Reviews (8)

PERFECTION FROM BEGINNING TO END
Everyone has already said it better than I, so simply drop everything...and purchase this remarkable film.

And thank you, again, KINO, for allowing us the chance to behold these masterworks.

Visual Eloquence
Baes on Victor Hugo's 1869 novel, "The Man Who Laughs" is the morbid tale of Gwynplaine, an English clown doomed to a life adorned with a perpetual grin. His surgical smile was implanted on him by devilish gypsies. Gwynplaine is raised beside lovely Dea, whom we rescued as a baby. Dea is blind and can see only the beauty of his soul. As a complication, the sexy Duchess Josiana is attracted to, and repelled by Gwynplaine, all at the same time. A sensual, robust epic, "The Man Who Laughs" involves court intrigue, secret scandals, and a simple boy's enduring true love. Conrad Veidt played the lead in 1919's "Cabinet of Dr. Caligari". Lured to America in 1926 by actor John Barrymore, Veidt co-starred with him in the classic "Beloved Rogue". Then Universal's Carl Laemmle tapped him for the lead in "The Man Who Laughs". Years later, in 1941, Veidt played Major Strasser in "Casablanca". Just 6 months after it's release, Conrad Veidt died of a heart attack playing golf(8th hole) in Los Angeles, Calif.. The director of "The Man Who Laughs" was also a German import. Paul Leni's production of "Cat and the Canary" installed him as Universal's reigning terror-director. In Leni's "The Man Who Laughs", light is not so important as shadow. Backgrounds unveil misty fog and swirling smoke. Paul Leni finished one more film before an infected, ulcerated tooth caused his early death from blood poisoning. Kino's exceptional DVD of "The Man Who Laughs" represents the successful American-Italian joint restoration of the 75-year-old movie. Slowed by a creaky second-half, "The Man Who Laughs" bogs down in a final melodramatic chase. But don't misunderstand. Silent horror-film fans will relish Leni's macabre art design and relentless animal passion. Just 3 years later, Universal once again photographed a tall, mysterious black-caped stranger; strolling European streets through a dark, swirling fog. This time they called it "Dracula".

Amazing!
This has to be one of the most amazing silent films ever made! Tragically, it appeared in l928, right at the end of the silents and was quickly forgotten for generations. Thanks to a masterful restoration by Kino International, we're able today to get an idea of how this magnificent work of art must have looked in the eyes of audiences nearly 70 years ago. Conredit Vedit is astonishing as the tragically deformed Gwynplane, but matching him is a once-in-a-lifetime cast: Olga Baclanova as the nymphomaniacal siren, Mary Philbin as the glowing love interest. Camera work, lighting, decor is all astonishing. This is a movie to be cherished and viewed again and again.

An Unusual and Memorable Film
"The Man Who Laughs" was made to capitalize on the success of "The Phantom of the Opera," made three years before. Mary Philbin, the object of the Phantom's love, stars in this film as Dea, a bind orphan who is loved by the title character played by Conrad Veidt. She would marry Veidt but he is reluctant thinking that if she knew what he looked like she would laugh at him. Although this film was made by Universal it has the feel of the films made in Germany during the silent era and is directed by Paul Leni.

The story is set in 17th century England. King James II condemns the father of the title character to the Iron Maiden and his son, Gwynplaine, is horribly disfigured by a band of gypsies so that his face has a permanent grin. Conrad Veidt plays Gwynplaine. "The Man Who Laughs" is a sympathetic character who finds happiness of a kind in a traveling show as a clown where people seeing him find they laugh uncontrollably. Little do they know that his smile is permanent! Gwynplaine is seen by a jaded Duchess (seductively played by Olga Baclanova) who takes a bizarre interest in him until the secret of his identity is revealed.

The film has the original soundtrack that includes music, sound effects and some voices. This film was made after "The Jazz Singer" so its influence is evident. Conrad Veidt is outstanding in the title role. He must literally act with his eyes and he conveys the emotions of his character with great expression. One must admire Conrad Veidt for his superb acting abilities. His silent film performances in the "Cabinet of Dr Caligari" and "Waxworks" are particularly excellent but he also turned in great performances in smaller roles, such as King Louis XI in "The Beloved Rogue." It is sad to think that all he is usually remembered for is as Major Strasser in "Casablanca."

