Dr. Caligari Analysis

Jaylen Strong

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Anylasis

The film that I have chosen to write my analysis on is The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. This film seemed to have captured my attention more than Metropolis. I say this because the stage sets seemed more art like instead of industrialized as in Metropolis. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari does not have a very happy feeling to it at all. Part of this has to do with the very eerie and intense make up on the doctor and the somnambulist. The black paint around their eyes seems to be the main thing that adds even more to their eerie presence. Along with the black paint around the eyes, there seems to be a layer of white powder covering the face. This makes it seems as if neither of them have slept for a very long time.

This eerie feeling can also be found in many German Expressionism pieces. One work for example, Otto Dix’s Sturmtruppe geht unter Gas vor, has a similar color palette as the black and white film. This contrast in color alone can make a work seem pretty unsettling. But to add on top of this unsettling color palette, is the subject matter. One can tell by the figures in the painting wearing gas mask relates to death in some way, or else why would the artist put them on the figures. There is also a lone figure peaking eerily from behind the tree in the background. There is no need to show any dead bodies to let the viewer know that the work is dealing with death in some way. This same thing can be seen in the film in a way.

Instead of showing the dead bodies, the murders are eluded to by shadows on walls or right before the killing a cut scene happens. This creates a tension in the viewer as if they would want to continue watching because of this. As if to lead the viewer on in a way. Another thing about the film is that even though it takes place at a local carnival, there is nothing happy about it. The same thing can be said about Hermann Max Pechstein’s “Young Woman With Red Fan”. Even though the painting has pretty vibrant colors, there is still an eerie awkwardness to the work. This uneasiness comes from the ladies ‘drained of life’ face. Adding to this, the fan seems to be used as a knife to cut her mouth for whatever reason. This pertains to the film because if one were to think about a woman fanning herself, you wouldn’t think of a dark scene. The same thing can be found in the film. Carnivals are related to fun, exploration, and a sometimes adrenaline. The film only has one of those characteristics and that would be a sense of adrenaline from the murders keeping the viewer on the edge of their seats.

Other similar characteristics between German expressionism and the film is the exaggerated imagery, sharp angles on the stage props, and the way space is used or distorted. The stage sets of Dr. Caligari are of these buildings and tents that are put together with intense angle; and don’t seem to live in the right perspectives. As if to come from a different reality where space is shortened. An example of a German expressionism work like this is Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s Konigstein with Red Church. The buildings are very angular, and the perspective is shortened more than it is supposed to. The buildings are closer to the viewer, just like in the film. Another similarity is how the characters will at times awkwardly talk to each other at a very close distant, and sometimes even looking the same way. This can also be found in Otto Mueller’s Two Girls. They seem to be awkwardly placed on the picture plane while standing close together.

All in all because of all of these unique characteristics, it is because of them that this film is still a good watch. I didn’t think that I would even be able to stay awake because of how used to CGI I am, but the film is still good to watch after all these years. Even with the lack of sound, this adds another element to the film, my eyes stayed glued to the projection screen. It would be pretty interesting to see what a re make of this film would look like.