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The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Original title: Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari
  • 19201920
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 7m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
63K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
Trailer for The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Play trailer1:32
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Horror
  • Mystery
  • Thriller
Hypnotist Dr. Caligari uses a somnambulist, Cesare, to commit murders.Hypnotist Dr. Caligari uses a somnambulist, Cesare, to commit murders.Hypnotist Dr. Caligari uses a somnambulist, Cesare, to commit murders.
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
63K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Robert Wiene
  • Writers
    • Carl Mayer
    • Hans Janowitz
  • Stars
    • Werner Krauss
    • Conrad Veidt
    • Friedrich Feher
Top credits
  • Director
    • Robert Wiene
  • Writers
    • Carl Mayer
    • Hans Janowitz
  • Stars
    • Werner Krauss
    • Conrad Veidt
    • Friedrich Feher
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 263User reviews
    • 180Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
    Trailer 1:32
    The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

    Photos101

    Lil Dagover and Friedrich Feher in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Friedrich Feher, Werner Krauss, Rudolf Lettinger, and Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Friedrich Feher, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Rudolf Lettinger, and Ludwig Rex in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Lil Dagover and Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Rudolf Klein-Rogge and Ludwig Rex in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Lil Dagover and Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Ludwig Rex in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Werner Krauss and Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Lil Dagover, Werner Krauss, and Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Lil Dagover and Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
    Conrad Veidt in Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Werner Krauss
    Werner Krauss
    • Dr. Caligarias Dr. Caligari
    Conrad Veidt
    Conrad Veidt
    • Cesareas Cesare
    Friedrich Feher
    Friedrich Feher
    • Franzisas Franzis
    Lil Dagover
    Lil Dagover
    • Jane Olsenas Jane Olsen
    Hans Heinrich von Twardowski
    Hans Heinrich von Twardowski
    • Alanas Alan
    • (as Hans Heinz v. Twardowski)
    Rudolf Lettinger
    Rudolf Lettinger
    • Dr. Olsenas Dr. Olsen
    • (as Rudolph Lettinger)
    Rudolf Klein-Rogge
    Rudolf Klein-Rogge
    • Ein Verbrecheras Ein Verbrecher
    • (uncredited)
    Hans Lanser-Rudolf
    • Ein alter Mannas Ein alter Mann
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    Henri Peters-Arnolds
    Henri Peters-Arnolds
    • Ein junger Arztas Ein junger Arzt
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    Ludwig Rex
    Ludwig Rex
    • Ein Mörderas Ein Mörder
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    Elsa Wagner
    • Die Wirtinas Die Wirtin
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    • Director
      • Robert Wiene
    • Writers
      • Carl Mayer
      • Hans Janowitz
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Writer Hans Janowitz claims to have gotten the idea for the film when he was at a carnival one day. He saw a strange man lurking in the shadows. The next day he heard that a girl was brutally murdered there. He went to the funeral and saw the same man lurking around. He had no proof that the strange man was the murderer, but he fleshed the whole idea out into his film.
    • Goofs
      In the wide shot, the sign at the asylum reads "Insane Asylum," in English. In the close-up, the sign is written in German (Kino Blu-ray Disc version, may not be present in all editions of the film).
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Dr. Caligari: Now I also know how to cure him.

    • Alternate versions
      USA laserdisc reissue restores the original hand-drawn title cards that have been missing from every known print of the film since 1923. When first released on video in the United States, film was in black-and-white, and played back many scenes at double speed and featured different music. Although no scenes were cut out, the running time was reduced to only 51 minutes. The restored version restores the colour-tinting, restores the original title cards, and plays the film back at regular speed, returning the film to its original 69-minute running time.
    • Connections
      Edited into People Who Die Mysteriously in Their Sleep (2004)

    User reviews263

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Masterpiece of German Expressionism !
    This picture is a masterpiece ! How could someone think in something like this at that time ? The film has really good casting ! Werner Krauss is excellent playing Doctor Caligari and Conrad Veidt (Cesare) too !

    This movie has an obscure and bizarre mood makes the film looks really scary sometimes ... The painted scenario gave the film the touch that it needed ! It puts you in a nightmarish world , gives you the sensation of claustrofobia , depression and madness ! The objects have a strange shape and an irregular geometry that collaborate for the maintenance of the dark mood !

    But the most important thing in this motion picture is the open ended story ! You´re never sure about the end ! It has so many ways of interpretation... It´s useless to try to define "one end" to this movie. You´ll be always asking yourself about the legitimacy of the man´s vision of the story.

    It´s not scary , just sometimes , as I said. But it´s dark and it uses the shadows and lights effects so well that I was amazed the first time I saw and I still amazed ! German Films of that time were really good !

    Congratulations to Robert Wienne and his cast ! It´s a masterpiece of madness and paranoia!

    Rating : *****/******
    helpful•71
    27
    • mistern2@zipmail.com
    • Oct 22, 2002

    FAQ7

    • Why doesn't this movie show up in the IMDB top 250?
    • Is this movie based on a novel?
    • Was there a real person named Dr. Caligari?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 27, 1920 (Germany)
    • Country of origin
      • Germany
    • Language
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Кабінет доктора Каліґарі
    • Filming locations
      • Lixie-Atelier, Weißensee, Berlin, Germany
    • Production company
      • Decla-Bioscop AG
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $18,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $8,811
    • Gross worldwide
      • $8,811
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 7 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Silent
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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