The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a film by Robert Wiene, 1919

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1919

A film by Robert Wiene

Considered the first modern horror movie, this silent film is a German Expressionist classic, featuring a sinister hypnotist, Dr. Caligari, who commands Cesare, an unwitting accomplice, to commit horrendous crimes. The film is viewed as a metaphor for the horrors of World War I, with Caligari representing the German war machine, and Cesare, the common German citizen, brainwashed by authority to kill. (Browse our Movie Archive)