The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari releases today on Blu-Ray from Kino Classics.
When The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari crept into theaters in 1920, it created a near-instantaneous eruption of influence, acclaim, and critical inspiration. Arriving early in the era of German Expressionism, the film almost single-handedly defined the movement. With its elaborate distorted sets, costumes, and make-up, and manic dancelike performances, it realized the intense emotions of Expressionist Painting in the young medium of cinema. For this group of German filmmakers, everything was chaos. Even the intertitles reflect the uncertainty and darkness of a postwar world. The completed effect is a wonder to behold. Thanks to Kino Lorber, it is so much easier to behold that wonder, with an excellent new restoration.
Robert Weine’s masterpiece of obsession and insanity tells the story of an enigmatic carnival barker who captures the curiosity of a German village. He claims his Somnambulist, Cesare, though caught in a permanent sleep, can be drawn out of a cabinet like a puppet to tell the future and the past. Upon the night of his arrival, murder plagues the town, and it seems all too obvious that his act should be held responsible.
It’s no challenge to see the influence this film has on an entire history of cinema. From the Universal monster movies of Classical Hollywood, to certain modern works by directors like Tim Burton and Joe Dante, all are in debt to the imagination of Weine and his team. Roger Ebert called it “The first true horror film”. Many critics and historians even credit it as a pioneer of the twist ending. Furthermore, it is often cited as a foghorn for the complex politics of German government and society after WWI. Regardless of what the film may or may not have had to say about any zeitgeist of its day, the primary strength which shepherds audiences back to the film, lies in what we can see.
Several years had passed since I had last watched Caligari. I could remember most of the major details, but I had never realized just how detailed this film was meant to be. Taken from as much of a preserved original camera negative as possible, this 4K restoration is so stunning, it’s almost like watching a whole new film. It hadn’t occurred to me how often the sets almost completely took over the task of lighting. Many scenes, which take on the appearance of stark, high-contrast, are really quite evenly lit. A jagged splash of light bursts onto the floor from a broken bedroom window. Corners disappear into shadows at odd intersections, while twisted shapes leave those synthetic abysses and leap up to ceilings across trapezoidal walls. Nearly all of these effects are accomplished through paint and geometry, rather than light and lens. That’s not to say these images were totally lost on audiences watching the film on VHS, or previous DVD releases. Obviously, the power was always there to a significant degree. In this home video release, however, the extraordinary scenes jump off the screen with shocking new life. You haven’t seen the movie until you have seen it through the restorative eyes of Kino.
THE PACKAGE
Glorious HD Resolution: Have I said it enough?
Booklet Essay By Kristin Thompson: A fine run-down of the film’s historical and cultural significance.
Caligari: How Horror Came To The Cinema: A wonderfully thorough expansion of some of the information found in Thompson’s write-up — a 52-minute documentary!
Additional Score By DJ Spooky: As you might know, many silent films had no original score composed, and often theaters would hire pianists to improvise some accompaniment. Though the score this disc intended for exhibition is mostly excellent, it is fun to hear a different interpretation.
Restoration Demonstration: An interesting side-by-side comparison.
Image Gallery: ‘nuff said.
