The infamous silent film of the 1920s, Dr. Caligari is often referred to as the "first ('modern') horror movie." This can be debated, but what is not usually debated is that it the quintesential film of German expressionism. Metropolis is another fine example of the genre. In Dr. Caligari, there isn't much cinematography to speak of. By this I mean that the camera pretty much is limited to one angle per scene and panning is absent. The film, however, is so interesting that you will hardly notice this minor characteristic.
The restored edition switches from black and yellow to black and green, depending on the mood of a given scene. In one scene, a character flips off the light and the color changes. The grainy, choppy film jumping along gives the movie a much creepier feel to it. It also adds to the effect of the movie when you think about how everybody involved in the film is dead by now. All this on top of the "spooky" plot itself, which I will not give away.
Although not to the extent of Metropolis, Dr. Caligari also takes the art deco set production to the extreme... with a "Nightmare Before Christmas" reminescent twist to it.
I highly recommend this classic film.
4 1/2 stars
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