The print issued by Kino is first-rate and the original sound has been re-mastered expertly but, of course, it does not come close to the THX of today. Although I enjoyed the film I could not help wondering what if the character of Gwynplaine had been written with a more sinister twist. He is a sympathetic character because of his inner goodness and tortured soul, and we feel sorry for him. But what if he was bitter about his disfigurement and sought to kill those who wanted to use and humiliate him instead of simply seeking to cover his face?

Rediscovering a Universal 'Super-Jewel'
My previous exposure to Paul Leni's 'The Man Who Laughs' probably coincides with the experience of many others: the knowledge that the central figure was the inspiration for Bob Kane's villain The Joker and a number of atomspheric stills printed time and again in magazines such as Famous Monsters of Filmland. When I learned that Kino would be releasing this on dvd I eagerly awaited viewing it. What I expected was a good film and an interesting addition to the Universal's horror classics. What I received far surpassed my highest expectations. This is a masterful piece of cinematic art. Every aspect from camera work and set design to screen performance (the scenes with Conrad Veidt and Mary Philbin are magical) secure this film a seat alongside other great silent films such as Sunrise or Metropolis. From the opening scenes in the royal boudoir and secret torture chambers I was captivated. Each minute brought new characters, some beautifully sad, some contemptibly corrupt, but always fascinating, their expressions superbly captured by the silent camera. I cannot recommend this film highly enough. ... Read more

Reviews (359)

Even After So Much Time Has Gone By
Only Citizen Kane was ranked higher when the American Film Institute announced its list of "America's Greatest Movies." (The Godfather, Gone with the Wind, and Lawrence of Arabia complete the top five.) My own opinion is that AFI ranked Casablanca higher than it deserves. Nonetheless, the film remains immensely popular among critics and film historians as well as so-called movie buffs. It received an Academy Award as best film in 1943, as did Michael Curtiz for directing it. Bogart and Bergman are joined by an especially strong supporting cast (notably Greenstreet, Henreid, Lorre, Rains, and Veidt). There really isn't much to the plot but the dialogue is first-rate. (Philip Epstein, Julius Epstein, and Howard W. Koch shared an Oscar for best screenplay.) It is tempting to over-analyze this film by, for example, devoting excessive attention to American versus European sensibilities during World War II, the conflict between what Rick and Ilsa want to do with what they think they ought to do, etc.

Obviously, the war in progress outside of Rick's cafe cannot be denied although he makes every effort to insulate himself and his clientele from it. There is no shortage of social and political issues and yet, in my opinion, the significance of the film -- and its enduring appeal -- is explained by the development of the relationship between Rick and Ilsa. The final resolution is necessarily somewhat ambiguous, I think, precisely because the relationship between two people in war time faces quite different challenges, obligations, and implications than it would otherwise. Ultimately, having recently seen this film again in a special edition, accompanied by an abundance of supplementary features (e.g. Roger Ebert's commentary, Lauren Bacall's Introduction, and about ten minutes of additional scenes and out takes), I think the film now has a special symbolic significance which could not have been evident when it was released in 1942. More specifically, it somehow dramatizes what so many of us also struggle with when seeking a balance of obligations to ourselves and to others as well as to certain values which sustain the human race, especially during crises which threaten its survival. Perhaps I make too much of this film but these are among the reasons why it continues to hold special meaning for me.

Rounding Up the Usual Suspects
(To the reader: This review is about the original MGM DVD release and NOT about the 2-disc edition just released.)

Casablanca!

The very name conjures up an exotic mix of adventure, intrigue, heroism, selfless sacrifice, and romance. Hear the title of this 1942 Best Picture winner and your memory will provide you with images of Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Dooley Wilson, Peter Lorre, and Claude Rains. Or maybe you'll hear snatches of Max Steiner's unforgettable score, with its interpolation of Herman Hupfeld's "As Time Goes By" and the stirring strains of "The Marsellaise."

Based on the stage play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett and Joan Allison, the movie tells a dramatic story of refugees fleeing from wartorn Europe and making a perilous trip to Casablanca in French Morocco. It is December 1941 and that French colony is under the control of "unoccupied France." Ostensibly neutral in World War II, Vichy France is nevertheless a German vassal state, as the arrival of Major Strasser (Conrad Veldt) clearly demonstrates.

