The set is very angular and distorted keeping in the genre of the German Expressionist and is meant to represent the inner turmoil and emotions of the characters.
As it is silent film, I felt that the style of set was particularly effective as the placards only appeared occasionally whereas the set constantly narrates the characters thoughts. As well as allowing the audience to immerse in the character's emotion, the set also created an eerie atmosphere which adding to the suspenseful plot as we find out the story behind the murderer.
The whole film is filmed in black and white; however, when watching certain scenes have overlapping coloured filter which add to the mood and atmosphere of the film. For example any scene in the love interests home had a rose tinted aspect to it. Perhaps because pink can be seen as a romantic colour or perhaps because the implications of the rose tinted effect as Francis hopes to be seen romantically in the eyes of Jane; however, the reality is that they do not end up together.
I found this film particularly interesting as it clearly has influenced many modern day films such as the Tim Burton aesthetic. In particular, the character Dr Caligari intriguing because it showed a very close resemblance to the Penguin in Batman Returns.
Particularly memorable aspect in the film for me include the the murder being presented in shadows, over exaggeration of the set such as the top of the chair being repeated throughout the back of the chair, the of perspective in relation to the hills (the scene where Dr Caligari is being chased to the asylum) and lastly the windows and the doors angular nature. All these elements contribute to the genre of German Expressionism.
Director: Robert Wiene
Image Credit: https://homemcr.org/film/the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari/
Comments