AG
Abel Gance
Called the film 'superb' and considered it a valuable lesson for all directors due to its innovative approach.
Francis, a young man, recalls in his memory the horrible experiences he and his fiancée Jane recently went through. Francis and his friend Alan visit The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, an exhibit where the mysterious doctor shows the somnambulist Cesare, and awakens him for some moments from his death-like sleep.
Directed byRobert Wiene
Written byHans Janowitz, Carl Mayer
Budgetapproximately $12,371
Box office$8,811
Critical Consensus
8.0
IMDb
7.9
TMDB
Initial critical reception was divided, with some critics praising its artistic innovation and others condemning its stylized design. Modern critics largely commend the film as a revolutionary achievement in horror.
The Cast
Trivia
Roger Ebert called it arguably 'the first true horror film,' and Danny Peary named it cinema's first cult film.
The designers chose a fantastic, graphic visual style with twisted city scenes painted directly onto canvases instead of a naturalistic one.
The decision to use painted scenery was a commercial one to achieve significant financial savings over building sets.
The film's frame story device was reportedly forced upon the writers against their will, potentially depriving it of its intended revolutionary significance.
It was shot entirely in a studio without any exterior shots to maintain its Expressionist visual style.
Akira Kurosawa named it one of his 100 favorite films of all time.
Arthur Knight stated it convinced artists and critics that cinema could be a serious medium for artistic expression.
Reviews
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Critics
SE
Sergei Eisenstein
Strongly disliked the film, calling it 'silent hysteria' with 'unnatural broken gestures' of chimeras.
JE
Jean Epstein
Described it as a prime example of décor abuse in cinema, suggesting it represented a grave sickness within the medium.
RC
René Clair
Credited the film with overturning the established realist dogma in filmmaking.
LD
Louis Delluc
Described its compelling rhythm, noting its initial slow pace that builds to a sudden, abrupt end.
Audience
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