Dr Caligari Review and Final Pracise Blocks

  Having recently watched The Cabinet of Dr Caligari in our symposium, as a group we discussed it and asked to write a short review with 3 quotes from other sources. Having never written a review before, I chose to rewatch the film again before writing, then taking it each paragrapth at a time. I had looked up briefly online the best way to write one, so I hope that comes out in this review.

Space Oddities Film Review

The Cabinet of Dr Caligari

By Kimberley Davis

Made 1920's Germany, this Black and white silent horror film was directed by Robert Wiene. Originally written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer, their influences came from the intensities of psychological examinations in the first world war period. With its dark eerie presence, overly exaggerated acting, and dark clothed characters, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari laid the grounds for future cinema expressionism.

“Warped in all senses, fascinating and bizarre: this is the 1920 silent movie by Robert Wiene – now re-released in cinemas – that lay down a template for today's scary movies, noirs and psychological thrillers. And it is topped off with a surprise ending that still gets used all the time now”

Bradshaw, P. The Guardian
< https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/28/the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari-film-review >

From the start, Dr Caligari seems like any other classic thriller. Murders begin to transpire in a small humble town when a strange fair arrives, bringing with it an eccentric showman and his entrance accomplice. However, as this narrative develops, the realisation of psychological deterioration becomes clearer. Original perception brings us to believe that the antagonist Dr Caligari is insane. However, as this tale develops, revelation dawns on us that it is in fact our lead male protagonist going mad.

Starting this fable, our lead thespians Francis and Alan are seen to be fawning over the female interest, Jane. All the while, they make promises that no hardship will come between them over who this heroine chooses. In going to the mysterious fair and approaching the hypnotised Cesare, fate is cast over Alan in the telling of demise. This could show an underlaying ill-intent that Francis may have toward his friend. Cesare may be the representation of the acts he had committed, disassociating himself from his mentality in the form of this spectre. Though out this story, numerous acts happen that link Francis and Dr Caligari together.

  

Being a silent era film, over-acting enabled a stronger communication with the audience. Though out this film, facial expressions are often twisted, gruesome or woeful. Movement in scenes are often slow, taking drawn out stretches to reach its pinnacle. This technique is used to build suspense, and as the story moves on, the acting becomes even more over the top. Pushing the acting shows the descent into madness, taking with it the set designs and environments.

“The sets are used expressionistically to convey the madman’s thoughts, to intensify the characters’ emotions, and to emphasize the meanings of the action.”

Kael,P (No Date), The New Yorker.
< https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/ad-astra>

When examining at our characters facades, they hold the stereotypical representation of their time. The men wear darker, straight edged clothing like jackets and suits, causing them to almost become inextinguishable from each other. Difference can only be told by items of clothing adjacent to professional roles, an example being the long white lab coats of the doctors in the asylum. Dr Caligari’s appearance differs by adorning a top hat and cape, giving him a more sinister and villainous appearance. Our only female lead, Jane, wears dark, unconventional make up and a soft, floaty dress. Her stark white ensemble represents innocence and purity. However, her make up becomes more extreme as her mentality changes.  As a somnambulist, Cesare seems only to sleep until beckoned. For him, the focal point of his face is the dark makeup under his eyes, making his face look withdrawn. This makeup style may demonstrate fatigue and mental turmoil. His long dab clothing a symbol of mystery, a possible formed connection of Cesare being a persona of Francis.

Film atheistic are nightmarish, holding this almost grotesque appearance. The sets evolve with the story to show a deeper connection in the psychological development, mainly concurrent to Francis and Dr Caligari. Looking at the town and the entrance to the fair, there is no perspective. The town seems to lean in the opposite direction of the stairs, the town itself sharp and jagged. In the fair, all the tents and platforms are slanted, even the circus billboards are seemingly odd shapes. When Francis and Dr Caligari are anywhere but the asylum, the environment becomes stranger, holding this distressed impression. Houses become smaller, decorated with odd markings, becoming twisted and imbalanced forms. There are manifestations between the fair and the asylum, both have the same distinctive flooring, swirl like patterns decorate the walls and doors, showing the psychological reverie in Francis. As for gender, the men’s bedroom is dark with no presence of comfort. This gives a cold, cut-off, guarded feeling. For Jane's room, like her dress, she sleeps on soft, stark white bedding. Her space is lighter, a larger open space with tall windows. This demonstrates she is vulnerable, holding possible denial of what Cesare told her. The lighting throughout this production is dim, ranging in cold blues and yellows. At crucial points, the camera seems to shake, drawing faded circles around characters to make them become the focal point.

“Other films of the period certainly included examples of Expressionist design, but the physical aspect of Wiene's experiment remained unique.”

Parkinson, D. 1 January 2000. The Empire.
<https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/empire-essay-cabinet-doctor-caligari-review/>

Dr Caligari was quite enjoyable, its aesthetics are surreal but intriguing, each area holds small links to each other. An example of this in the asylum, Cesare and Francis are both seen in the yard. Frances spots Cesare by the wall holding flowers, even though Cesare was proclaimed to be dead, there is almost a moment of shock before Francis looked away from him. This reaction shows possibility that Cesare may be a persona of Francis’s psyche, one he is not able to understand.  As for other characters, they did not always feel relatable. There seemed to be delayed periods between speech and reading word prompts, not allowing a flow. In the building up to vital moments, the acting took so long that the suspension would disappear into boredom, losing that shock or surprise factor. For its time, this film was a revelation, pathing new ways to experimentation in film, pushing boundaries in expression, dialog, and story. Although I enjoyed this film the first time, having watched it a few times since, it becomes quite underwhelming.

Bibliography:

- Bradshaw, P. (n.d). The Cabinet of Dr Caligari review – occult scary-movie touchstone from 1920. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/28/the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari-film-review [Accessed 3 Oct. 2019].

- Lane, A. (n.d). [online] The New Yorker. Available at: https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/ad-astra [Accessed 3 Oct. 2019].

- Empire. (n.d). The EMPIRE ESSAY: Cabinet of Doctor Caligari. [online] Available at: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/empire-essay-cabinet-doctor-caligari-review/ [Accessed 3 Oct. 2019].

Image Bibliograpghy:

  - Commons.wikimedia.org. (n.d). File:Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari.JPG - Wikimedia Commons. [online] Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Das_Cabinet_des_Dr._Caligari.JPG [Accessed 3 Oct. 2019].

  - Commons.wikimedia.org. (n.d). File:The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari Movie poster.jpg - Wikimedia Commons. [online] Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Cabinet_of_Doctor_Caligari_Movie_poster.jpg [Accessed 3 Oct. 2019].

Maya Final Building Blocks Design

     Also I have finished my 7 designs of blocks in Maya. 

Design 4

Design 5

Design 6

Design 7