Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Silent

“Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari” 4K UHD is a monumental work that revives the legendary masterpiece of German Expressionism in an almost perfect form with 4K resolution and the latest digital restoration. KINO has done a great job. A lot has already been said about the story and reviews of this film, so here are some points that I noticed. First of all, the quality of the film itself has improved beyond expectations. It doesn't look like a 1920 film at all. The timeless blue-green and red-brown colored backgrounds with their innovative design give it a more vivid impact, and the reconstructed portrayal of the characters looks so realistic that it's hard to believe it's a silent film. The screen is consistently stable, the silver halide grain is relatively fine, and the gradation and reproduction from dark to light are excellent. Occasionally, you can see what look like diagonal scratches, but they're not noticeable. About 23 minutes into the film, there is a close-up of Cesare and Alan's facial expressions, which was unusual for the time. The facial expressions are depicted in great detail and are so beautiful that even graininess is not a concern, making it a wonderfully memorable scene. This scene occurs at a key point in the first half of the film, when Alan asks Cesare, "How long will I live?" and Cesare replies, "Till the break of dawn." Hearing this, Alan takes a deep breath, as if accepting his fate or resisting it, conveying his confused psychology. The depiction of their facial expressions has the power to convey vivid emotions and shake the viewer's heart. This is the moment when I was convinced that this 4K UHD has truly brought back one of the masterpieces of German Expressionism, "Dr. Caligari."

This wonderful film is one that every serious fan of horror and general cinema should own, and the Kino Classics blu ray is the definitive version. The movie is packaged in a standard blu ray case with a high quality vertical slip cover and an insert with an essay about the making and influence of the film. All in all its nothing special but it gets the job done and the slip case is nice. Visually this is as close to perfect as I can imagine a nearly 100 year old film could ever be. Damage leftover is minimal, everything is crystal clear down to fibers in clothing and brush strokes on the sets, and the tinting is absolutely striking. This is one of the best restorations of a silent era film I have ever seen. As far as the audio, there are two tracks, a more "traditional" chamber score and a far more modern, experimental score by Paul D. Miller. The chamber score is phenomenal and feels inseparable from the film, like it should have always accompanied it. The music always perfectly conveys what's happening on the screen and succeeds in creating an unsettling atmosphere. There are also quite a few moments that are surprisingly and wonderfully unconventional, especially the scene where Dr. Caligari is being assaulted by the words "Du musst Caligari werden!" The Paul D. Miller score, while it doesn't feel difinitive like the chamber score, is mostly fantastic; an eclectic mix of music box like twinkling, ominous sub bass, jazz drums, organ, 80's horror soundtracks, and hip-hop beats. Most of the time, it works extremely well, but sometimes it suffers from sounding a bit too upbeat and it never really reaches the heights it does in the first two acts. Both scores sound crystal clear, and the chamber score in particular sometimes feels like the orchestra is right there in the room. The special features are somewhat sparse, but they're quality. The 52 minute documentary "Caligari: How Horror Came to Cinema" is very interesting and contains a lot of great footage and insight into the state of German society and cinema at the height of expressionism. The image gallery is nice, and the restoration demonstrations, while brief, are truly eye-opening. I cannot express enough how great this blu-ray is. This restoration is exraordinary and should be seen by everyone.

Upon it's initial release the film was called vulgar, juvenile, and disgusting. Well, I have some good news for you... it still is! The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari has an attitude problem. The film wants nothing more than to punch you right in the face. Visually extraordinary, stylistically legendary, and thematically revolutionary, The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari is one of the best and one of the very first horror films ever produced. And the film is psychologically insane. Modern storytelling isn't nearly this good. Robert Weine was an interesting figure in the history of film. Though he would never make something as triumphant as The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari ever again, he would still have moments of genius periodically throughout his later career. Most notably with The Hands Of Orlac in 1924, another picture starring Conrad Veidt, and though it is incredibly slow paced, The Hands Of Orlac is ultimately satisfying and rewarding. But it's The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari that I am here to appreciate. It is the performances of Werner Krauss and Conrad Veidt that I am here to remember and happily lull. Visually, The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari might be the most influential film ever made. I honestly doubt whether German Expressionism would have hit the western world the way that it did had it not been for Caligari. Metropolis certainly wouldn't have existed, Film Noir would not have developed in quite the same way, and modern filmmakers like Tim Burton and Guillermo Del Toro would be visionaries without a vision had it not been for Caligari. It is an incredible film, and I highly recommend it. Modern psych-thrillers don't even come close to matching Caligari's complex and completely absorbing tale of murder, insanity, and possession. The dynamic of substance and style are equally matched throughout the film. Cheers, Weine, for a film that will live forever!

