The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (Delta)

You must become Caligari.

This eerie German classic not only stands as a landmark of the silent film era, but also remains one of the most famous examples of German Expressionism in the emerging art of cinema. As one of the first horror films to gain international praise, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, renowned for its highly-stylized, fantastic sets and even more bizarre performances, tells the twisted tale of a gangly sleepwalker named Cesare (Conrad Veidt) under the spell of the sinister and mysterious Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss). As a number of brutal and mysterious murders begin to darken the horizon of a quiet German town, the hunt begins for the root of such peculiar and seemingly unmotivated deaths. The police believe they have caught the culprit and have him safely locked away; however, nothing is as it seems. The murders all spring from the same place - the cabinet of one strange man, one doctor Caligari.

Most widely known for its innovative and effective mise-en-scene, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari truly stands as a milestone of silent cinema for a myriad of reasons. First, there's its treatment of the subconscious mind. The look of the film expresses the inner feelings of a character - a novel concept in the early era of cinema, but one that is widely used today, much in part due to Caligari's innovation. As one of the most famous examples of German Expressionism, the film uses jagged geometric shapes, twisted structures, and warped perspectives to convey the evil and equally distorted psychology of the main character. The pale and overly thin Cesare, with his sleek black leotard, dark eye make-up, and strange, stealthy walk, sets the stage for future killer robot and attack zombie movies. In fact, later horror films whose plots center around mad-scientists, as well as film noirs and psychological thrillers, owe much of their success from this film's unique style and treatment of the dark side of the human mind. For these reasons, among many others, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari still holds up as a marvel of imagination and a gem of the cinema.