German Expressionism was a movement that was developed at the turn of the 20th Century, inspired by artists such as Munch and Van Gogh as a reaction against realism, as well as being influenced by the horrors of the First World War (1914-1919) which claimed the lives of over 15 million people. German Expressionism could also be seen to be a direct reaction to not only the massive loss of lives as a result of the First World War, but also as a reaction to the fact that Germany was defeated, and consequently began to reject the past, and in turn reality, and have a new enthusiasm for progression and experimentalism. Robert Weine’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) has been described as the first German Expressionist film; it tells the story of an insane hypnotist who uses a somnambulist to commit murders. Using evidence such as Tim Burton’s work, the context of postwar Germany and the film’s influences, I will attempt to critically discuss this film in light of its impact and successes within film history.
German Expressionist films explore subjective experience through non-realistic visuals and unnatural mise-en-scène such as distorted sets, bio-mechanical acting, disregard for perspective and proportion and chiaroscuro lighting (extreme high and low tones), amongst other effects. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari employs many of these effects to create a dark and unnerving narrative. For example, all the sets in the film have a “jagged landscape of sharp angles and tilted walls and windows, staircases climbing crazy diagonals, trees with spiky leaves [and] grass that looks like knives” (Ebert, 2009). The somnambulist, Cesare (Conrad Veidt), and many of the other characters such as Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) have harsh and unnatural makeup, which again enhances the distorted and avant-garde mise-en-scène. Biomechanics was developed by Vsevolod Meyerhold between 1913 and 1922, it is acting which is focused mainly on the movement of an actor and often creates a highly stylised and non-realistic feel, with each movement an actor makes being deliberate and important. This style of acting is used in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to contribute to the unnatural mise-en-scène within the film and to suggest to the audience that all is not what it seems.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is widely considered not only the first example in cinema of German Expressionism but also by many critics and scholars as the “first true horror film” (Ebert, 2009). Its influence in the horror genre can clearly be seen in films such as Frankenstein (1931) with its dark and eerie locations and sets, and The Exorcist (1973) with its use of shadow to create tension and suspense. The director Alfred Hitchcock could also be seen to be heavily influenced by German Expressionism and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. For example in his 1945 film Spellbound is famous for its dream sequence which is permeated with distorted images, shadows and dark images, clearly influenced by the non-realistic themes within The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
However, Weine’s film’s influence does not end with its visuals. The film’s narrative and it’s themes of authority “are heavily shaped by the postwar German attitudes” (Kryah, 2015). The authoritarian character of Dr. Caligari, and his ability to easily rise to power and kill carelessly using another person can easily be applied to the rise of Nazism and Hitler throughout the years of 1919 to 1933. This is not to say that The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari caused these events, but it did manage to, if not predict, at least reiterate fears of authoritarian control in postwar Germany.
Weine’s film is not only influenced by the art movement of German Expressionism, but also by certain psychological movements at the time. Towards the end of the 1800s, Sigmund Freud had established the discipline of psychoanalysis, which began to spread and gain popularity throughout the early 1900s. The theory mainly focuses of the power of a person’s unconscious on their actions and choices. Psychoanalysis can be seen to influence the narrative of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari through the exploration of whether a person can unconsciously do something, or be swayed by outer forces to commit crimes a sane person would never normally do. The film’s exploration of mind control and the unconscious contribute to its identity as a film that not only influences others, but is itself influenced by the context it was created in.
Robert Weine’s film can also be seen to influence Tim Burton. One can clearly note the similarities between The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and many of Burton’s films. In Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) Burton uses many of the same effects that Weine does. For example, buildings which are distorted and built at varying heights, dark and eerie sets and chiaroscuro lighting. The exaggerated make-up of a very white face, dark sunken eyes and unruly black hair which Weine’s character Cesare has is also present in the characters of Edward and Sweeney Todd (both played by Johnny Depp). In Burton’s film Batman Returns (1992) similarities can unmistakably be seen between Weine’s character Dr. Caligari and The Penguin (Danny DeVito). Both characters wear very similar costumes and makeup and both are also revealed to be someone they are not at the end of the film. Finally, in Beetlejuice (1988), particularly in the afterlife scenes, we can see The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’s influence within Burton’s use of twisted and unnatural sets. Therefore, it is an obvious conclusion to make that Burton’s films are heavily influenced by The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, clearly demonstrating that Robert Weine’s film, although made almost one hundred years ago, is still inspiring and shaping films today.
Robert Weine’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is an important film which has successfully influenced many genres and directors, including the horror genre and the work of Tim Burton. The film itself was influenced by the movement of German Expressionism, the context of postwar Germany and the theory of psychoanalysis. Therefore, I can confidently state that The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a film that has a legacy and is essential when studying film history.