the leading man is my tpye

Instant Favorite.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

In 1995, humankind celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of motion pictures; the newest medium of art proclaimed its reign of the world of art. Since its beginning, films thoroughly revolutionized the way people watch, think, and get entertained. Now, the time for us to mark a centenary of one of the earliest classics is on the verge. A timeless classic, visual perfection from the silent film period in the Weimar Republic, a century old Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) still mesmerizes the audience with its sensational visual and historical significance. The stylized sets and grotesque atmosphere of the film are remarkable as ever growing prestige and everlasting impact of the film makes it to an extraordinary level. Extreme distortions, jagged lines, discordant angles make the world of "Caligari" unusually bizarre place to live in. Anyone who watched "Caligari" at night, all alone, will say that "Caligari" is a creepy old movie with an eerie atmosphere and series of vivid imagery. To build a sense of psychological horror, production designer Walter Reimann utilized this unconventionally eccentric sets and disharmonious angles and lights to display the mental state of the protagonist. A critic at Variety claims that "Robert Wiene has made perfect use of settings that squeeze and turn and adjust the eye and through the eye the mentality."The film is recognized as one of the most important works from the post-World War I era. Veering away from conventional cinema and its methods, Expressionist movement in Germany, German Expressionism, sought a different approach to the cinema, exploring and expressing subjectivity through its images, acting, and lighting. A number of film experts believe that "Caligari" was one of the pioneers to both capture extreme imagery and tell subjective perception through rolling films, giving birth to Expressionist Cinema in Germany. In his book, A Critical History of German Film, Stephen Brockmann maintains that "Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the quintessential example of German Expressionist cinema, was both popular with the public and acclaimed by critics." The significance of "Caligari" lies not only in laying the groundwork of German Expressionist cinema but also in mirroring the society of Germany after the outrageous war. As mentioned above, sets and techniques used by Walter Reimann not only reflect the insanity of a character, but also communicate the tense anxiety in Germany after World War I. Through its theme, set, and story, "Caligari" works as a visual portrayal of German people's feelings toward the aftermath of WWI. In discussions of "Caligari", one controversial issue has been raised about the relationship between the film itself and the rise of Nazi. German film theorist and sociologist Siegfried Kracauer argues that the success and expansion of the film were a reflection of premonition of Hitler's rise. Kracauer's point is that the film, dealing extensively with the themes of control and obedience, has allegories that "expressed German people's fear of chaos and a desire for order, even at the price of authoritarian rule". Taking Kracauer's interpretation into consideration is useful because it sheds insight on the difficulty of envisioning the society during the Weimar era. Most film experts will tell you that you can see the elements of "Caligari" in the works of Tim Burton, Ridley Scott, Edward Lynch and many more. Indeed, "Caligari" was the cinema's first masterpiece.

The film "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is a psychological thriller about a murderer who is on the loose in the town of Holstenwall. The strange thing is that all of these events started just around the time a magician by the name of Dr. Caligari comes into town with a magic trick that supposedly wakes up a man named Cesare from a death like sleep. This movie was very interesting and thought provoking, and they did a very nice job in tying in the social problems in Germany of that time. I felt this movie was not only an entertaining and mind-bending movie, but it also made you think to the point where you want to watch the movie all over again especially with the open ending. Most importantly I think this movie was made to be different than all the other movies that were coming out during the early 1900.One of the biggest reasons why I feel this movie is worth watching was the interestingly made plot and the journey that this story takes you on. One thing that drew me in from the second the movie started was the story, because it was incredibly interesting and very different. The idea that we experience and see a man's hallucination and what made him go crazy is something that interested me very much and it made for a very well done plot twist. The ending of this movie was perfect as it leaves it open for interpretation, and I feel that this was the only good way to end this movie. Another thing that I thought was very cool about this film is the set pieces. If you are a fan of the Tim Burton films and the way they look you will definitely appreciate this movie, because it definitely has that same look to it. The costumes were fine nothing too special, but I do think that the set was some nice eye candy. As for the camera work it was exactly what you would imagine for a 1900s movie.Lastly, I think this movie is worth watching because of the original idea it has for its time. The idea that we are watching a man's hallucination unfold is a great idea and it was absolutely mind-blowing at the time. One of the best and worst aspects of this movie is the complexity of the plot. It was a plus in the way that each act got better and better, however I did feel that the movie's first act went on for a bit too long and they could have cut five minutes off of just the first act. Every act did feel extremely different to me, almost as if they were three different films following the same characters, and this was mostly due to the weird transitions for each of the acts in this movie. This movie is a very interesting and well done movie, especially for its time. The movie did a very good job with making you think to the point where I had to watch the film all over again in order to absorb all of the information in it. The film did a good job with addressing the issues that Germany was having at the time in a very smart and organized way. The plot was interesting and the characters were good. The only thing I can honestly say that was bad about the movie is that the transitions to each of these acts were a little choppy and most of the first act of the movie could have been shortened.

