The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (2005 film)

Infobox Film
name = The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari


caption = Theatrical release poster.
director = David Lee Fisher
producer = Paula Elins Leonard McLeod Judson Pearce Morgan
writer = David Lee Fisher Hans Janowitz (story) Carl Mayer (story)
starring = Judson Pearce Morgan Daamen J. Krall Doug Jones Lauren Birkell
music = Eban Schletter
cinematography = Christopher Duddy
editing = David Lee Fisher
distributor =
released = October 22, 2005 (U.S. premiere)
runtime = 76 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://www.caligarimovie.com/
imdb_id = 0441741
amg_id = 1:376323

"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is a 2005 independent film, and a "talkie" remake of the 1920 film of the same name. It was directed by David Lee Fisher and released in the U.S. at the ScreamFest Film Festival on October 22, where it won three prizes - the Audience Choice Award, Best Cinematography and Best Special Effects.

Plot

The plot is largely similar to that of the original film with extra dialogue scenes. The film tells the story of the deranged Dr. Caligari and his faithful sleepwalking Cesare and their connection to a string of murders in a German mountain village, Holstenwall. Caligari presents one of the earliest examples of a motion picture "frame story" in which the body of the plot is presented as a flashback, as told by Francis.

The narrator, Francis, and his friend Alan visit a carnival in the village where they see Dr. Caligari and Cesare, whom the doctor is displaying as an attraction. Caligari brags that Cesare can answer any question he is asked. When Alan asks Cesare how long he has to live, Cesare tells Alan that he will die tomorrow at dawn — a prophecy which turns out to be fulfilled.

Francis, along with his girlfriend Jane, investigate Caligari and Cesare, which eventually leads to Jane's kidnapping by Cesare. Caligari orders Cesare to kill Jane, but the hypnotized slave relents after her beauty captivates him. He carries Jane out of her house, leading the townsfolk on a lengthy chase. Francis discovers that "Caligari" is actually the head of the local insane asylum, and with the help of his colleagues discovers that he is obsessed with the story of a medieval Dr. Caligari, who used a somnambulist to murder people as a traveling act.

Cesare is stabbed to death after being pursued by Jane's brother, and Francis discovers that Caligari had created an illusion of Cesare to distract him. After being confronted with the dead Cesare, Caligari breaks down and reveals his mania and is imprisoned in his own asylum. The influential twist ending reveals that Francis' flashback is actually his fantasy: The man he claims is Caligari is indeed his doctor in the asylum, who, after this revelation of the source of his patient's delusion, claims to be able to cure him.

Cast

* Judson Pearce Morgan as Francis Geist.
* Daamen J. Krall as Dr. Daamen Caligari.
* Doug Jones as Cesare.
* Lauren Birkell as Jane Stern.
* Neil Hopkins as Alan.
* William Gregory Lee as Joseph Stern.
* Randy Mulkey as Inspector.
* Time Winters as Dr. Gabriel Stern.
* Richard Herd as Commissioner Hans Raab.
* Scott Lincoln as Criminal.
* Tim Russ as Town clerk.
* John Bigham as Asylum doctor.
* Alan Altshuld as Clerk's assistant.
* Ernest Misko as Old man.
* Darren Joel as Policeman #1.
* Mitch Steinberg as Policeman #2.
* Dr. Frank Bettag as Organ grinder.
* Buckley Sampson as Young woman.
* Ricky Skilliter as Burly man #1.
* Brian Farber as Burly Man #2 / Cloaked man.

Background

The film was entirely filmed in front of a green screen and tried to recapture the look of the original – several shots from the original were superimposed behind the actors to exactly replicate some scenes.

External links

*imdb title | id=0441741 | title=The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
* [http://www.screamfestla.com/ ScreamFest] - official website
* [http://www.thedougjonesexperience.com/caligari.htm The Doug Jones Experience] - Doug Jones as 'Cesare'
* [http://movies.ign.com/articles/741/741742p1.html IGN interview]