The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari [Blu-ray]

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari [Blu-ray]

Director: Robert Wiene Cast: Conrad Veidt
Conrad Veidt
, Lil Dagover
Lil Dagover
, Rudolf Lettinger
Rudolf Lettinger
, Frederich Feher
Frederich Feher
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari [Blu-ray]

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari [Blu-ray]

Director: Robert Wiene Cast: Conrad Veidt
Conrad Veidt
, Lil Dagover
Lil Dagover
, Rudolf Lettinger
Rudolf Lettinger
, Frederich Feher
Frederich Feher

Blu-ray

$29.99 
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Overview

In one of the most influential films of the silent era, Werner Krauss plays the title character, a sinister hypnotist who travels the carnival circuit displaying a somnambulist named Cesare (Conrad Veidt). In one tiny German town, a series of murders coincides with Caligari's visit. When the best friend of hero Francis (Friedrich Feher) is killed, the deed seems to be the outgrowth of a romantic rivalry over the hand of the lovely Jane (Lil Dagover). Francis suspects Caligari, but he is ignored by the police. Investigating on his own, Francis seemingly discovers that Caligari has been ordering the somnambulist to commit the murders, but the story eventually takes a more surprising direction. The film's twisting plot takes its cue from its Expressionist style, which uses distorted perspectives to mirror the characters' extreme emotional states. The village is a maze of painted sets, filled with unnatural shapes and angles, the actors' movements are highly stylized, and everyone wears thick, grotesque makeup. Through the rest of the silent era, and on into such talkies as Frankenstein (1931), Svengali (1931), and Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), audiences were treated to such Caligariesque devices as spider-like shadows, bizarre makeup and lighting effects, and zombie-like characterizations. Caligari's Expressionist style ultimately led to the dark shadows and sharp angles of the film noir urban crime dramas of the 1940s, many of which were directed by such German émigrés as Billy Wilder and Robert Siodmak.

Product Details

Release Date: 11/18/2014
UPC: 0738329151522
Original Release: 1920
Rating: NR
Source: Kino Classics
Region Code: A
Language: English
Time: 1:17:00
Sales rank: 18,447

Special Features

Caligari: how horror came to the cinema (documentary, 52 minutes); Additional music score by Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky; Image gallery; Restoration demonstration

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Conrad Veidt Cesare
Lil Dagover Jane Olsen
Rudolf Lettinger Dr. Olsen
Frederich Feher Actor,Francis
Hans Heinz von Twardowski Actor,Alan
Rudolph Klein-Rogge A Criminal
Ludwig Rex Actor
Werner Krauß Dr. Caligari
Henri Peters-Arnolds Actor
Elsa Wagner Actor
Peter Schirmann Composer

Technical Credits
Robert Wiene Director
Erich Pommer Producer
Carl Mayer Screenwriter
Hans Janowitz Screenwriter
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