A young man named Francis is retelling a story to an elderly man of the recent ordeal he and his fiancée Jane have undergone, Jane's affections for which he and his friend Alan had once competed. That ordeal involves two unsolved murders and attempted abduction. While the police at first suspect a man who is a criminal as the murderer in these two instances, Francis believes the murderer is a Dr. Caligari, and his pawn, a sleepwalker named Cesare. Francis and Alan first spotted Dr. Caligari and Cesare as a carnival sideshow act. Francis believes is that Dr. Caligari is using an unwitting Cesare to commit these acts of murder. As Francis nears the conclusion of his story, details contained within are shown not to be as they appear on the surface.
On January 11, 2020, I finally watched The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and it was fucking awesome it gave chills down my spine and there were twist and turns that I didn't expect, and I tried putting myself in the seat of the audience knowing nothing that way I can enjoy without spoiling it for myself and that this experience for me was excellent and I had an excellent narrating voice when text appeared the screen and the reason I wanted to watch this movie is because it's mentioned #1 in 101 Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die and I wanted to watch this movie to find out why it's number 1 and I need to inform you this is my first time in my life watching A Silent Film and I enjoyed it. Before even watching it, the menu for The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari gave me chills down my spine, and I clicked play and before playing the movie, it has text that says “The following print of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (with the original color tinting and toning) was reconstructed by the Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv of Germany.” and I'm like “that's fucking awesome” and the movie finally starts with the words “ACT I.” and it opens on a park with two men and the old man says “There are Spirits They are all around us, They have driven me from Hearth and Home from Wife and Children--” and I'm like “Poor guy” and the old man is cut off because a strange woman walks into the park and the younger man stares at her then he pointing and telling the old man “That is my fiancée---” and to me, the women looked deranged, and he says to the old man “What She and I have lived through is stranger still than what you have lived through---” and I'm like “what do you mean by that” and the young man continues “I will tell you about it” and the young man continues “The little town where I was born--” and we transition over to the little town then the young man continues “Him--” and I'm like “Him who” then we transition back to the little town where an old man with a cane walks up the stairs gets closer to the camera then, the young man says “Alan, my friend” and I'm like “what a coincidence my middle name is Alan” and we transition to what to appear to be the friend Alan Reading a book, and I'm like “why does his face remind me of Matt Smith” and Alan goes outside where he gets a flyer that says “SPECIAL EDITION Fair in Holstenwall_! FOR THE FIRST TIME! ENTERTAINMENT OF EVERY VARIETY” and out of excitement, he goes to the young man's house to tell him about the happy news and Alan says “Come, Francis Let's go to the Fair!” and I'm like “finally we learn the young man's name it's Francis I thought I would have to call him young man forever” and Alan and Francis walk to the fair but far behind them is that old man with a cane who talks to someone who says “Don't go inside-- The town clerk is in a vile temper today!” and the old man gives him a card with his name that says “Dr. Caligari” and the other man lets him in and the town clerk says to the old man “Wait!!!” and the Dr. Caligari sits down waiting for him, and I'm like “why does the old man's gloves look like Mickey Mouse gloves” and Dr. Caligari sees no one around the town clerk and sneaks up behind the town clerk, and the town clerk sees Dr. Caligari behind and says “Wait!!!” and Dr. Caligari sits back down on the bench and the town clerk finally gets down from his pedestal to talk to Dr. Caligari and Dr. Caligari says “I wish to apply for a permit to present my Spectacle at the Fair” and the town clerk responds “What kind of spectacle---” and Dr. Caligari says “A Somnambulist” and I sucked at spelling that out, and I'm like “what the fuck is a Somnambulist” and the town clerk leaves and Dr. Caligari goes to a man sitting at a table to assign a tent for him to present and at the fair, Dr. Caligari is there at the carnival, and the old man steps out of his tent with a picture and starts ringing his bell and unravels his picture, and it's a drawing of Dr. Caligari, and he says “Step rrrrright up! Presenting Here for the first time Cesare the Somnambulist!” and it cuts to text that says, “End of ACT I.” and another text appears “ACT II.” Another text appears “That night the first in a series of mysterious crime's took place” and my reaction is “ooh mysterious” and we cut to people staring at something and I can see what they are staring