Scarecrow-88 Driving through a tunnel into the great unknown of "freedom", with her shoes off no less, Jane(Glynis Johns) faces quite a predicament with her car's tire blows out. After a mile or so trek down the lonesome, uninhabited road leading to the gate of a mansion, Jane believes she's found help when the resident's owner, Caligari(Dan O'Herlihy)offers to send someone to fix her vehicle. Told the vehicle has more than just tire damage, Jane's offered refuge, but finds herself trapped within the (electric) gates of the estate with Caligari not allowing her access out. The rest of the film shows Jane's attempts at getting out of the clutches of Caligari and finding others within the estate seemingly trapped as her. But, as Caligari would later inform her..nothing is what it seems.Thanks to the success of "Psycho" which perhaps opened a door to explore more psycho-sexual subject matter, that film's writer, Robert Bloch, had an opportunity to explore similar terrain. Caligari, a sinister figure who seems to remain in his little office, unscrupulously forward with questions of Jane's sexual history, desiring to know everything about her. He makes it known that he will not touch Jane, and seems like a perverted sadist who gets his jollies listening to female captives baring their record, naked to him. Characters present on Caligari's estate, Christine(Constance Ford), his dutiful servant who seems eager to carry out any wish, no matter how cruel it might seem, Paul, a mannered gent with a quiet calm whose role seems uncertain, often consoling a tormented Jane wishing to leave. Mark(Richard Davalos), a handsome fellow Jane befriends at a gathering of folks at Caligari's dinner table..Mark is transfixed with her, but only can see her at night, for some reason, so wishing to part with her from the estate. Frank(Lawrence Dobkin)who offers Jane a chance to possibly break free, who seems to be in charge of holding others inside, only allowing certain people out(..like a nosy cook/maid). Ruth(Estelle Winwood)seems to be in the same predicament as Jane, a prisoner only allowed access out to the town every once in a while. When Ruth promises Jane a chance to leave, it seems she is beaten to death by Frank with Caligari standing present with Christine. But, overall, it's a film about Jane and her attempts to leave the estate which holds her captive. Watching as she slowly deteriorates emotionally, Glynis Johns provides us with a sympathetic character who seems robbed of her freedom, forced into remaining in this place with eyes around every corner encountered by friendlies who wish to chat and converse. I will say that the ambiguous nature of the behavior of the characters present in Jane's orbit and their dialogue which often hides certain things from her, talking in riddles, comes together when the film reaches it's climax. Bloch, I felt(..perhaps, I'm one of a few), crafts a nifty little psychological tale where you are kept guessing, like Jane, as to what are the true motivations of everyone around Jane, and why is she being held against her will. I found the lurid dialogue, for a film made in '62, rather startling because the confrontations between captor and prisoner often probe areas of a sexual nature. Johns has a magnificent scene where she attempts to seduce Caligari, desperate at this point, believing he might be impotent, hoping to fracture his psyche a bit...by cracking his foundation, she would've at least given him a taste of his own medicine. The film is as Caligari tells Jane..nothing is as it seems. Keep that in mind. Director Kay and writer Bloch really keep you at bay, with Jane encountering some strange situations that are often head-scratching..that is, until you find out the "real truth" of what ails Jane.Perhaps a sleeper if one can shake off the comparisons to the German silent masterpiece of the same name..just approach this as a different film, and you might enjoy it more.

makantor-1 I had originally seen this movie at the age of fifteen; it continues to make a deep impression upon me. Though the plot does seem to move rather slowly by today's standards, it remains an amazing story of a young girl who has decided to come into touch with herself. Jane's validity depends upon her own understanding of reality versus fantasy. I am fortunate to have explored, through the DVD, the pleasures and horrors, as she leads the path that ultimately forces her to confront her inner fears. This "remake" may go beyond the original, but still exemplifies the importance of the caring and needs that we need to provide to our own. We are their caregivers. I was especially impressed by Constance Ford's role.

bensonmum2 After her car breaks down, Jane Lindstrom (Glynis Johns) makes her way to the gated home of a man known as Caligari (Dan O'Herlihy). She is invited into the house and, at first, feels comfortable. But when Jane is not allowed to leave the next day, she realizes that, like Caligari's other "guests", she is trapped. Things get even worse when she witnesses Caligari and another man beating an old woman to death. She'll do anything to get out, but how does she ever hope to escape from Caligari's clutches? This movie might have been a complete dude for me if it weren't for Glynis Johns. For lack of a better word, I'll call her portrayal of Jane Lindstrom "refreshing". She's absolutely atypical of what you would normally expect to find in a movie like this. For the most part, she's meek, mild, mannered, and goes along with what she's told. But when push comes to shove, she's not above abandoning this persona and experimenting with a more brash, sexy personality if it will help her get what she desires. The contrast between the two personalities is fascinating. The rest of the cast is equally enjoyable with O'Herlihy playing the mysterious, cold Caligari perfectly. A group of recognizable character actors, whose names may not be very well known, rounds out the cast.Don't expect "in your face" horror with The Cabinet of Caligari. It's very subtle. In fact, my rating would be higher but the movie is often too subtle for its own good. There were more than a few instances where I wished something would happen. Too often the plot drags as we see scene after scene of Jane lying around bemoaning her situation. Do something, woman! And while Caligari is a threatening presence, he spends most of his time sitting behind a desk asking seemingly pointless questions. But just when you think things have come to a grinding halt, a scene like the one where Caligari is caught by our heroine spying on her in the bathtub comes along and things pick up for a moment.Technically, The Cabinet of Caligari is superior to a lot of the other low budget horror of the period. Cinematography and lighting are quite nice. There are some interesting camera shots and lighting choices such as those during Jane's striptease for Caligari. The set design is a real highlight. I was reminded on more than one occasion of the post-modern/deco house in The Black Cat (1934), a real favorite of mine. The house features fabulously designed staircases, corners, and spaces to make most scenes at least look interesting.Overall, it's too bad the plot couldn't be as interesting, entertaining, or well done as the technical aspects of the film and the acting. Had the plot been better, The Cabinet of Caligari could have been a real winner.

CatTales What was Robert Bloch thinking when he wrote this? As weird as the character's interactions are (no understandable motivations), the dialogue is full of dramatic clichés out of any context, like clips from a soap opera. Not a very thrilling blend for a horror movie. The original 1920 movie involved mesmerism and somnambulism: this film does both - it will hypnotise you into sleep immediately, even in the light of day. However, if you can stay awake, the story does have some dramatic impact, and the acting is fine throughout. The twist ending was done one better in a very similar 1950's EC comics (ie Tales from the Crypt) where the woman is cured but starts to have a relapse that cycles her back to the beginning of the story (a la "Dead of night").