Werner Krauss: Cabinet of Dr Caligari

Starring:Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher, Lil Dagover, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski, Rudolf Lettinger, Hans Lanser-Rudolf, Elsa Wagner, Ludwig Rex, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Henri Peters-Arnolds
Director: Robert Wiene
Studio: Alpha Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

A milestone of the silent film era and one of the first "art films" to gain international acclaim, this eerie German classic from 1919 remains the most prominent example of German expressionism in the emerging art of the cinema. Stylistically, the look of the film's painted sets--distorted perspectives, sharp angles, twisted architecture--was designed to reflect (or express) the splintered psychology of its title character, a sinister figure who uses a lanky somnambulist (Conrad Veidt) as a circus attraction. But when Caligari and his sleepwalker are suspected of murder, their novelty act is surrounded by more supernatural implications. With its mad-doctor scenario, striking visuals, and a haunting, zombie-like character at its center, Caligari was one of the first horror films to reach an international audience, sending shock waves through artistic circles and serving as a strong influence on the classic horror films of the 1920s, '30s, and beyond. It's a museum piece today, of interest more for its historical importance, but Caligari still casts a considerable spell. --Jeff Shannon

Description

This milestone film, known for its expressionistic sets and techniques, tells the strange tale of a sleepwalker under the spell of the mysterious and evil Dr. Caligari.

Customer Reviews:

creepy, cool.......2007-07-03

I've been getting into these old suspense/horror/sci-fi films lately, and this has got to be one of the better ones. The plot is cool and mysterious, and the twisted sets in which the story takes place give it a strange, surrealistic feel. Anyone interested in silent films has got to check this one out.

How diabolical can a woman be???.......2007-07-01

Dr. Caligari presents the viewer with a frightening vision of the world through the lens of German Expressionism.

I cannot recommend this film highly enough. It's truly fascinating. And, it really (really) is an art film, since it purposefully and strikingly exhibits the new art of the German inter-war milieu. So, be prepared for an other-worldly excursion into the "total work of art," or Gesamtkunstwerk, of this monumental and influential film.

This film is best seen at night, alone, and with the modern soundtrack which is available on the fully restored version. If the DVD you're watching does not have (a) choice of two soundtracks (traditional music and much-scarier modern track), (b) tinted inter-titles set in a surrealistic (actually expressionistic) font, and (3) is fairly high quality, then send it back and get the restored version. The quality and completeness of silent films are a major factor in experiencing the art form as it was meant to be experienced. The modern sound track in Dr. Caligari makes the film much more accessible for modern audiences (the eerie effects in the modern track heighten the feel of the film for the modern viewer) - try both tracks, you'll see.

It's surprising how frightening and impactful this film can be. You will have dreams about it, I promise. These between-the-wars German films are riddled with creepy foreshadowing for us in the present, who know what was about to happen in Germany.

Anyway, I think the film is best viewed with NO NOTICE. You don't really want to know the plot (the meaning of the end of the film can be interpreted in radically different ways - keep that in mind when it happens). Only one note - artistically the German Expressionist movement is worth reading about after you see the film - you'll notice the theme of "death and the maiden" woven into this artwork. Also, this film is the direct ancestor of films like "Nightmare Before Christmas" and a lot more - you'll recognize the Expressionist look in many presentations in television and film.

WARNING - I would NOT show this film to children. It's very subtly and psychologically undermining - you'll be thinking and freaking about this thing for months to come - such a thing shouldn't be experienced by children - it's an adult, art film (no, not that kind) made for adults.

Dream a little dream of me.......2007-07-01

Two men are sitting on a cement bench by the garden wall. One casually says there are evil spirits all around. As a woman in white glides by the second man Francis (Friedrich Fehér) says that is my fiancée Jane (Lil Dagover) and let me tell you what happened to us.

As his story begins we are subjected to a weird world of light and twisted shadows. A string Dr. (Caligari played by Werner Krauss) brings a somnambulist (sleeping man played by Conrad Veidt) to a local fair. The somnambulist knows all things and can predict the future; he prophesizes correctly Allan's (friend of Francis and rival for Jane's hand) murder and pilfers Jane from her bed chamber. But how can this be; as Francis has been keeping an eye on the doc and the snoozer all night and they have not moved?

I leave you with this thought "Du mußt Caligari warden"

Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.......2007-06-20

One of the finest achievements of the silent era and in some ways an allegory of Weimar Germany's decadent demise, Wiene's "Caligari" is an eerie, heavily stylized horror film. With its distorted angles, chiaroscuro lighting, and jarring German expressionist sets, the film is a striking precursor not only to Lang's "Metropolis," but to the look and atmospheric feel of 1940s American noir. And its tale of a crazed doctor and his zombie-like proxy introduced a basic template for many later horror features. Still creepy and lurid after eighty-five years, "Caligari" will cast a spell on you.

