The conformist morale in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
The relationship between Caligari and Cesare in Robert Wiene’s 1920 “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” is perhaps a reflection of the relationship between the Weimar republic and the German public. In 1920, proportional representation[1] meant that no one party had enough power to pass any laws. Secondly, article 48[2] meant that the president theoretically had […]
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari
So here are some things I’ve noticed from watching this film that really caught my eye… In ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’, there is this huge use of jagged landscapes, spiky objects, tilted walls and windows, blades, things looking sharp like knives, crooked asymmetry etc. I mean, even the title sequences’ font is jagged and […]
Seminar Presentation: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
In the first half of Monday’s lecture by Jason, we discussed greatly in depth how all of the artistic decisions, even those that seem rather insignificant or minute, in the film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari greatly influence everything about how we, the audience, perceive the storyline. The sets and exaggerated movements of the silent actors in […]
Why the Cabinet of Doctor Calligari illustrates an important argument about the horror genre:
Horror films seem to reflect, in their plot, form, mise-en-scene, and other technical elements, the society in which they exist. The Cabinet of Doctor Calligari is an illustration of Weimar Germany, in an expressionistic sense, because the film is … Continue reading →
Vertigo & The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
An interesting element of Vertigo, for me, was the similarities between it and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Thematically, both films focused on our innate fears (castration in the case of the former and perception of reality in the latter, … Continue reading →
An Examination of the Sets in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
The sets of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari are visually appealing and complex to compensate for the lack of sound in the film. The lighting was staged in a manner to highlight the actors in the frame, as a theater … Continue reading →
Architecture in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
The style of architecture featured in the sets of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is emblematic of German expressionism. As a movement aimed at externalizing internal thoughts and emotions, it is not surprising that the mise-en-scène — and sets by … Continue reading →
Nonchalance and Decadence in the Weimar Republic?
Hello, fellow Arts One students! For my inaugural post / presentation of the year, I would like to focus on the motif of “showmanship” or performance in some of the films we’ve discussed this week. In particular, I think “Caligari” and “Dr. Mabuse, Part I” display this idea more strongly, but given enough thought, I […]
German expressionism and architecture
Throughout expressionist films, the common theme when viewing in the light of architecture portrays similar aspects. The sets and scenes of these films tend to use buildings with sharp angles, heights, crowded atmospheres and a view of a metropolis. However, … Continue reading →