The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Wow! We expect to be pleasantly surprised when the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung releases a new restoration of a classic German film. Every new offering replaces a murky old copy with a more complete, better-looking version with more accurate inter-titles: Die Nibelungen, Faust, Metropolis. Kino Classics' new Blu-ray of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is from the same source as last month's Region B Masters of Cinema release, with different extras. The word has already been circulating that this Caligari is a revelation and I can happily report that the improvement over old copies isn't exaggerated. Compared to this, Kino's older release from 2002 might as well be a bad Xerox copy. As it runs at the correct speed, this version even makes the acting look more sensitive and natural. Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

About the Blu-Ray
The Kino Classics Blu-ray of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a quantum improvement over anything else we've seen. It can't look as if it were filmed yesterday, but it comes much closer than one might think possible. As explained in the film's prologue, an original negative (!) was accessed for restoration, with the exception of the first reel, the inter-titles and a shot or two here and there. The first reel actually looks quite good. When the prime materials pop in, Caligari is transformed. We can see much more detail in the theatrical makeups, with the effect that the characters now seem like painted works of art. The scenery resembles charcoal drawings folded into shapes like origami. Where before blacks were clogged with contrast, we can now see light smudges on Cesare's sleeves. Lil Dagover's appearance is softer, slightly more natural.

A restoration comparison shows that quite a bit of dirt and damage had to be cleaned up. There is no longer a dark line marring the top of many images. This version also seems to reveal more of the original film frame. In the scene at the bridge, the top seems only a little tight, rather than chopped off. The biggest improvement comes from making the image steady in the frame. Because all of the shots are locked down, the constant riding of the image spoiled the film's feeling of stasis. Now the various settings look more like solid spaces. 1

The best negative copies found did not have original German inter-titles, so these were cleaned up from existing copies. Each is a unique piece of artwork in itself, so it's right that they were retained, and English subtitles (removable) put in place.

The insert booklet offers an insightful essay by Kristin Thompson. The main video extra is the 52-minute documentary Caligari: How Horror Came to the Cinema by Rüdiger Suchland. It could well be titled, 'Everything You Need to Know about German Expressionism'. Using excellent film clips and historical newsreels, Suchland defines Expressionism as an art-movement revolt against the forces of conservative order. By the time Expressionism was applied to film, painting had already moved on to different schools of thought, and '20s German film slowly gave way back to realism. The film clips perfectly complement what's being explained, establishing relationships between cinema, art movements and political history. We also get a full explanation of the film's advertising slogan, "You Must Become Caligari!" It echoes with the mysterious questions posed to create excitement for Feuillade's Les Vampires ("Qui? Quoi? Quand? Ou...") and Lang's Dr. Mabuse ("Who is behind these crimes?").

On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Blu-ray rates:
Movie: Excellent
Video: Excellent
Sound: Excellent
Supplements: Documentary Caligari: How Horror Came to the Cinema, image gallery, restoration demonstration, additional music score by DJ spooky, booklet essay by Kristin Thomas.
Deaf and Hearing Impaired Friendly? YES; Subtitles: English
Packaging: Keep case in card sleeve
Reviewed: November 3, 2014