It’s easy to forget that the history of movies goes back a long way, well over a hundred years by this point. And some of the movie tropes we take for granted are far older than many movie lovers realize. A solid case in point is the 1920 silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Robert Weine and considered the epitome of German Expressionist cinema.
The Story
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari takes place in what was then the present time and sets itself up as a young man, Franzis (Friedrich Feher), relating the story of a terrible thing that befell him and his fiancée Jane a number of years ago in their hometown. The bulk of the film is a flashback that relates this story.
In this story, Franzis attends a local fair with his best friend Alan (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski). One of the attractions, set up by Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss), purports to show off Cesare (Conrad Veidt), a “somnambulist” who has allegedly been sleeping for over 20 years but can be induced to answer any question, up to and including seeing into the future. Alan (who is equally in love with Jane) asks Cesare how long he shall live, and Cesare replies, “until the break of dawn.” It seems like a macabre joke…until Alan ends up dead the next morning. Franzis then throws himself into figuring out how his friend was murdered and by whom.
A Twisted World
What immediately sets The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari apart from other films is the fantastic and twisted scenery that makes up the sets and background once the flashback story begins. Everything is warped and twisted, and it feels like the characters are walking through a caricature of the real world. This was done completely on purpose as Expressionist art was in style at the time of production,n and it also lent towards the feeling the director wanted of the viewers watching a nightmare play out on the screen.
The Expressionist backgrounds do take a bit of time to get used to, especially when you’re used to seeing hyper-realistic sets, but after about ten minutes the story has sucked you in so deep you practically don’t notice anymore because the story is equally as twisted as the scenery.
The Original Twist Ending?
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is widely considered by many to be the first “true” horror film, and it certainly established a number of tropes that modern horror films are known for. Included in these firsts might be what could be considered the original “twist ending” that horror films to this day are known for pulling off. Everything you think you’ve learned about this story over the course of an hour is thrown into absolute chaos in the last five minutes. Such is the brilliance of the film, however, that even this “twist” leaves the viewer in doubt as to what is actually true. Is the original tale the truth, or is the “reality” presented at the end the truth? Or is the truth somewhere in the middle? The film doesn’t give a definitive answer, and I suspect the audience was meant to draw their own conclusions.
What Dr. Caligari Means to Us
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is often considered the first true horror film and has had a profound influence on everything from film noir to modern psychological thrillers. Over a century later, it remains a visually stunning and intellectually rich experience—essential viewing for anyone interested in the roots of cinematic storytelling. But that’s not why I love it. I recognize its influence and importance, but ultimately those things don’t matter without a great story, great acting, great direction, and/or, in the case of this film, great set design. Its groundbreaking visual style (jagged, painted sets, distorted perspectives, and stark shadows) evokes a nightmarish psychological landscape that is unlike anything before or since. Robert Wiene single-handedly created a visual template I wish more directors would borrow from or be inspired by. Movies all look the same, and I desperately wish more directors would have the balls to make something look weird. Movies need to be weird again.
–Sailor Monsoon
If you’ve never seen a silent film before, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari isn’t a bad place to start. It’s about an hour long, but that time flies by with a story that is layered and twisted in a way that modern horror films are still trying to match over a century later.
