This film, released in 1920, is one of the last products of the German Expressionism era, which has been described as "Thematic and stylistic" (Lecture notes; Lombaert, E; 23 March 2011), within film history. This era depicted mainly dull and depressing images of what life was like in society at the time (Germany had just lost World
War I). These included darker psychological aspects as seen in the film 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' which tells the tale of a mad scientist who keeps a psychologically derranged man locked in a secret room that is in the shape a tall cabinet (in other words, the room was narrow and curved). When released, this creature of a man inflicts havock in the town in which Caligari lives, however, there is a glimour of hope when the doctors experie
nt falls in love with a girl that turns out to be the doctors daughter. This thriller explores elements such as madness (or human psychological insanity); betrayal; paranoia which gave a sense of insecurity both to the audience and to the personalities of the characters within the films. This era was a time of filmmakers attempting to remove their audiences from real life in order to create an illusion of a better future given what had happened in Europe at the time. Shadow lighting is used to a great extent within films of this era as opposed to light, in order to create a depressing and creepy effect that would affect the reactions of the audience. The film is an example of these darker elements are in the form of the story of the hillusinations of an insane man, who can be described by modern audiences, and perhaps audiences at the time, as a 'mad scientist'. German Expressionism was a Thematic era for the most part, and the conventions used within film texts at the time were ghosts; werewolves; monsters; and vampires, which can are also conventions of the Horror genre, and in places, the Scifi genre.
War I). These included darker psychological aspects as seen in the film 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' which tells the tale of a mad scientist who keeps a psychologically derranged man locked in a secret room that is in the shape a tall cabinet (in other words, the room was narrow and curved). When released, this creature of a man inflicts havock in the town in which Caligari lives, however, there is a glimour of hope when the doctors experie
nt falls in love with a girl that turns out to be the doctors daughter. This thriller explores elements such as madness (or human psychological insanity); betrayal; paranoia which gave a sense of insecurity both to the audience and to the personalities of the characters within the films. This era was a time of filmmakers attempting to remove their audiences from real life in order to create an illusion of a better future given what had happened in Europe at the time. Shadow lighting is used to a great extent within films of this era as opposed to light, in order to create a depressing and creepy effect that would affect the reactions of the audience. The film is an example of these darker elements are in the form of the story of the hillusinations of an insane man, who can be described by modern audiences, and perhaps audiences at the time, as a 'mad scientist'. German Expressionism was a Thematic era for the most part, and the conventions used within film texts at the time were ghosts; werewolves; monsters; and vampires, which can are also conventions of the Horror genre, and in places, the Scifi genre.
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