​I don't like horror, but I show "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" in my film architecture seminar, because the filmmakers hold graphic violence in check, present a good story well told, and conjure a brave visual work of art.Most of all, I like how this silent 1920 surreal thriller illustrates the unity of what I call Form & Story—a concept that helps me design my screenplays and my books, paintings, and buildings.Let me set up my commentary by laying some theoretical groundwork, using terms and concepts I've devised in my practice of architecture.Architecture is a silver coin. Inscribed on one side, FORM: Architecture is the stage set for the drama of life. Inscribed on the other side, STORY: Architecture is a story told through a building. One side emphasizes Aesthetics: architecture as an Abstract Aesthetic System that expresses compositional and physical technique. The other side emphasizes Symbolics: architecture as a Symbolic Image System that expresses intellectual and emotional meaning. Chess offers a helpful analogy. Think of Aesthetics as the system of abstract Moves that chess pieces make when deployed by a chess player, toward the goal of winning the game. Moves like left, right, back, forward, diagonal, slide, jump. Think of Symbolics as the associational Meaning of a set of chess pieces, meaning conveyed mainly by the names of the pieces: a medieval army of warriors (knights and pawns) and counselors (bishops and queen) dedicated to defending the king and to destroying the opposing army and its king. Chess Meaning has nothing to do with the Chess Moves, the strategies and tactics required of a chess player to win the game. So on the one hand, these two systems of chess exist independent of one another. And on the other hand, rather exquisitely, these two systems of chess, Chess Moves (Abstract Aesthetic System: Form) and Chess Meaning (Symbolic Image System: Story), weave together to form a self-referential game, logistical and metaphorical, about war. ​The complex interplay of the two sides of the Silver Coin of Architecture—the Silver Coin of Art—add up to The Visual: the sum of The Visible + The Invisible . . . stirring within us, ideally, waves of pleasure and insight that reward our twin powers of observation and contemplation. Our desire for beauty and truth.​The artistic consciousness that governs Caligari trades in this coin. For example, take the moment at 6:18 into the film, where Alan stands in his attic room, centered in the cinematic frame, pillar-like and pensive, his face the center of visual impact, the book in his hands vying for this honor, our focus then zigzagging (like the zigzag of the room itself) into the picture space, first to the chair and shard of the story-significant bed in the shallow space to Alan's left then to the desk and window in the deep space to his right. Look how the triangle of light on the wall behind Alan diagonals through his left jacket lapel, signaling precisionist control of the architecture of the visual canvas, collapsing character and set into a unified geometric system, integrating figure and field, object and space, man and place, not only ​spatially and visually, but also emotionally. Alan doesn't stand as an isolated object against a neutral background. He stands enmeshed within the woven fabric of a story-charged background, as much a part of him as his clothes, a man in tension-laced alignment with his well-organized but off-kilter environment, alone in a room that looks physically empty, but feels atmospherically full. Trapped. This introverted book-holding attic dweller, suppressing a recent scare, becomes an extension of the architecture, and the architecture becomes an extension of him. Man and architecture collage together as one. The visible geometry of the Outer Cubism of the Room reflects the invisible anxiety of the Interior Cubism of the Man. The optical architecture of Alan's outer world reflects the emotional architecture of his inner world. And vice versa. Through this device of inner/outer reciprocal reflection, the controlling visual device of director Robert Wiene's suspenseful frame story (written by Carl Mayer and Hans Janowitz, art directed by Herman Warm, Walter Reiman, and Walter Rohrig), architecture is an exterior expression of interior cogitation, a counterpoint to the ordinary take on architecture as "form follows function." The form of Caligari's architecture does follow its function, but this function has less to do with physical construction and more to do with psychological projection. And mood.In Caligari, architecture not only presents the stage set for the drama of life, architecture externalizes the drama of life. On the chess board of Alan's room—within the carefully arranged chess-board space of his weird world of light and dark (and wall with a giant rotated black square)—the White Knight of Aesthetics and the Black Knight of Symbolics assert their coequal presence, blending into ​a shining Gray Knight of Visual Storytelling: what I dub the Silver Knight of Form & Story. Caligari's unified Abstract Aesthetic System and Symbolic Image System create the Meaningful Form of Alan's eccentric home: a sepia-toned arena of inner and outer conflict, menaced by shadows and foreshadows, contorted by currents and undercurrents that flow from the eerie and mysterious Story in which Alan plays a pawn. What a difference a room makes, jagged, barren, spooky, alive, and dead. Welcome to Caligari's Cubist Knightmares. Where German Expressionism suffuses Cubism with a dark vibe. Welcome to the terribly beautiful architecture of Caligari's Form & Story. A strange, poetic landscape that unspools, ultimately, from the inner movie reel of the story architects' imagination. Enter, if you dare, for 77 minutes, Caligari's spellbinding Cubist Chambers of the Silver Knight.© Copyright 2017 by JEF7REY HILDNER