One of the most frightening movies of all time, and that's what matters.......2007-03-26

I don't want to go for a long, involved review here, both because others here have already done the job and because much of the movie's appeal lies in just watching it. Show, don't tell. That said, I must respond to the Amazon reviewer's off-handed condemnation of the film as a museum piece. On the contrary! It'll make you shudder, if anything can. Artistic interest aside, one really should remember that at the moment of "Caligari"'s conception cinema Expressionism was in its infancy. It practically began with this. The movie was, at the time, a bold attempt at creating something new AND that new thing was meant to be a horror film. "Caligari" was meant to terrify with visuals and atmosphere. More than some "statement," it remains a little world unto itself, hinting at something horrid, short, venal, coherent of purpose. Let's be creeped out and not miss the forest for the trees.

Average customer rating:

creepy, cool
How diabolical can a woman be???
Dream a little dream of me
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
One of the most frightening movies of all time, and that's what matters

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Starring: Werner Krauss , Conrad Veidt , Friedrich Feher , Lil Dagover , and Hans Heinrich von Twardowski
Director: Robert Wiene
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006JMQG
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

creepy, cool.......2007-07-03

How diabolical can a woman be???.......2007-07-01

Dream a little dream of me.......2007-07-01

Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.......2007-06-20

One of the most frightening movies of all time, and that's what matters.......2007-03-26

Average customer rating:

creepy, cool
How diabolical can a woman be???
Dream a little dream of me
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
One of the most frightening movies of all time, and that's what matters

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Nosferatu
Metropolis (Restored Authorized Edition)
Battleship Potemkin
The Golem
The Birth of a Nation

ASIN: B0001EFTV0
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Amazon.com

Description

As one of the first horror films to gain international praise, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, renowned for its highly-stylized, fantastic sets and even more bizarre performances, tells the twisted tale of a gangly sleepwalker named Cesare under the spell of the sinister and mysterious Dr. Caligari. The look of the film expresses the inner feelings of a character—a novel concept in the early era of cinema, but one that is widely used today. Collectible poster included

Customer Reviews:

creepy, cool.......2007-07-03

How diabolical can a woman be???.......2007-07-01

Dream a little dream of me.......2007-07-01

Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.......2007-06-20

One of the most frightening movies of all time, and that's what matters.......2007-03-26

Average customer rating:

creepy, cool
How diabolical can a woman be???
Dream a little dream of me
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
One of the most frightening movies of all time, and that's what matters

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Art House & International | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Horror | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Nosferatu
Metropolis (Restored Authorized Edition)
Battleship Potemkin
The Golem
The Birth of a Nation

ASIN: B0000897C2
Release Date: 2003-03-04

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

creepy, cool.......2007-07-03

How diabolical can a woman be???.......2007-07-01

Dream a little dream of me.......2007-07-01

Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.......2007-06-20

One of the most frightening movies of all time, and that's what matters.......2007-03-26

Average customer rating:

creepy, cool
How diabolical can a woman be???
Dream a little dream of me
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
One of the most frightening movies of all time, and that's what matters

Werner Krauss: Cabinet of Dr Caligari
Starring: Werner Krauss , Conrad Veidt , Friedrich Feher , Lil Dagover , and Hans Heinrich von Twardowski
Director: Robert Wiene
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Nosferatu
Metropolis (Restored Authorized Edition)
Battleship Potemkin
The Golem
The Birth of a Nation

ASIN: B000067IW0
Release Date: 2002-06-04

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

creepy, cool.......2007-07-03

How diabolical can a woman be???.......2007-07-01

Dream a little dream of me.......2007-07-01

Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.......2007-06-20

One of the most frightening movies of all time, and that's what matters.......2007-03-26

Masterworks Of The German Horror Cinema (Nosferatu / The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari / The Golem)

Average customer rating:

excellent collection
Nosferatu rules!
B/W TRIPLE THREAT
How bad do you want Der Golem?
Masterworks of the German Horror Cinema

Masterworks Of The German Horror Cinema (Nosferatu / The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari / The Golem)
Starring: Lil Dagover , Friedrich Feher , Rudolf Klein-Rogge , Werner Krauss , and Hans Lanser-Rudolf
Manufacturer: ELITE ENTERTAINMENT
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Battleship Potemkin
Avant Garde - Experimental Cinema of the 1920s & 1930s
Luis Bunuel's L'Age d'Or

