The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (three stars total) In the beginning of cinema, Germany created the look and mood of horror (The Golem, 1915) and science fiction (Metropolis, 1927). In Hollywood, they were still without form, and void. And German Expressionism said, let there be distinctive lighting, and there were shadowy sets and symbolism, dividing horror from the other genres. The producer of The Phantom of the Opera (1925) and the cinematographer of Dracula (1931) came out of this movement. I went into The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) expecting something like Nosferatu (1922), but what I got was closer in tone and style to The Illusionist (2006). I realize that curvy, Dr. Seuss-style architecture might have been odd or even scary in its time, but it's kids' stuff in our day and age, along with Hot Topic and anime about tentacled demons. The forest hill in the movie reminded me of Beetlejuice (1988, which first turned goth sensibilities into an animated series). What was probably intended to be the most non-realistic aspect of set design - the angular, colorfully painted walls and floors - ironically anticipated the graffiti-covered buildings and parks we now see everyday. The acting - always exaggerated but never forced - is the only scary element that's survived. Oh, I guess there's also the somnabulist's (sleepwalker's) makeup, borrowed by everyone from Alice Cooper to Brandon Lee's character in The Crow (1994). Considering how old the editing technology is, I was impressed to see a circular dissolve and a zooming caption. If you don't like silent-era movies, you can watch The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Remix (NOT a remake; 2005) and still get your taste of history. It uses green screen to put new actors and sound over the original backdrops. It's missing the best parts to me, but to each their own.
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