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| About Review |
Reviewer
WesCraven
Review Date
10th June, 2004
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| Movie Credits |
Director
Robert Wiene
Cast
Werner Krauss
Conrad Veidt
Freidrich Feher
Lil Dagover
Hoans Heinrich
Screenplay
Hans Janowitz
Carl Mayer
Taglines
"You must become Caligari."
Country
Germany
Classification
Unrated
Year
1920
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| Errors |
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| DVD Cover Art |
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| DVD Information |
Format
NTSC
Region Coding
0 (plays in all regions)
Aspect Ratio
1.33:1
16x9 Enhanced
No
Running Time
67 minutes
Year Released
2003
Packaging
Keep Case
Extra Features
None
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The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari
The Plot
A man brings a somnambulist to the local fair, who has the ability
to predict the future. However, when he starts predicting murders, and they
begin to happen. They predict that something is going on. However, just what it
is may surprise you.
The Movie
In 1920 the German expressionist movement was in full effect. And
in that year Robert Wiene created what many consider the first horror film,
"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari". The movie, obviously is very old, and is thus in
black and white and silent. While may turn off a casual or maybe even a more
average horror fan, it is definitely something to be seen.
The sets and "lighting" are one of the true stars of the film. The sets are
amazing. They're unnatural and odd-looking, not to mention that they are making
a statement about Germany during those times. All of which go to help create
a sense of a eerie dreamlike state for the film, which is perfect. The
"lighting" also is pretty impressive. Other than the usual lighting used, they
also had lights and darks painted on the sets, to help create a feeling of actual
lighting. While the "lighting" is pretty obviously fake (though I'm sure their
intention was not for it to look real) it helps enhance the mood and eerie
feeling of the film.
Again this film is silent and the speech (etc.) is told through shots filled
with words, so if you hate subtitles, this is even worse. And if you hate the
lack of color well then, this will not be for you. However, if you're
interested in seeing something new and fresh (even though it's older) then this
movie may be for you. The story is great, and the acting is nothing to complain
about, so at least you have those things going for you. I recommend it, and hope
that, if you see it, you enjoy it.
The DVD
The DVD reviewed here is the Front Row Entertainment version, and it
is almost OK. The visual transfer is magnificent, for a movie so old. I have
seen another DVD version which is much better. However, this transfer is still
pretty good, in regards to it's age. The picture has definite scratches and
such, but with a movie nearly eighty years old, one can't be too picky. The
sound is also pretty good, and is crucial to the movie. The extras are nil. I
have scene selection and that's it. Being able to see the movie itself I guess
is pretty impressive, but with all the extras that are provided these days, I
was thoroughly disappointed. Not to mention that over ten minutes of cuts have
befallen the US version.
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DVD Rating |
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