Finally there is a version of THE CABINET OF DR CALIGARI that shows it in such a way that it is now possible to understand the impact that the film must have had on audiences in 1920. Of course in order to fully achieve that effect it is necessary to try and view CALIGARI as a product of its time and realize that it is more an example of Expressionist art than a traditional movie yet its influence was profound. This new Blu-ray incarnation featuring the latest digital restoration techniques really brings out the artistic design of the sets with their harsh painted images and distorted angles. Never has the movie more resembled a work of art than it does here. In addition to the stylized sets, the remarkably theatrical make-up worn by Caligari (Werner Krauss) and Cesare (Conrad Veidt) has never been more available for study. Freeze a frame or two during their first appearance together and see how flamboyant and intense it is.
Although the immediate horror impact of CALIGARI has long been diminished by the more explicit movies that have followed in the nearly 100 years since it was made, it still remains the stuff of nightmares as its images seep into your subconcious mind and will linger long afterwards even if you aren’t fully aware of it. That is something that CALIGARI’s creators were striving for. For those who aren’t familiar with the story, it’s a relatively simple one. A series of horrific murders in a small town can be traced to a mysterious doctor at the local fair and the sleepwalker he exhibits. The allegorical nature of the symbolic figures of the film with what happened to Germany as a result of World War I are easy to see and show how it is possible for the power of genuine art to transcend time and space and remain valid although in a different way than when it was first created.
In addition to the quality of the restored images, what makes this release so valuable is the 52 minute documentary on the making of the film and an overview of German silent cinema. The restoration comparisons between now and 30 years ago shows just how far film preservation has come and how it is possible for these movies from another time and place and from a completely different mindset to still have the power to enthrall, move, and enlighten us. Of the many fine efforts from the F.W. Murnau foundation which has brought us quality versions of METROPOLIS and NOSFERATU and the DOCTOR MABUSE films, this version of THE CABINET OF DR CALIGARI now takes top honors. An absolute essential to anyone interested not only in the cinema of the Weimar Republic but in the history and the power of the movies themselves.
The Capsule Critic 