“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (Robert Wiene, 1920)
Putting the expression in German Expressionism, this seminal horror silent has remained a definitive achievement in spooky storytelling by creating a nightmarish world where nothing is certain. As lanky somnambulist Cesare (Conrad Veidt) commits a series of murders at the behest of the titular hypnotist (Werner Krauss), director Robert Wiene sets the drama in the confines of a labyrinthine environment that makes the upside-down look downright homey. Shadowy buildings hover in the background at awkward angles and roads veer off in dizzying directions. The ceilings often look as though they might close in on these frantic characters — and, with the brilliant plot twist of the final act, that’s essentially what they do. Told within the confines of a flashback, the movie presents itself as the story of a young man (Friedrich Feher) whose world falls apart as he becomes aware of the doctor’s evil scheme; with time, however, it’s clear that this unreliable narrator may be a victim of his own confusion, and the brilliance of “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” is that it places us right there at the center of his insanity. Nearly a century later, the final twist still comes as a surprise to new audiences. —EK