Crooked Houses, Crooked Minds
Committed pacifists Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer wrote the screenplay for The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari in the wake of World War I. The movie reflects the antiwar ethos and Expressionist aesthetic that came to the fore in 1920s Weimar Germany.
Viewing:
Robert Wiene, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari available via: Kanopy. Make sure to turn on both the volume (there is music!) and the English subtitles (to accompany the German intertitle cards).
Writing: Respond to ONE of the following prompts. Keep your response short, posting as a reply under the appropriate heading in the comments section:
- Point out and comment on a stylistic or thematic pattern in the movie’s visuals.
- Point out and comment on a moment where the movie challenges authority or the social order.