It would be hard to "out-expression" this ultimate in German expressionists films. Towns, building, rooms jut in angular composition with shadows painted on floors and walls. Even Caligari himself has hair that looks like three racing...
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It would be hard to "out-expression" this ultimate in German expressionists films. Towns, building, rooms jut in angular composition with shadows painted on floors and walls. Even Caligari himself has hair that looks like three racing stripes on his head. The story itself is creepy, though I have some quibbles about the set-up and what makes Cesare believable or not. The search for the killer is not as well told and takes more time than is necessary, the deductions on Caligari's culpability are excellent.

Many have said that the surprise ending was to be different. I surely wish it wasn't because the emphasis is placed on the fact that what is REALLY horrific is not so much reality as it is a product of the human mind. It gives a grounding for the abstract setting of the entire tale. The movie would be less without this.