In the guise of a carnival barker, Dr. Caligari lures the people of Holstenwall into his tent for a glimpse of Cesare, a somnambulist who has been asleep for the past 23 years. Caligari invites the crowd to ask Cesare a question, for the somnambulist “knows every secret. He knows the past and sees the future.” The tension builds in director Robert Wiene’s silent masterpiece as the town investigates a rash of mysterious murders. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’s fantastically off-kilter sets and backgrounds, practically characters themselves, serve to illustrate the escalating panic as the film builds to a shattering, indelible conclusion.
—Tyler Petty