Director: Robert Wiene
While I would never pretend to be a horror film fan, or possess a great knowledge of its history, I feel I have seen enough horror films to appreciate the genre's antecedents in Dr Caligari. Body horror is the sub-genre I have most enjoyed (perhaps because of its interesting relationship with gender), but I also find psychological horror enjoyably unsettling.
Unfortunately, the twist at the film's end was spoiled for me (from studying film history no less); a circumstance which I believe affected my experience. I won't be cruel and do the same to you. Despite that, I am glad it was included in the film; the original writers were apparently annoyed about the framing story's inclusion.
The production design is still quite impressive, setting the story in an abstract space. As a result, the highly stylised acting is more bearable as they are not aiming at realism. The copy I saw carried the Expressionism into the intertitles, which was at first made it difficult to read, but ultimately worked well.
This is not the ideal silent film to see as your first experience of the form. It also helps to know why it is considered so important in film history; just don't let your reading spoil it for you!
Sadly, this is a film that's almost impossible not to have spoiled. If you're the kind of person willing to seek out classic silent film, you're also the kind of person who's going to read film history and thus have films like this spoiled for you. If you don't have this spoiled, you're also someone who probably doesn't watch silent films.
ReplyDeleteStill, there's a lot here worth seeing even with the ending spoiled. The set design is still unsettling and brilliant.
True. And really, if a film is completely 'spoiled' by having its story revealed, then it might not have anything else going for it.
DeleteI really loved this. For a film of the time and what it actually did with film as a medium, it's astounding.
ReplyDeleteIt is a great example of what realised you could do with the medium. I would like to see this projected on a big screen; the details of the sets, and moment the somnabulist opens his eyes would be great!
DeleteI liked this one immensely and it is on my top five of best silent movies. If you should ever be in Berlin you should visit the film museum. They have an entire room dedicated to this movie with props, set models etc. The actor playing the somnabulist later went to Hollywood and made a career out of playing the evil German in movies such as Casablanca.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendation! Seeing the set models would be amazing.
DeleteSounds like a good excuse to watch Casablanca again!