THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI / Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari

Germany – 1920 – B&W – Silent Film, German intertitles – 74’


Dir.: Robert Wiene | Scr.: Carl Mayer, Hans Janowitz | Cin.: Willy Hameister | Mus.: Giuseppe Becce | Cast: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher, Lil Dagover, Rudolf Lettinger, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski | Prod.: Rudolf Meinert, Erich Pommer

At a fairground, the itinerant magician Dr. Caligari presents on stage the somnambulist Cesare, who has been in a state of sleep for 23 years. The magician awakens him for just a few minutes each time, so he can answer questions from the audience. When, during one performance, Cesare predicts the imminent death of a spectator — who is indeed murdered that same night — panic and terror spread through the town. 


This silent masterpiece of horror cinema — essentially a commentary on authoritarian power and the social disarray of post-war Germany at the time — marked the beginning of German — and global — cinematic Expressionism. The otherworldly sets, the nightmarish atmosphere, the distorted perspective, the striking chiaroscuro lighting, the performances and, of course, its psychological intensity are all profoundly unsettling. It became a source of inspiration for various cinematic movements, such as horror, fantasy, noir, and gothic films. 

In 2010, The Guardian named it the Greatest Horror Film of All Time.