Movie 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.
| Credits | | Cast: | Conrad Veidt, Werner Krauss |
Notes A silent film.
Producer Erich Pommer originally hired Fritz Lang to direct, but when Lang's busy schedule kept him from working on the film he was replaced by Robert Wiene. Pommer is responsible for writing the film's famous surprise ending.
The film's production cost is estimated at under $20,000., DVD Features:
Region 1 Keep Case Full Screen Additional Release Material: Trailers Interactive Features: Interactive Menus Scene Selection Trivia Quiz Text/Photo Galleries: Biographies Movie Poster
Editorial Reviews "...Exhibit A for the whole German Expressionist movement....A classic." -- Rating: A Entertainment Weekly - p.69 - Steve Simels
"...This is an impressive color-tinted rendering of the German silent classic..." USA Today - Mike Clark (05/24/1996)
"...One of the first -- and still one of the greatest -- psychological horror movies..." Total Film - Alan Morrison (12/01/2000)
"...[An] eerie classic..." Sight and Sound - Geoffrey Macnab (04/01/2001)
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