The Cabinet of Dr.

Caligari
Man in garden: Spirits surround us on every side... they have driven me from hearth and home, from wife and child (fig3)

fig 1 Film Poster The father of psychological horror and inspiration for the horror and thriller genre alike is, none the less, a very bazaar silent film. The film is difficult to watch for a viewer of only contemporary titles. This is because the film is nearly as old as it's industry dating for about nearly a hundred years since it's birth though one could argue it's closer to the ninety mark. The film uses black an white in a very operatic fashion. The film, from start to finish is almost like a foreshadowing of every horror or thriller ever made in contemporary film. But the same way that you may see a great grand parent at a family get together and avoid them lest your unrelentingly engaged in their seemingly everlasting tales of conquest and valour. The thing with the film The cabinet of Dr. Caligari is that under the wildest assumption that, say, you listen. You might be in fact awed by what you might learn. The first thing you may be interested to find out is that the the whole Gothic styled imagery that Tim Burton has held as a genre to himself was by no means original. The characters and concepts all link to the said film and so can cause disappointment to any die hard fans of Mr. Burton and even Film Monthly said I have no doubt that Tim Burton used Conrad Veidt's Cesare as a model for Edward Scissorhands. (fig 4). Going back to the film itself. The plot is relatively linear but well written and even though the dialogue may seem dated but the film is incredibly clever. The plot is told from the point of view of a man in a rather peculiar town. The town and other environments are all contorted and asymmetric. This, astonishingly, doesn't cause for concern due to how casually the characters live and move in it. This, looking back, seems even more twisted. The story has a lot to offer and on many levels and when the story hints, as pointed out by Moria.co.nz...More subtly though, the film seems to resonate with the distorted worldview that echoed around the world after the Great War 1914-18 (fig 5). This also reflects the rise of Surrealism and Cubism in image and

writing. We are given hints as to what the twist is going to be. At the time, however, we have no clue of what is going on until it's too late and you can feel the Director's smug grin when he blows your mind as you near the ending.

Fig2 Film Still The story plays with the concept of identity and paranoia. How you perceive yourself and those around you. This becomes evident when you start realising the main character's mental instability and how he assembles reality in a very different manner to the the other characters. Then all that is left is to find out who is sane and what is even real. The film uses a very powerful usage of lighting and shade which when accompanied with the edgy yet epic music. This film causes you to stop and think. Have film improved at all in the last hundred years?

Bibliography Images fig 1 Film Poster,The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, http://i2.listal.com/image/868/600full-the-cabinetof-dr.-caligari-poster.jpg, 1919,Robert Wiene , Germany. Fig 2 Film Still,The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kmo8tMQSZSE/TcUx-LAIaI/AAAAAAAACYs/Ux4yTccn-U0/s320/images.jpg, 1919, Robert Wiene, Germany. Quotes fig 3 Quote, Film, Opening Scene, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,1919, Robert Wiene, Germany, fig 4 Quote, Web, Film Monthly, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,1919, Robert Wiene, Germany, http://www.filmmonthly.com/Silents/Articles/Caligari/Caligari.html. fig 5 Quote, Web, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,1919, Robert Wiene, Germany, http://moria.co.nz/horror/cabinet-of-dr-caligari-1919-das-kabinett-des-dr-caligari.htm.