The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

With its bizarre angles and aura of insanity, THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI is the ultimate German Expressionist movie — a psychological thriller with stylized sets, distorting mirrors and a cruel chiaroscuro. Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss), a pretentious fairground huckster, arrives in a new town along with the mysterious Cesare (Conrad Veidt), a somnambulist who, in his trancelike state, carries out unspeakable crimes at the diabolical doctor’s command. “[The sets] vibrate with an extraordinary spirituality…but what matters is the states of anxiety and terror.” – Lotte Eisner.