Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)

    After watching Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920), I can say I do not like older films because of how unsettled I was. The spooky music, unique makeup, unrealistic sets, and lack of dialogue made me uncomfortable. I had difficulty following along with the plot because I had to stop and read after every dialogue point. The actors made me uncomfortable as well and I think it is because of all I know about actors' lives back then, Judy Garland for example. Life was very different in the 20s and I don't like traveling there through film. 

    The cinematography and scenery were obviously unrealistic and tacky, so I felt like I was watching something the whole time instead of being sucked into the movie and forgetting it was fictional like normal. The plot was very unique, I have to say. I found myself genuinely interested in the plot and LOVED the plot twist. That truly made the story for me because it set me back and made me think. I have always strayed from watching older films so I'd be lying if I said I had a good time, but the plot was very unique for such an early film. 

    Now for the study questions:

1. What is the essential story?  Francis and his friend Alan meet the crazed Dr. Caligari at a carnival in Germany. Caligari shows off Cesare, a somnambulist who the doctor claims can see into the future, in front of the men. Then, Cesare predicts Alan's death, which happens by morning, making Cesare the prime suspect. They have to decide if Cesare is guilty or if the doctor is controlling him. 
2. How does the film tell its story? The story is told by starting in the present time and then going to tell the story in the form of a flashback. Then, we are brought back to the present time to learn shocking information and a crazy plot twist. 
3. What conventions of cinematic storytelling does it use? Spooky music was used to put audiences on the edge of their seats, with wide angles to show the whole effect of a scene, and the acting was more dramatic since you couldn't hear them speak. They had to convey their intentions by acting since they couldn't use their voices. 
4. Explain the final "plot twist." The flashback was just Francis's delusion. He, Jane, and Cesare are actually inmates of an insane asylum. 
5. How does the final plot twist comment upon cinematic storytelling? Distorted buildings and landscapes are present during the flashbacks, making the audience question what is truly going on. This was hinting at it all just being a delusion. 
6. What do the set designs say about early filmmaking? It wasn't as advanced as it is now. Digital editing was hardly present at the time so they had to improvise with what they wanted for the scene literally. For example, for a shadow from the window, they painted it on the ground. Now, we could use editing to do that for us. 
7. What do the set designs imply about stories and storytelling? Set designs are crucial to telling a story through film because, especially at the time, they had to convey the story visually since you couldn't hear them speak. Nowadays, we still have to use set designs because visual art is one of the most important elements of storytelling. It holds the audience's attention. 
8. How do the answers to questions 6 and 7 move us to contemplate the cultural relevance of this film? People who watch movies can watch this film to revisit how it was back then. We can contemplate how we have grown with filmmaking over time and appreciate the beginning of such a culturally influential aspect in modern entertainment. 
9. If you had to think about a more modern, 20th-century film with traces to Caligari, what would they be? Why? The film "Don't Worry Darling" is an example of a modern film with traces of Caligari for many reasons. The whole movie plays with dropping easter eggs of what was really going on in this fictional world, which in a way, was happening in Caligari. Both movies play with depictions of insanity and delusion. 
10. How do questions about the reliability of a narrator suggest meanings, cultural relevance, and the nature of film? We rely on the narrator and filmmakers to convey a story in the best way possible for audiences so they aren't lost but start creating questions for themselves that help the moral of the film.