at then text appears giving us answers to what they are staring at “Murder! The town clerk has been killed. Stabbed in the side with a strange pointed instrument” and I'm like “a knife” so these people staring at the body must be the police and the police look outside the window seeing it shattered, and we cut back to the carnival with Alan and Francis arriving at the carnival and Dr. Caligari is still ringing the bell saying “Step rrrrright in! Presenting here for the first time Cesare the Somnambulist The miraculous Cesare-- twenty-three years old, he has slept for twenty-three years --Continuously-- Day and Night! Right before your eyes Cesare will awaken from his death-like trance Step right in!” and I'm like “that's one hell of a long sleep I bet you I every adult wish they could sleep that long” and he has people enter his tent and Alan who enters the tent and text appears “The CABINET of DR. CALIGARI” and inside the tent the old man reveals the cabinet, and he opens the cabinet revealing Cesare asleep, and we get a closeup on the man's face and the old man says “Cesare-- Can you hear me? Cesare-- I am calling you--I--DR. CALIGARI-- your master-- Awaken for a moment from your dark night--” and I can tell Cesare is slowly waking up because I can tell his eyelids are moving, and he slowly opens his eyes until his eyes are wide open and takes his first steps in twenty-three years and Alan and Francis are utterly amazed and Dr. Caligari says “Ladies and Gentlemen Cesare the Somnambulist will answer all your questions--Cesare knows every secret--Cesare knows the past and sees the future--Judge for yourselves. don't hold back--Ask Away!” and Alan goes up to ask Cesare, but Francis tries to stop him and Alan asks “How long will I live?” and Cesare responds “Till the break of dawn” and I'm like “ah fuck, your fucking dead” and Alan's reaction to this if horrible and Francis takes Alan out of the tent and in town Francis and Alan are walking home, and they see a flyer that says “MURDER in Holstenwall 1000 Marks Reward” and I'm like “you go to be fucking kidding me” and they run into the women from the park, and they both hit on her, and we cut to the old man who steps out of the carnival trailer and goes back in and text appears “The way home” and Francis says “Alan, we both love her” and Francis nods in agreement and Francis says “We'll leave the choice up to her--But whomever she chooses, we shall remain friends.” and they go their separate ways and text appears “Night” and Alan is sleeping, and we see a shadow of the killer holding a knife and Alan sees the killer and asks him to please stop and the shadow man holds Alan down and stabs him, and I'm like “what the fuck just happened” then, text appears “END of ACT II.” text appears “ACT III.” The next morning, a woman comes out and goes into Francis's house, and she tells Francis this “Mr. Francis Mr. Francis-- Mr. Alan is dead-- murdered!” and you can tell by the look on Francis face he is saddened by this news because Francis was his best friend and Francis asks to go see Francis's house and at Alan's house, Francis sees Alan's dead body and Francis remembers what Cesare said yesterday and Francis says "The Somnambulist's prophecy…?!” and we cut to Francis running to the Police Station to inform them that Francis is dead and what Cesare said (I assume) and Francis says “I won't rest until I get to the bottom of these dreadful deeds" and an officer goes off and comes back with a man in a top hat and I'm like “that's Alan no wait that must the same actor who plays Francis, but he must be playing a different person” and Francis goes to tell the women in the park that Francis is dead, and she is shocked by this news, and he tells her about The Somnambulist's prophecy, and they go inside her house and Dr. Olsen walks in and Francis tells him about the Somnambulist's prophecy and Dr. Olsen says, “I will obtain police authorization to examine the Somnambulist” and Francis agrees to this, and we cut a man walking down the streets at night and breaks into someone's house, and I'm like “this must be the murder” and we cut to someone yelling “Murder! Help! Murder!” and I'm like “you fucked up so bad” and the man runs out of the house with a knife in hand, and he shortly gets caught by the police, and they take his weapon, and they take him to the police station, and we cut to Dr. Caligari feeding Cesare and Dr. Olsen and Francis visit Dr. Caligari at his Carnival Trailer, and they knock on his door, and he puts Cesare away and answers the door and when Dr. Caligari steps outside, he protects the door as if saying “don't come in here” and Dr. Owen shows him police authorization to examine the Somnambulist, and he finally steps away from the door letting them in, and we cut to the police escorting the murder to the police station and at the police station, they arrive with the murderer and the murder looks pissed, and they proved he is guilty with the knife, and we cut to Dr. Olsen trying to wake up Cesare and Dr. Caligari looks scared and Dr. Olsen say “wake him up” and Francis gets a newspaper that says “!EXTRA EXTRA! HOLTENWALL MYSTERY SOLVED TWO-TIME MURDERER CAUGHT IN THIRD