Strasser's mission in Casablanca: to stop Czech underground leader Victor Laszlo (Henreid) from obtaining one of two exit visas stolen from two murdered German couriers and escaping from the Gestapo. Having tracked the defiant Laszlo after his escape from a Nazi concentration camp, Strasser is determined to capture the symbol of anti-Nazi resistance once and for all.

Accompanying Laszlo is the beautiful Ilsa Lund (Bergman), a young Norweigan student whom he married in secret before he was captured by the Gestapo in 1940. Devoted to her husband and his great cause, Ilsa has been at his side since Laszlo's miraculous escape and sudden reappearance in Paris.

Unbeknownst to Laszlo, however, his fate will now rest in the hands of American saloonkeeper Rick Blaine (Bogart). In the months following Victor's escape from the concentration camp he was reported as "presumed dead." In loneliness and despair, the grieving Ilsa met and fell in love with Rick in Paris shortly before the German occupation began. For a brief time the lovers were together, only to tragically part ways when news of Laszlo's return reached Ilsa.

Now, in the eve of America's entry into World War II, Victor Laszlo's fate hangs on the conflicting emotions felt by both Rick and Ilsa, as well as the shifting loyalties of French police Capt. Louis Renault (Rains).

The screenplay by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch is a wonderful mixture of romance, intrigue, drama and comedy (the latter provided both by colorful characters and witty exchanges). Director Michael Curtiz and producer Hal B. Wallis made Casablanca as one of many movies produced in 1942, never knowing that it would become a classic of Hollywood's Golden Era.

"As Time Goes By" This Is The Best Film You'll Ever See
From the first frame of "Casablanca" you know you are about to watch something special. There is not a moment in the film where you will find yourself bored or overwhelmed. It is perfect in every way. I have seen many films in my time and I am only 17. I have an extensive collection of over 180 DVDs and this is by far my most prized. I saw this film for the first time exactly one year ago and purchased this Two-Disc Special Edition the day it came out. Not a day goes by when this film does not pop into my mind.

There are many movies but very few great films. The few include Gone With the Wind, Wizard of Oz, Lawrence of Arabia, Schindler's List, The Godfather, and, of course, the rarely seen Imitation of Life. This is at the head of those. It is at the head of all films.

"Casablanca" is about Rick (Humphrey Bogart), the owner of an American bar in Morroco, who is visited by Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the object of a love affair in Paris a few years earlier. She is accompanied by her husband (Paul Heinreid) who knows nothing of this but is only interested in acheiving two exit visas because they are both wanted. What follows is the most romantic and thrilling film of all time.

The DVD transfer is nothing short of miraculous. The film looks like it had been filmed today in B & W. Even the mono soundtrack sounds breathtaking. The DVD does not shy away from some amazing special features. I don't want to spoil them but anyone will find them interesting. I promise you this is one of the finest DVD packages on the market.

So go out now and buy the film that recieved three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay; the film that was called the Second Greatest Film of All Time on the AFI's 100 Best List (it's second to Citizen Kane); and also called the Most Romantic Film of All Time by the AFI's 100 Most Romantic Films.

"Play it again, Sam."

Best Gin Joint in the world!
Simply the best movie ever made.
Bogie at his best, Bergman as always splendid! Add in a wonderful supporting cast headed by Peter Lorre, and the result is the perfect bittersweet love story. A must have for any Bogart fan, and a must see for everyone!

Black & White For A Reason
Ah, kids today. "Man, it's crap if there's no color to assist my info-ladened cranium!" Get a life. It's "Casablanca", for God's sake. It NEEDS to stay in B&W format. And, might I say, this film is a cult classic for more reasons than just minimalist acting. Dialogue: Heard of it, kids? It's what actors used to do instead of blowing (...)up or flying through the air in front of a blue screen. I love my DVD of "Casablanca", and cherish the fact that I don't have to rewind a tape to get to some of my favorite quotes. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Black Becomes Him
It's the middle of WWI, and Conrad Veidt is a U-Boat captain who is sent on a secret mission to the Orkney Islands. There he meets secret agent Fraulein Teal (Valerie Hobson) and a traitorous English ship captain, Ashenden (Sebastian Shaw - he who played Darth Vader at the end of Return of the Jedi). Objective, learn date and time that the English fleet is to sail so that German u-boats can sink them. But who'se really in the trap?

