With a story as twisted, buckled and demented as the scenery and set design, and a tortured score to boot, was the lunatic in charge of the asylum? Must have been a moment to remember coming across this cinematic marvel back in 1920. I wonder how many of today's pieces of cinema will stand the test of 100 years, albeit with a lot more competition.

This film is a must-see for lovers of silent cinema and is the first great film of the horror genre. That does not mean it was the first. While among the earliest horror tales, I say it is the first "great" one because it is a full-length film and has excellent production values. In fact, in many ways it's a wonderful film because it has such strange and over-the-top scenery representing the German Expressionist movement--with very surreal scenery and fantastic geometric designs. You just have to see it to believe it--it's that weird and original, plus it really adds to the dream-like quality of the film. Also, it rises to the level of greatness due to the fact that the film is not just a horror film but goes much deeper. I have always felt that great sci-fi or horror always has this greater depth and is usually a metaphor for modern life.

The story is about the evil Dr. Caligari who is a traveling showman who uses his "somnambulist" (i.e., guy in a permanent sleepwalking state) to do his evil bidding. The account is given by a man who is trying to warn everyone about the doctor's evil plans. But, what more plot there is I will leave up to you so as not to spoil it.

The only negative about the film at all is that it is a bit plodding here and there and the emotion is a little over-the-top even for the silent era. But, you also must understand that when the movie was being made in 1919-1920, this film STILL represented an improvement over the standard drama of the day and over-acting was more tolerable then than it is now.

As someone who appreciates silent film and films in the Expressionist style(think FW Murnau),I simply love The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. True, to some people the acting may seem exaggerated and some of the movements stilted. However I felt these added well to the paranoid and sometimes weird(in a wonderfully strange way) atmosphere and also to the titular character psychopathic state of mind. Werner Krauss is the epitome of creepiness as Caligari and Conrad Veidt also makes a memorable impression. The story is interesting, and Robert Wiene directs beautifully. But it is the way it was made that makes The Cabinet of Dr Caligari so unique and a milestone of its genre. The scenery is appropriately sumptuous and their lopsidedness added further to the atmosphere, while the camera work, sometimes deliberately odd, is the best aspect. In conclusion, a great film and a milestone. 10/10 Bethany Cox