As a Halloween temptation, we’re presenting this chilling Silent masterwork – the birth of German Expressionist cinema, and one of the most influential films of all time, with the original pre-recorded orchestral spooky score.
Werner Krauss plays the title character, a sinister hypnotist who travels the carnival circuit displaying a somnambulist named Cesare (Conrad Veidt). In one tiny German town, a series of murders coincides with Caligari’s visit. When the best friend of hero Francis (Friedrich Feher) is killed, the deed seems to be the outgrowth of a romantic rivalry over the hand of the lovely Jane (Lil Dagover). Francis suspects Caligari, but he is ignored by the police.
Caligari’s Expressionist style ultimately led to the dark shadows and sharp angles of the film noir urban crime dramas of the 1940s, many of which were directed by such German émigrés as Billy Wilder and Robert Siodmak.
A ground-breaking silent classic which set the template for horror to this day.
Director: Robert Wiene
Starring: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt & Lil Dagover
Year: 1920
Language: Silent with English intertitles
Country: Germany
Running time: 1hr 18mins