ATTEMPT” and Alan has a sigh of relief that the killer is caught, and I was relieved to but as soon as they leave Dr. Caligari laughs, and I'm like “something is not right" and then text appears “End of ACT III.” and text appears “ACT IV.” and text appears “Worried because her father has been away so long--” and we cut the women from the Park and that's where I connect Dr. Olsen is the women from the park's father, and we cut to Francis and Dr. Olsen talking to the murderer, and the murderer says “I had nothing to do with the two murders-- So help me God” and I'm like “what the hell do you mean you have nothing to do with it" and Francis and Dr. Owen are on my side and the murderer responds “The old women--It's true--I tried to kill her-- by stabbing her in the side with a similar knife- to throw suspicion on the mysterious murderer” and I'm like well that explains a lot, but also you're telling me the murderer is still out there” and Francis is stunned by this news, and we cut to the women at the carnival, and she goes in Dr. Caligari's tent with the drawing of Cesare still hanging out front and Dr. Caligari peers out front to find the women standing out there, and she says “Is my father -- Dr. Olsen he—?” and he says no, but the look on his face says “I have an excellent idea” and invites her in the tent, and I'm like “this is not good” and she goes in Dr. Caligari's tent, and he shows her the cabinet with Cesare inside, and he opens the cabinet revealing Cesare and the look on his says “he is not planning anything good” and Dr. Caligari wakes Cesare up and with eyes wide open staring at the women and the women is shocked by this and bolts out of there and text appears “Night” a man sneaks into the carnival and as we see his face, we learn its Francis, and he sneaks into Dr. Caligari's tent, and then he goes over Dr. Caligari's trailer peeking inside seeing Dr. Caligari watch over Cesare as he sleeps, and we cut to the women sleeping, and we see a black shadow man sneak in and as I see his face in light I realized the face was of Cesare covered in blackness, and I'm “no fucking Cesare was the person doing the killing but why” and Cesare was holding a knife, and he breaks the glass breaking in to the women's bedroom, and he stands over her with a knife in hand and Cesare raises the knife and stops it in midair, and I'm like “why the fuck did he stop” and Cesare touches her head waking her up, and she fights him to get free, but Cesare puts her to sleep and Cesare wakes two people up by the noise of the women's screaming and Cesare takes his leave with the women by heading out the broken window and the two people find the women gone, and they notice the broken window and one of the people sees Cesare getting away with the women, and they go out the broken window, and we get this great scene with Cesare holding the body of the women, and he is standing on a roof and Cesare is on the ground and the people are not far behind and the women is slowing him down, so he puts her down and keeps on running and some people stopped to retrieve the women, but the rest are after Cesare and we cut to Francis at Dr. Caligari's trailer and Francis goes to Dr. Olsen's house where the women is unconscious and the women finally starts wake up, and she says “Cesare…!” and Francis doesn't believe her, but she is telling the truth and Francis says “It couldn't have been Cesare! He was asleep at the time-- I've watched him for hours—” and Francis runs off and text “End of Act IV.” and text appears “ACT V.” at the police station Francis asks “Is the prisoner secure in his cell--?” and the officer nodded yes and Francis says “I must see him!” and the officer takes Francis to see the prisoner, and we cut to Francis at Dr. Caligari's trailer with the police officers, and they ask to let them in and Dr. Caligari refuses to let them in, and an officer forced him out of the way and the officers pull out the cabinet, and they open the cabinet revealing a dummy I'm like “No fucking way” and Dr. Caligari makes a run for it and Francis is on his tail and Dr. Caligari enters an “INSANE ASYLUM” and Francis enters the insane asylum as well and Francis talks to a doctor and the doctor goes upstairs, and the doctor brings someone down and tells him “Do you have a patient by the name of CALIGARI?” and the doctor shakes his head and another Doctor comes down and says “The director returned earlier today-- Perhaps you should speak to him personally” and Francis nods his head, and they take him to see the director and in the director's room, the director lifts his head revealing he is Dr. Caligari, and I'm like “No fucking way” and Francis is shocked he leaves and collapses down on a chair, and he says to the doctors “He-- himself -- and none other-- is CALIGARI—” and text appears “While the director now placed under observation, is sleeping in his villa” and a doctor tells Francis “He's asleep” and they enter his room looking for a journal the first book is called “Somnambulismus” and Francis says “His specialty” and in the book it says “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari In the year 1783 a mysticke by the name of Caligari… accompanied