My take: A confusing film with a couple of creepy scenes. Only watch this if you are a true fan of horror who wants to see a bit of history.
I’m just starting my attempt to watch all of the movies in the book Studies in Terror by Jonathan Rigby. The first movie is Das Cabinet des Dr Caligari, which was first released in Berlin in 1920.
Dr Caligari (in the top hat) and the somnambulist, Cesare (in the cabinet)
The story is about mountebank named Dr. Caligari that has a tent in a town fair that advertises a somnambulist. I had to Google mountebank and somnambulist. A mountebank is a swindler or charlatan. A somnambulist is a sleepwalker.
Caligari awakens the somnambulist, Cesare, after a supposed 25-year sleep. Then tells the audience that the sleepwalker has seen the future and can tell any man his fortune. A man steps forward wanting to know when he will die. Cesare tells the poor man that he only has “until tomorrow’s dawn.” The man is later found dead and other mysterious deaths follow.
The film is unbelievably difficult to follow at first. It took me about three-fourths of its mere 51 minutes to get into the story. The film’s strange set design and character makeup definitely played a role in my confusion, and I am not alone. According to Studies in Terror, a German review of the film in 1920 said, “Audience reactions wavered between amusement and plain incomprehension.” That is spot-on how I felt. Apparently, I have something in common with the Berliners of the 20s.
It was an interesting film to watch, but I do not think I would recommend it to anyone who is not a die-hard horror fan. Even amongst the die-hard fans, this film’s value is almost entirely historical IMHO.
If you do want to watch it, you can find in on youtube:
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