This German Expressionist movie from 1920 is a stunning film. The jagged distorted sets are like nothing I've ever seen, like watching a comic/graphic novel brought to life. It doesn't matter that they're flat and visibly flimsy. Thanks to the (controversial) framing device for the story these qualities can be interpreted in terms of the narrator's mental state. It tells the story of a showman calling himself Dr Caligari who turns up at the annual fair of small German town with his attraction, a Somanbulist (i.e. sleepwalker), a man who has been asleep for all of his 23 years. Caligari is able to awaken and control this man, Cesare, for short periods. When awake Cesare is able to answer any question he is asked - or so Dr Caligari says. Coincident with Dr Caligari's arrival in town people start to be murdered in the night... Werner Krauss is diabolical as Dr Caligari, even if he does look disconcertingly like Mick Aston (the white haired professor from Time Team) in close up. He's also funny. In fact, he reminds me of an evil Tommy Cooper or of Les Dawson in Zebediah Twine mode. What lifts the film onto a completely different plane though is Conrad Veidt as Caligari's sleepwalking slave Cesare. He seems part man, part baby, part demon, part doll. The scenes in which he walks from his cabinet onto the stage in front of the crowd and in which we see him prowl down a deserted street and then ascend into a house have a quality almost like dancing (emphasised even further by his costume, which resembles that of a male ballet dancer). Veidt has a hypnotic presence on screen (ironic given the trance in which he walks). He is dangerous but vulnerable, broken and lost. The quality of the restored film on the blu-ray is a marvel in itself. The detail that we're able to see, for example the white markings on Cesare's costume, are extraordinary. The Eureka blu-ray also has some great extras. Along with a commentary, there's an hour long documentary putting the Cabinet of Dr Caligari in context within German Expressionist cinema. There are also a couple of shorter documentaries including one which shows how the restoration was done. This is fascinating. I am full of admiration for the work that went into this project and the talent of the people involved.

Como la mayoría de todo lo que edita Eureka! Serio, riguroso, con criterios cientificos, abundante documentación (libro, extras) y una calidad en la edición (imagen y sonido) soberbia.

Edizione stupenda per uno dei capolavori massimi della storia del cinema.

Der Film wurde schnell geliefert und ist ein echter Klassiker. Mag denn film sehr. Der Film ist ton los wie es damals eben war. Ein echt klasse Film

The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari(released Feb/20) starred,among others,Werner Krauss,Conrad Veidt,Friedrich Fehér and Lil Dagover.This is the 1920s German Expressionists poster child,and it really is a must see. The film opens as two men(one old and one young) are sitting on a bench and discussing the weird goings on in their lives.After the old man finishes his story,the young man launches into his,which turns into the film we see from that point on.A Circus comes to town and one of the attractions is a mysterious individual who displays a coffin like box,in which is a somnambulist.The somnambulist can apparently tell the future and when he tells the friend he's with how long will he live,the answer is a chilling....until dawn. In the morning his friends lifeless body is discovered and he sets about to find out the killer.His suspicion is the somnambulist and his keeper,but he cannot get proof.Other murders are committed and the town is nervous.One night they catch someone who meant to do a woman harm and they think for a time they have their killer.But the man alone doggedly keeps at things until he finally tracks the mysterious keeper of the somnambulist to the local insane asylum.He,along with some asylum employees examine the mystery man's books and diaries to learn that he took on the role of a 1700s Italian Dr.named Caligari,who controlled somnambulists to the extent,he could make them kill.It turns out the man is also the asylum head doctor.He is eventually restrained and becomes a prisoner in his own institution. The film comes back to the pair of men sitting on the bench and we now see they have been sitting in the courtyard of the asylum.When the head doctor comes into the area( the same Caligari,but without glasses and more neatly attired),the man whose story we just saw played out,attacks him and HE is restrained.The camera comes in for a close up on the doctor as he explains he now knows how to treat the man. It is a great twist ending and is a suspenseful and powerful film even today.This print is the 2014 restoration of the film and it is pristine to a fault.It's really beautiful to behold and of course it's improvement makes it that much easier to to get into the film.Don't let the word Expressionism get to you.Basically it's just doing more with less.The sets in the film are all of a minimalistic nature throughout,but convey as much as if done with huge and lavish sets. Technically speaking the film is in it's original a/r and is clear and exceptionally crisp.There is a 44 page booklet with the Blu-Ray and DVD in the package.There are also two featurettes and the re-release 2014 trailer. In conclusion,a must have release.They have restored the film,with tints and it is generally clear as a bell.A classic of the silent era and a must have.