by a somnambulist named Cesare… For months, he sowed panicked amongst village folk through a series of foul murders committed under almost identical circumstance… He had entirely subjugated to his will a Somnambulist named Cesare, whom he did compel to carry out his nefarious schemes. A puppet, the exact likeness of Cesare, and which took his place in a cabinet, allowed him to avoid any suspicion that might fall on Somnambulist.” I'm like “no fucking way, I was not fucking expecting that” and the next book says “My Diary” and it says “12 March Finally …finally! A somnambulist been brought to my asylum for admission” and we cut to the first time Dr. Caligari meets Cesare, and he has the doctors that brought him leave and then they say some word I can't hear, and we cut to the Francis and the doctors reading the diary, and the diary continues “Afternoon- My desire… I shall be able to satisfy my life's unwavering wish…! Now I shall unravel the psychiatric secrets of this Caligari! Now I shall discover if it is true that a somnambulist can be compelled to perform acts that --in a waking state -- he would never commit and would be repugnant to him… Whether it is true that a sleepwalker can be led to commit…even murder…!” and we cut to Dr. Caligari reading through his journal and a text appears “An obsession” and Dr. Caligari says “I must know everything I must penetrate his secrets -- I must become CALIGARI!” and Dr. Caligari runs outside and texts appear in the sky “DU MUSST CALIGARI WERDEN” and they disappear and reappear on the wall of the building “DU MUSST CALIGARI WERDEN” and they disappear and reappear all over the place, and he runs off, and we cut to text “End of ACT V.” and text appears “ACT VI.” We cut to Francis and the doctors reading the book and a police officer walks in to say “We found the sleepwalker out in the fields” and news shocked me Francis the doctors, and we cut the police over Cesare's body when Francis arrives, and they pick up Cesare's body and Francis leads them to the hospital and Francis tells him to wait when he enters the director's room and Francis goes to Dr. Caligari and says “Mr. Director -- Unmask yourself -- You are Dr. CALIGARI!” and Francis tells them to bring in Cesare and Francis points at Cesare and Dr. Caligari goes up to Cesare and Francis pulls down the blanket revealing Cesare and Dr. Caligari collapses landing on Cesare and by his facial expressions, he is sad/angry and then attack a doctor, and I'm like “woah where the fuck did that come from I wasn't expecting that” and the doctors pull him, off the doctor holding him but Dr. Caligari breaks free and tries a second time to attack him, and they put him in a straitjacket and, they throw him in a cell, and he tries to break the straitjacket but fails, and I'm like “you fucking get what you deserve” and we cut back to the present with Francis and the old man on a bench and Francis says “…and from that day on, the madman never again left his cell” and the old man gets cold, so the old man gets up and Francis also stood up and followed the old man and at the insane asylum, and there is the woman from the park sitting in a chair, and we zoom in on this old guy with the old man's hair and beard grown out, and I'm like “this has to be Dr. Caligari but much older” and Francis and the old men walk into the insane asylum and Francis pulls back the old man, and we zoom in on Cesare, and I'm like holy shit, “Wow, Cesare has changed his look a lot” and Francis tells the old man “Look! There's Cesare… Never allow him to tell your fortune, or you're dead…” and I'm like “he looks so calm like he wouldn't hurt a fly but, we all know what he is capable of so no” and Francis sees his fiancée and says “Jane, I love you-- won't you be my wife at last?” and I'm like “fuck, now you announce her name I seriously had to call her the woman from the park because we didn't know her name, and you decide to reveal it at the end of the movie” and Jane replies “We queens are not free to answer the call of our heart” and I'm like “mega oof, I feel bad for the poor guy because of all he went through,” and a man walks down and Francis start freaking out, and I'm “don't tell me it's Dr. Caligari” and when we see his face I'm like “I have never seen this person ever in this movie, and he is dressed very handsome, but I'm wondering why is freaking out” and Francis says “You all think that-- I'm insane-! It isn't -- It's the director who's insane!!” and I'm like “No, I'm pretty sure you are the one who is insane” and Francis says “He is Caligari Caligari Caligari!” as he attacks the man and, I'm like “Your Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs” and they put a straitjacket on Francis and throw him in a cell and the old man puts his glasses on revealing he is Dr. Caligari, and I'm like “No fucking way I did not see the coming my mind is blown” and he puts Francis to sleep and Dr. Caligari pulls his glasses of saying “At last I understand his delusion. He must think I am that mystic -CALIGARI-! I know exactly how to cure him…” and I'm like “Francis your fucked” and the final text appears “END.”
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