As a young adult, most would be surprised that I watch classic films. Since it is October, I decided to check out The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a film I had heard much about while researching classic horror. Many consider this to be the first true horror film, and its influence can be seen in films like Frankenstein (1931).This genre-influencer is about a carnival trickster named Caligari who shows off a somnambulist (sleepwalker) named Cesare at a fair one day, and magically wakes him up. Creepily portrayed by Werner Krauss, the doctor seems to know nothing about a series of murders that suspiciously occur in the town while he is there. Mystery ensues as the protagonists (whose names I can't remember even though I watched this less than 30 min ago) try to figure out who Caligari really is.Being familiar with silent movies, I was prepared for a bit of slowness. This is usually something I can deal with, but I did not like how slowly the intertitles scrolled and how long the takes lasted. The pace was uneven a bit because of this. I found the plot very predictable, especially the fact that Cesare is the murderer, because the shadow in the wall during the murder scene is clearly him. The filmmakers try to fool us by having our heroes arrest an actual murderer, but to me it was an obvious red herring. However, the twist ending (which I will not spoil here) genuinely surprised me and left me glad to have finished watching the film.The sets in this film rely on the German expressionist art movement. They are a bit jarring to look at at first, and are noticeably fake, but I got used to seeing them as the film progressed.The performances by Krauss and a young Conrad Veidt (whom you may remember from Casablanca) are very good. The main character is also good, though I forget his name.Overall, there are better silent horror flicks out there. I would recommend Nosferatu (1922) or The Phantom of the Opera (1925) rather than this film, especially Nosferatu, which is still chilling to watch. Caligari, I feel, has lost a bit of its remarkability in the 96 years since its release, probably because it influenced many other classic horror motifs and tropes which appeared in films like the Universal Monster movies, of which I have been a longtime fan. People who may watch this film will come across elements that are now cliché. Only watch this one if you really want to; the ending makes it worth viewing for horror buffs, but be prepared for a slow ride towards it.