The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari: reality twists

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is considered to be a masterpiece of German Expressionism. Filmed in 1920, the action takes place in several bizarre scenarios that are two-dimensional projections of surrealistic sketches, with crooked walls, pointed doors, and endless stairs. The set designer Hermann Warm does not appear in the credits.

At the beginning of the movie, the protagonist Francis (Frederich Feher) tells frightening reminiscences to an older man who says ghosts torment him. The story is shown through flashbacks that took place in the German city of Holstenwall, also recreated in sharp and irregular scenarios.

A variety fair is being held at that location and, among the various attractions, a man named Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) announces the presentation of the somnambulist. This young man has been sleeping since his birth, 23 years ago. Lying in a coffin, Cesare (Conrad Veidt) will wake up and answer any question from the audience.

Provocatively, Alan (Hans Heinz von Twardowski), a friend of Francis' asks when he will die. Cesare's answer (“At first dawn!”) is terrifying and prophetic because the boy dies. Suspicious, Francis watches over the somnambulist's coffin. However, his fiancee Jane (Li Dagover) is kidnapped the next morning.

Some people see Cesare carrying the unconscious girl in their arms and pursue him. Francis denounces Caligari to the police, but he runs away, followed by the boy until he hides in a mental hospital, where he is none other than the director.

Aided by the team of doctors and the police, Francis discovers an ancient manuscript and the director's diary, in which he describes his long wait for a sleepwalker to be able to put him under his command and commit a series of murders.

When Francis finished telling his interlocutor about the arrest of the mad doctor, we realized that the ambiguity shown by director Robert Wiene was not restricted to the scenario. Still, the plot itself suffers some final distortions that make the movie even more terrifying.

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