ASIN: B00002VW42
Release Date: 2000-01-18

Amazon.com

Three seminal works in one package make this an ideal choice for film buffs and horror fans. The Masterworks of the German Horror Cinema contains three influential masterpieces from the early 1920s: The Golem, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and Nosferatu. All three films are excellent, and their influence on later works, most notably Frankenstein, is clear. Nosferatu, directly plagiarized from Bram Stoker's Dracula, is by far the scariest of the three. Max Schreck's bizarre, creepy performance as the vampire is still surprisingly effective. The Golem is a retelling of the Jewish legend of a rabbi who dabbles in the black arts to protect the inhabitants of the ghetto. He makes a man of clay and brings him to life, with dire results. Though all three have gorgeous images, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the tale of a mysterious mesmerist, is the most interesting as a prime example of German expressionism. The swooping, distorted sets are brilliantly nightmarish. The three silent films are best enjoyed with the volume turned all the way down. While The Golem is presented in silence, by far the most satisfying option, the music soundtrack tacked onto Caligari is unnecessary at best, and the score Nosferatu has been saddled with is absolutely dunderheaded. Bonus material includes stills and poster art from all three films and a clip from the lost film Genuine: A Tale of a Vampire. --Ali Davis

Customer Reviews:

excellent collection.......2007-01-05

If you have a taste for the classic stories and an appreciation of the filmwork of the times, this will not disappoint. All stories are true to the original works and the background scenery is incredible. I would be surprised to find that much of Tim Burton's imagery is not influenced by these films.

Nosferatu rules!.......2001-05-29

I didn't have time to watch Caligari and the Golem, because I wanted to watch "Nosferatu!" The film is excellent, and the flaw at the end scene is hillarious! I won't tell you because it gives away the vampire's death sequence. Well, the honor of acting in this film has to go to Max Shrek, who probably was a vampire. At least I think so. Anyway, the makeup is simply the most powerful ever created for the cinema, next to Frankenstein's monster.

The plot is simple: Just the same as all the books. But with the absence of Van Helsing, the story falls a little flat.

To heck with that. Ignore the others on this great 2 disc set and only watch Nosferatu! That and, did you know that this film got involved in a lawsuit, and that all copies of the film were ordered destroyed?

B/W TRIPLE THREAT.......2001-05-10

AFTER SEEING (AND ENJOYING) SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE, I THOUGHT ABOUT GETTING A COPY OF NOSFERATU (1922) (64 MIN) ON DVD. WHILE CHECKING OUT SEVERAL DIFFERENT VERSIONS TO SEE WHICH OFFERED MORE OPTIONS, I RAN ACROSS THIS EDITION THAT ALSO INCLUDES DER GOLEM (1920) (68 MIN) AND THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1921) (51 MIN). I'VE READ ABOUT AND SEEN PICTURES FROM ALL 3 OF THESE FILMS BUT HAD NEVER ACTUALLY VIEWED THEM. WHAT A TREAT IT WAS TO SEE THEM CONTAINED IN ONE PACKAGE ON 2 DVDs. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I BOUGHT IT AND ENJOYED THEM OVER THE NEXT 3 EVENINGS. THE APPROXIMATE TIMES I HAVE LISTED ABOVE FOR EACH OF THE FILMS ARE CLOSER TO CORRECT THEN THE ONES LISTED IN THE EDITION DETAILS... A VERY MINOR ERROR THAT SHOULD NOT DETER YOU FROM PICKING UP THIS CLASSIC BLACK AND WHITE TRIPLE THREAT FROM AN ERA GONE BY.

How bad do you want Der Golem?.......2001-02-18

I won't rehash what most people already know; two of these films are considered classics while the other is a well-respected but lesser known silent work. This three-pack was a big disappointment overall from a technical standpoint. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is basically unwatchable because the high contrast obliterates the details and bad framing destroys the picture composition. Also, the title cards have been replaced, and this version doesn't have any of the tinting.

Nosferatu fares a little better. The contrast is high but not unwatchable. More annoying here is transfer speed of 24 frames per minute, which makes the characters appear to be moving at super-human speed; this works okay for comedy but terrible for horror.

There are several versions of both the above films out on DVD and VHS; I hear good things about the Image Editions but haven't seen them. What isn't available anywhere else is Der Golem; the tale of the stone figure brought to life to protect a Jewish community. It stars Paul Wagner. The film has got a heavy contrast but with nothing to compare it to, I can't say if this is the fault of the source material or the transfer. This was the only film that doesn't have a musical score, which definately detracts from the film. The movie itself is good but not up to the level of Caligari or Nosferatu. Whether to buy this set or not ultimately rests with how bad you want this film.

Masterworks of the German Horror Cinema.......2000-08-09

The box set made by IMAGE (not ELITE) does not have all of the technical problems that Paul Kesler wrote of in his review.

Average customer rating:

creepy, cool
How diabolical can a woman be???
Dream a little dream of me
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
One of the most frightening movies of all time, and that's what matters

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari [Region 2]
Starring: Werner Krauss , Conrad Veidt , Friedrich Feher , Lil Dagover , and Hans Heinrich von Twardowski
Director: Robert Wiene
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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