justinthibault-00000 Recommend watching it once, is considered one of the greatest horror movies ever made. Have to appreciate its innovation, but that's all you really can appreciate a century later...

peytone As a young adult, most would be surprised that I watch classic films. Since it is October, I decided to check out The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a film I had heard much about while researching classic horror. Many consider this to be the first true horror film, and its influence can be seen in films like Frankenstein (1931).This genre-influencer is about a carnival trickster named Caligari who shows off a somnambulist (sleepwalker) named Cesare at a fair one day, and magically wakes him up. Creepily portrayed by Werner Krauss, the doctor seems to know nothing about a series of murders that suspiciously occur in the town while he is there. Mystery ensues as the protagonists (whose names I can't remember even though I watched this less than 30 min ago) try to figure out who Caligari really is.Being familiar with silent movies, I was prepared for a bit of slowness. This is usually something I can deal with, but I did not like how slowly the intertitles scrolled and how long the takes lasted. The pace was uneven a bit because of this. I found the plot very predictable, especially the fact that Cesare is the murderer, because the shadow in the wall during the murder scene is clearly him. The filmmakers try to fool us by having our heroes arrest an actual murderer, but to me it was an obvious red herring. However, the twist ending (which I will not spoil here) genuinely surprised me and left me glad to have finished watching the film.The sets in this film rely on the German expressionist art movement. They are a bit jarring to look at at first, and are noticeably fake, but I got used to seeing them as the film progressed.The performances by Krauss and a young Conrad Veidt (whom you may remember from Casablanca) are very good. The main character is also good, though I forget his name.Overall, there are better silent horror flicks out there. I would recommend Nosferatu (1922) or The Phantom of the Opera (1925) rather than this film, especially Nosferatu, which is still chilling to watch. Caligari, I feel, has lost a bit of its remarkability in the 96 years since its release, probably because it influenced many other classic horror motifs and tropes which appeared in films like the Universal Monster movies, of which I have been a longtime fan. People who may watch this film will come across elements that are now cliché. Only watch this one if you really want to; the ending makes it worth viewing for horror buffs, but be prepared for a slow ride towards it.

MonsterVision99 This is often regarded as one of the best horror movies and also as the first horror movie, many of the films elements have been rehashed throughout history, anything from the mad doctor who has control on a monster, to the twist ending. Its one of the most important films of all time, not only for horror cinema, but also for film in general and for Germany, Caligari represents the German authorities who control the mindless zombies at their will, in order to complete his dreadful deeds. At first this movie was booed by audiences, just goes to show that what is considered now as awful or bad may not be considered as such in the future, the movies flaws fall on its good aspects, this movie influenced so many other movies, that now it seems a bit tired to see this film, if you are not into silent movies, I wouldn't recommend it, but if you tolerate them or even like them you have probably seen this already.

exe_malaga93 A simple plot, but with a great execution, a gem every cinephile must discover, "The Cabinet...¨ is among the best of the best, even for its time.One can easily perceive why it became a classic: not only for the superb visual style, with those surreal, curved decorates that give the feeling of being trapped in a nightmare, but also for its dark, engaging and suspenseful plot (highlight scenes are the kidnapping of one of the main characters, and the last 20 minutes). A psychological thriller, which even has its moments of horror, as it's normally considered to be the first of that genre, at least in full-length format, if we compare it with, for example, short films such as "Frankenstein" from 1910. The uses of colors, framing, lighting, makeup, shadows, are all perfectly executed in order to give life to a nightmarish atmosphere.It is also important to note that it has the honor to be the film that founded the German Expressionist Movement, which would give us other treasures such as Nosferatu, The Hands Of Orlac, and Metropolis.Superb are also the performances, especially Conrad Veidt as Cesare and Werner Krauss as his master the doctor, who are already very creepy not only by their physical appearance, but also because they imbue an aura of mystery.And last but not least, the final plot twist (being also the pioneer film in using this device) encourages debate, and (why not?) further viewings. This twist, if it was not enough, was used in some later and recent modern films, with more or less variations, but I have no doubt that in its time it shocked audiences.A truly amazing experience. And it is already among my favorite silent films.