Promotional still for Cesare in the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Just by the headline alone, you old school horror fans know what this post is about. If you have no idea what it means, then allow me to introduce you to Cesare from German expressionist masterpiece, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920).
Cesare (Conrad Veidt) is a somnambulist clad in a black turtleneck sweater, tights, and a haircut that reminds one of Moe from the Three Stooges. He is kept in a large, rickety old cabinet and is only brought out during mealtimes, a carnival sideshow hosted by Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss)…and to commit murder in the middle of the night.
His story is told in a flashback by a young man named Francis (Friedrich Ferér) whose life was turned upside down by the murdering sleepwalker. His girlfriend Jane, Jane’s father, and his best friend Alan (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski) were all victims of the sleepwalker sadist. Cesare stabbed Alan and Jane’s father to death, and broke into Jane’s bedroom with a knife to get rid of her, too, but decided instead to kidnap her and drag her to the rooftops.
Can the viewer really trust anything that the grieving Francis recalls about the events that he insists terrorized his little German village?
There is a twist to this tale that one who is unfamiliar with the film will see coming. It is actually the first twist ending in film history. You will just have to find yourself a copy and watch it for yourself. I’m not giving anything away!
Could Cesare Really Be the World’s First Goth?
The image from the Bauhaus tee shirt of Cesare from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
True story: the first time I became familiar with the character Cesare was thanks to a Bauhaus tee-shirt I got at Camelot Music when I was a teenager and not The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Bauhaus was an English band who pioneered the entire goth music scene. They used the image of Cesare dragging Jane off under his arm on the tee-shirt (which I still have, btw) for their hit single “Bela Lugosi is Dead”.
And so my love of Conrad Veidt began. I thought the skinny dude clad in black from head to toe with heavy black makeup under his eyes was beyond gorgeous. (And I still do.)
It is easy to see that Cesare’s low-budget fashion sense and overall spookiness inspired goth teenagers everywhere. So all you goth kiddies must remember to thank Conrad Veidt every time you make a trip to Hot Topic for black lipstick.
Today is the the 93rd anniversary of the Berlin premiere of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, so why don’t you celebrate by inviting some friends over to watch this horror masterpiece? And please feel free to share your thoughts about it in the comments below!
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While I am not a horror film fan, I do enjoy some of the old movies. Not sure I’ll watch this one, but it was interesting to read about.
Arwen Lynch, Professional Joy Seeker recently posted…Love Letter To Who?
I am not a huge horror fan either. But there is something about early horror that is quite captivating as it can be classified, mostly, as psychological horror rather than the slasher junk that has dominated the genre for decades. That said, the psychological horror films can often be more terrifying and nightmare-inducing than some stupid girl hearing a chainsaw in the basement and going down to investigate.
Angie Schaffer recently posted…Sleepwalking Cesare (The World’s First Goth?)
Oh, I am so excited to hunt for this movie! I have definitely seen the t-shirt (I was always a goth kid on the inside, but never dared to dress the part in my teen years…) and do confess that I, too, go bananas for a lovely pale man in a black turtleneck + eyeliner. Spookily delicious! Thank you for sharing this fascinating film and for being such a fabulous Jazz Baby!!!
eyenie recently posted…Louise Brooks in the Front, Quasimodo in the Back: The Important Lessons of a Bad Haircut
Just for the bizarre sets alone it is a must-see, in my books.
And I was too punk rock as a teenager to go full goth, but my best friend was goth to the core. Still is. lol I really miss those days.
Angie Schaffer recently posted…Sleepwalking Cesare (The World’s First Goth?)
Thanks for that bit of history. It reminded me of my youthful Saturday nights, when I babysat my brother and scared the bejesus out of him, when I watched chiller theater! (Of course, his treat was the chocolate pudding that I had made (and left a mess in the kitchen as a present to my parents; after all, someone had to pay for my time…) and he devoured as he trembled (often, not in delight)…
Roy A. Ackerman, PhD, EA@Cerebrations.biz recently posted…Doctor, Doctor, Mr. MD, Can You Tell Me What’s Ailing Me?
Oh no, Roy! You were one of “THOSE” brothers! lol I had brothers like that, too. I still can’t watch A Clockwork Orange because of similar Saturday nights I was forced into. lol
Angie Schaffer recently posted…Sleepwalking Cesare (The World’s First Goth?)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari – my local public library has that DVD! I am not into horror but I do need to report that, based on your blog, we took out a DVD of early Stan Laurel shorts – and loved them. Thank you for introducing me to things I wouldn’t have checked out otherwise. Who knows, maybe I’ll work up the courage to see this early classic.
Alana (@RamblinGarden) recently posted…Guest Post – Living with Bells Palsy
Aye, the Stan Laurel shorts collection is brilliant!
You’re welcome. And Caligari comes highly suggested. Robert Wiene was a brilliant director and the sets in Caligari are so absurd that they almost seem natural.