The Cabinet Of Dr Caligari

The Cabinet Of Dr Caligari

Synopsis

Witness the birth of the modern horror film.

About

Pre-dating even early genre landmarks Nosferatu (1922) and Metropolis (1926) by some distance, Robert Wiene's silent film is both influential and one of a kind.

A classic of German Expressionism, the plot concerns the doctor of the title - insane, naturally - and the somnambulist Cesare (Casablanca's marvellous Conrad Veidt), whom the doctor displays at a carnival, claiming he can answer any question the punters care to ask. When Cesare correctly predicts a man's death before dawn, the protagonist, Francis, is drawn into the doctor's deranged scheme...

Cast & Connections

Actor: Lil Dagover, Conrad Veidt, Hans von Twardowski, Werner Krauss, Friedrich Feher
Director: Robert Wiene
Writer: Carl Mayer

In a nutshell

With a zombie-like killer and twist-in-the-tale this anticipates everything from psychological thrillers to stalk 'n' slash.

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