Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Silent)

Robert Wiene's pioneering masterpiece of German expressionism tells the tale of a terrifying somnambulist and his master, the bizarre Dr. Caligari. A true classic of the silent cinema.
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Silent)
97K ratings
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Format:  DVD-R
item number:  XHHJ
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DVD-R Details

  • Rated: Not Rated
  • Run Time: 1 hours, 22 minutes
  • Video: Black & White
  • Encoding: Region 0 (Worldwide)
  • Released: June 4, 2002
  • Originally Released: 1919
  • Label: Alpha Video

Performers, Cast and Crew:

Starring
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Directed by
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Entertainment Reviews:

Certified Fresh100%

TOMATOMETER
Total Count: 51

Upright89%

AUDIENCE SCORE
User Ratings: 27,615
Rating: 5/5 -- A twisted tale of murder, kidnap, madness and an ancient book, all told in flashback by a young man from a park bench. Full Review
Radio Times
Aug 29, 2014
Rating: 5/5 -- Warped in all senses, fascinating and bizarre ... Full Review
Guardian
Aug 28, 2014
Rating: 4/4 -- A case can be made that Caligari was the first true horror film. Full Review
Chicago Sun-Times
Oct 7, 2011
...[An] eerie classic...
Sight and Sound
Apr 1, 2001
Caligari, the most complete essay in the décor of delirium, is one of the most famous films of all time, and it was considered a radical advance in film technique, yet it is rarely imitated -- and you'll know why. Full Review
New Yorker
Jan 2, 2018
Rating: 4/4 -- The vertiginous sets synthesize with the film's more rudimentary narrative of doubling to achieve radically luminous social ends. Full Review
Slant Magazine
Oct 27, 2014
Rating: 5/5 -- Just as dreams take complex personalities and boil them down to friend or foe, so too The Cabinet of Dr Caligari brims with archetypes: the demented doctor, the handsome hero, the innocent ingénue.
Little White Lies
Aug 28, 2014

Description by OLDIES.com:

This silent masterpiece has been called the first "cult" movie and the first horror film of genuine quality and substance. A young student, Francis, (Freidrich Feher) encounters evil magician, Dr. Caligari (Werner Kraus), at a county fair. Caligari's "act" consists of waking a frightening somnambulist, Cesare, from the coffin where, it is claimed, he has lain asleep for years. When Francis' best friend is murdered and a killing spree erupts in the small village, he suspects that Caligari is using Cesare to commit the ghastly crimes. When Cesare is sent to murder the student's fiance, Joan (Lil Dagover), he is so smitten with her beauty that he abducts her instead. Francis tracks Caligari to a nearby insane asylum where he is horrified to learn that the doctor is not an inmate but the director of the institution! The surprise ending is as shocking and perplexing today as it was when originally released.

Set designer Hermann Warm enlisted Walter Reimann and Walter Roehrig, fellow members of Berlin's expressionist Der Sturm group, to act as art directors. They created the unprecedented look of the sets, costumes and makeup to reflect the mind of a madman. The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari demonstrated to all future filmakers that psychological horror could equal or exceed the effects of physical shocks. This thought-provoking film is a must-see for all who appreciate great movies.

Product Description:

In this silent, classic example of early German expressionism, this cinematic landmark relates the stylized tale of a Dr. Caligari, a fairground showman who hypnotizes an innocent villager--turning him into a sleepwalking "zombie"--and compels him to carry out fiendish murders. Inarguably a landmark in world cinema, Robert Weine's one-of-a-kind thriller features fantastical, heavily stylized sets, antirealist acting, and evocative subjective camerawork.

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This product is made-on-demand by the manufacturer using DVD-R recordable media. Almost all DVD players can play DVD-Rs (except for some older models made before 2000) - please consult your owner's manual for formats compatible with your player. These DVD-Rs may not play on all computers or DVD player/recorders. To address this, the manufacturer recommends viewing this product on a DVD player that does not have recording capability.

Movie Lovers' Ratings & Reviews:

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1919 Masterpiece Movie Lover: from Middle Village, NY US -- November, 11, 2009

Considered to be the first real horror movioe, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari is more than that. Filmed in an expressionalist set in unique camera angels, backgrounds, costumes. and lightning, the film makes you question who is mad and what is madness? Who are the true occupants of the asylum? You? Me? Are we all mad?


1919 & still a classic Movie Lover: from Middle Village, NY US -- November, 10, 2009

I saw this for the 1st time about 30 years ago and I guess I'd forgotten how scarey it is. Yes, it's a horror film, but with a twist: what happened, it is real, what is real, who - including you and I - are mad in this world? Ages ahead of its time!


Landmark Film Movie Lover: from CLAYTON, NC US -- June, 8, 2004

I had often read about "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligary" in the many film books I enjoyed at my local library so I was very excited when it was released on DVD. It was a long wait but one well worth it. This is a true classic and should be required viewing for all film students.

I was particularly impressed with the distorted sets and scenery. Conrad Veidt's performance was outstanding as the sleepwalker that stalks the German village by night. But this is not to be dismissed as just another horror film. It is so much more than that- the viewer sees the world through the eyes of a psychotic and you will find yourself asking "is it real? Did that really happen?"

This film would influence generations of film makers to come and is well worth adding to a classic film library.


Landmark in Silent Cinema! Movie Lover: from Knoxville, TN US -- May, 6, 2004

This is a great excursion into German Expressionism when the media was just beginning. Great story, somewhat outdated since this plot has been done before -- but this was the first to tell the story through the eyes of a lunatic! Every collector should have this gem!


Before Tim Burton... Movie Lover: from Chicago, IL -- February, 2, 2004

Long befofe Tim Burton was born, Robert Wiene directed one of the most visually creepy films of all time. The sets in this film are amazing, and the makeup and costumes are equally as creepy. This is a must have for anybody who considers themselves a horror film buff. It's the first horror film ever.


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Product Info

  • Sales Rank: 19,192
  • UPC: 089218317094
  • Shipping Weight: 0.25/lbs (approx)
  • International Shipping: 1 item

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