The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

The CABINET of Dr CALIGARI – The silent masterpiece with a brand-new live score.

Made in the immediate aftermath of the First World War, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) is the quintessential German Expressionist film masterpiece. Robert Wiene’s distorted sets, sinister shadows and unnerving characters creating a paranoid, unreal world at a time of despair throughout Europe.

At a local carnival in a small German town, hypnotist Dr. Caligari presents the somnambulist Cesare, who can purportedly predict the future of curious fairgoers. But at night, the doctor wakes Cesare from his sleep to enact his evil bidding…

Incalculably influential, the film’s nightmarishly jagged sets, sinister atmospheric and psychological emphasis left an immediate impact in its wake (horror, film noir, and gothic cinema would all be shaped directly by it). But this diabolical tale nevertheless stands alone.

Chris Green’s new score is a haunting blend of electronic and acoustic instruments performed live by the composer.