The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

by Robert Wiene.

I used to think that early movies always had very simple plots. It's not because filmmakers can't imagine complicated details, but perhaps early techniques didn't allow them to go too far. However, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari has completely enlightened me. Clichicly starting with the main character who is an eccentric genius and his terrifying experiments on the human brain, the film is the process of finding the truth about mysterious cases in the town. You won't be able to guess who the culprit is right away.

Black and white limit many aspects but are also the two most optimal colors to create extremely creative design sets. Cleverly combining light and dark areas with sharp-pointed forms and oblique and curving lines, the film's setting brings a bizarre, creepy but still aesthetic feeling.