Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, with its jagged, stylised sets, evocative shadows and themes of murder, madness and delirium, remains the source and essence of German Expressionist Cinema. Fusing carnival spectacle with the paranoia of the psychological thriller, it centres on the haunting, sexually ambivalent presence of Conrad Veidt, as a somnambulist exploited as an instrument of murder by the sinister Dr. Caligari.
David Robinson challenges long-accepted versions of the history and reception of Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, redefining its relationship to the larger phenomenon of Expressionist art. His reassessment of the relative contributions of director and writer becomes a fascinating detective story, as he investigates in depth the status and significance of the recently rediscovered scenario for Caligari.
