic woman in
white. Perhaps Francis wanted to get rid of the competition?


As we are introduced to Jane
who Francis and the late Alan
are madly in love with the set is
whiter any time Jane is on
screen. Her bedroom has a lot
of white sheer curtains framing
the shot which shows
innocence but also
vulnerability. The fixtures and
backdrop of Janes room are
circular and consist of curves,
which adds a very feminine feel
to her character.


Cesare is making his way to
Janes bedroom. He steps on the
tips of his feet as he creeps
along the walls like a shadow,
stalking her. The white of Janes
bedroom from the floaty bed
sheets contrasts with the
darkness of Cesars clothing as
he stealthily crawls towards
her sleeping body which adds a
lot of suspense to this scene.
The dagger like black triangles
falling from the high columns from which Cesare emerges reflects his intentions
upon Jane.

Cesare hesitates to kill Jane,

which begs the question
why? Perhaps he has
feelings for her as does
Francis and as did the late
Alan. Cesare decides to take
Jane and carries her up the
meandering roofs. The
difference between them
both is striking, the black of
Cesare and the white of
Jane show polar opposites,
good verses evil. The
silhouette of Cesare carrying Janes lifeless body against the backdrop of the
buildings show how much of a monster he really is and is one of the most iconic
images from the film.

Towards the end of the movie is when things start to become confusing as at the
Asylum Francis asks if there is a patient here by the name of Dr Caligari but the
asylum workers say that the director only returned today referring to Caligari.
Why do they refer to him as the director? A director of a medical facitly in this
case an asylum is someone who provides leadership of the whole facility.

We are then shown
Caligaris or now called the
director whos office has
mountains of books stacked
randomly, tethering on
edge, which shows he is a
genious but because they
are not put away could
indicate that his mind is
scattered and flustered. The
fact that he has a skeleton
effigy in the corner of his
room shows his interests in
the human body, which
would explain his fascination with Cesare the somnambulist his greatest
abomination. The colours and lines in his office are fragmented and dont make
sense which again reflect his mental state and this whole environment dictates
the character of Caligari in one scene.

When Francis meets Caligari he is completely horrified and runs back out of the
room. We learn that the asylum workers give the director the somnambulist or
as we know him Cesare and the director refer to him as Caligari with his
intentions to make him commit murders. As the director leaves his office we see
him go completely insane as he sees the words Du Musst Caligari werden which
translates to you must become Caligari

Towards the end of the film we see Francis in the same scene talking to the same
man as they walk together into the asylum. As Francis proclaims his love to Jane
says that we Queens do not let love dictate our hearts which is strange because
how is she a queen? Is she queen of the asylum?. The Director emerges from the
archway now without the straight jacket and his appearance is completely
different, as he no longer looks insane. Francis then thinks that everyone thinks
that he himself is insane while attacking the director screaming that he is Caligar.
Francis is then restrained and put in the same cell with a straight jacket just like
the director says that he now understands his mania and how he thinks that he is
Caligari.

Conclusion:

Dr Caligaris cabinet is a fascinating but sometimes confusing movie to review as

it is a silent film the viewer really has to pay attention to the surroundings and
the environment to read between the lines about what the Wiene is trying to
convey. I find myself ruminating over conspiracies and asking many unsolved
questions about the ending of the movie such as:

Is it possible that Francis is telling the story from inside the asylum? And is the
director his doctor? Is Franciss story a complete flashback of his insanity, which
drove him to be committed as he is Cesare the somnambulist but he doesnt
know it because he was asleep the whole time?
I get this interpretation as in the first scene Francis is talking to the man about
his story about Cesare the somnambulist and then at the end of the movie
Francis enters the asylum with the same man he was telling the story too. The
fact that Jane is in the first scene makes me think that she is also committed or is
Jane possibly just a figment of his imagination that he has dreamt up in his
unstable mind? It is also odd that at the start of the movie Francis refers to Jane
as his Fiance but then at then end of the movie Francis asks Jane to marry him
but she says that Queens do not follow the dictates of their hearts. Why would
she have accepted his proposal in the first place? What is she Queen of?. The
fundamental question that I want to know is whos head am I in for the duration
of the film?

From reviewing this movie there are many possible outcomes of closure that in
some ways all seem plausible, I am confused as I want answers but fascinated
that I dont have them. The overall set design is spellbinding as it is clear to see
that many of todays whacky, whimsical movies have to some degree plucked
some sort of inspiration from the environment of the set designs from the
Cabinet of Dr Caligari, As the film is considered to be the first horror movie ever
made its easy to see where directors such as Tim burton got his ideas for his sets
and characters. The use of suspense in the film such as the rising shadows of
Cesares silhouette before he makes a kill or the drawn out movements of Cesare
before he attains Jane is something that is used to build suspense in todays
horror films.

I am very pleased that I had the opportunity to watch this film as it has
completely opened my mind to storytelling and it is definitely something that I
can use in my own creations. The fact that the set is a character itself by the way
that it evokes the emotions of the characters is something that I have grasped
onto and have learned that storytelling isnt just about the characters lines. I
believe that the ending and the question of who is the caligari is up the viewers
own interpretation which is what makes Dr Caligaris cabinet so unique. Every
time I watch the film I get new ideas and conspiracies and I notice details that I
missed the time before which really shows why the Cabinet of Dr Caligari is a
classic and why Robert Wiene was in a league of his own while influencing
thespians and novice s of storytelling and art.