The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Comparative essay

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a film that is now ninety years old. This means that most of the reviews for the film are also almost ninety years old. These reviews, though old, still bring some interesting views of the film to the table. The article titled "A Cubistic Shocker" references the fact that the film is told by a madman. This article comes up with the theory that the film's surreal look comes from the fact that the madman is telling the story. The strangely cubic style is how the man views the world around him, and the director lets us see his vision of it. This theory is very interesting as it gives an actual reason for the style.

The article titled "The Screen" brings up some different points. In this article, it is stated that the general audience isn't supposed to understand the visual style of the film. They are merely supposed to enjoy the viewing. This idea also has some merit. The film is, at its heart, an entertaining murder mystery. It is a distinct possibility that the style is merely a way to better showcase the story, instead of having another reason for it.

Finally, the article "Brought into Focus" digs even deeper, using The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari as a means to compare German films of the time to American films. At that time, American films were working towards the use of sound, while German films were moving towards being seen as a more visually inventive art form. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari certainly proves this. The film's visuals greatly resemble those that would be found in a surrealist painting, though the film's storyline is somewhat basic. The film doesn't try to be about the story, it is about the images, much as a great painting is.