THE CABINET OF DR.

CALIGARI
AND
FILM NOIR
 INFLUENCED BY GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM

x BLACK AND WHITE

x URBAN SCENES (ALLEYS)
x SHADOWS ARE PROMINENT
x DARKNESS
x MALE DETECTIVES
x FEMME FATALE*
x HATS (OFTEN FEDORAS)
x CRIME/EVIL
x IMPENDING DOOM
x FLASHBACKS
*usually an attractive/seductive woman who becomes a
love interest and causes issues and or distress
IS DR. CALIGARI A FILM NOIR?
Fig.a.1 Fig.a.3

Fig.a.2
Fig.a.4
IS DR. CALIGARI A FILM NOIR?
Fig.a.1 Fig.a.3

Fig.a.2
Fig.a.4
GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM AND FILM NOIR

"Skewed sets and Cubist-style landscapes [was not merely

what characterised Expressionism, but what really
distinguished it was its power to] project interior
events toward the outside...this amazing opportunity to
construct a universe from the distinct perspective of a
given individual” 2 - Alfred Polgar, "Film" in Berliner , 1
September 1921
The ‘ultimate’ example of this [FILM NOIR]
cinema is The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari with
its surreal settings and caricatured people,
the emphasis on graphic design, weird angles,
montage, forced perspective and other
technical innovations was to play a major
part in the formation of film noir. 1
(cinecollage.net,2012-2018)
INFLUENCES ON THE FILM NOIR MOVEMENT

Fig.2 Fig.1 Fig.3

1934 1920 1944
 SUMMARY
x FILM NOIR CONVENTIONS: black and white, shadows,
detective story, hats/fedoras, crime, darkness,
flashbacks, impending doom, femme fatale, suspicion, weird
angles, fades to black, perspective story

x GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM CONVENTIONS: weird angles, black

and white, cubist style, skewed sets, emotional turmoil,
distinct perspective

x CALIGARI INFLUENCED FILM NOIRS AND HAS MANY FEATURES OF

A TYPICAL NOIR

x GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM IS A MAJOR INFLUENCE OVER FILM NOIR

illustrations
FIGURE 1. Anonymous. (1920). The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Theatrical Release Poster [Poster]
FIGURE 2. Anonymous. (1934). The Black Cat Theatrical Release Poster. [Poster]
FIGURE 3. Anonymous. (1944). Double Indemnity Theatrical Release Poster. [Poster]
FIGURE a.1. The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, 1920
FIGURE a.2. The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, 1920
FIGURE a.3. The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, 1920
FIGURE a.4. The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, 1920
harvard bibliography
1. CINECOLLAGE. (N/A) Film Noir. At:
http://cinecollage.net/film-noir.html Accessed on
20 September 18
2. Barron, S. and Dube, W. (1997). German
expressionism. London: Thames and Hudson.(Alfred
Polgar, (1921) German Expressionism: Art and
Society 1909-1923)