Not great, but interesting spy flick.
An early British WWII film, featuring Conrad Veidt as a German naval officer, afoot on a sinister mission in the Northern UK. This film was apparently the first pairing of director Michael Powell and producer Emeric Pressburger; the plot is pretty thin, but has a few interesting, offbeat Powell-ian moments, including a great comedic scene when Veidt's cover is blown and he takes control of the situation. Interesting to see how, at this early stage in the war, the German baddie was still allowed the trait of military honor. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This haunting classic of the silent screen is familiar to every graduate of Film 101. Like Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin, Godard's Breathless, and Welles's Citizen Kane, Caligari helped define a cinematic school... and forever changed the way the world made movies. It's also great fun, even for modern audiences.

The film begins with two men trading horror stories. One promises the other a terrifying true tale--the harrowing story of his fiancée's narrow escape from death. Here's the story: an amoral asylum director wants to see if he can order somnambulist patient Cesare to commit murder. To this end, the nefarious doctor masquerades as a traveling showman and picks victims from the gawking carnival crowds. He sends his sleepwalker out to execute bloody deeds by night--crimes of which Cesare is barely aware. Soon, Cesare abducts the narrator's girl and is caught ... which is only the beginning of the surprises.

Caligari's world became the textbook example of 1920s German Expressionist cinema--a cockeyed dreamscape, where black-clad actors feverishly chase each other across moody, barely-realistic sets. Think of films such as Dark City or the Nightmare Before Christmas or Saturday Night Live's "Sprockets" sketches. Here's where it all began. --Grant Balfour ... Read more

Reviews (56)

There is something frightful in our midst!
Filmed way back in 1921, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is perhaps one of the oldest horror films ever made. As a viewer, I see this film as a macabre, magnificent work of art. It was probably intended to be that way, since director Robert Wiene was heavily inspired by the German Expressionist movement. With its skewed and handpainted scenery, crooked angles, looming shadows, and ghostly aura, this feature film is an Edvard Munch painting brought to life. More importantly, its simple yet terrifying plotline helped give birth to early cinematic horror, which would forever place Lon Chaney, Bela Legosi, and Boris Karloff on pedestals.
Here is the synopsis: A young man named Francis (Friedrich Feher) plays the narrator, opening his story at a carnival sideshow that opened in the town of Holstenwall. Francis and his best friend Alan (Hans Heinrich Von Twardowski) attended the show to witness a truly strange attraction: An aging scientist named Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) unveils to an astounded audience a ghoulish sleepwalker named Cesare (Conrad Veidt), who the Doctor solely commands through the power of hypnotism. Under his control, Cesare awakens from his coffin-like box to prophesise people's fates. When an excited Alan asks Cesare, "How long shall I live?" he grimly utters, "The time is short. You die at dawn!" Meanwhile, the town police investigate a string of bizarre murders. Not surprisingly, Alan would end up becoming the killer's next victim!

Devastated by the sudden loss of his friend, Francis seeks aid from the town police. Together, they find clues linking the cold-blooded killings with Dr. Caligari's priceless freak of nature. In the film's latter half, Francis and the authorities read through the Doctor's notes and discover his most fiendish, insane ambition: The old man gleefully named himself after an 11th century monk who once toured across Northern Italy with a somnanbulist at his side. Dr. Caligari's studies reveal how he recruited poor Cesare from an insane asylum and forced him to commit acts of murder and terrorize innocent people! After the awful truth is exposed, justice prevails as the wicked Doctor is bound in a straitjacket and dragged away. Or is he?
I really love how Conrad Veidt's Cesare character is both terrifying and sympathetic. Although he basically wears a black bodysuit, his figure somehow provides the illusion of inhuman strength, like he was carved out of stone. However, that changes later on when Cesare breaks into the bedroom of Francis's betrothed Jane (Lil Dagover). In a state of torment, he raises the knife over his head and stops himself from stabbing the sleeping woman. In that instance, a viewer can realize that Cesare is only human, and that the Doctor is the true monster. The way actor Werner Krauss portrays him, by the way, is quite marvelous. He's clearly the manipulator of the story; a dangerously clever individual who tries desperately not to get caught. Finally, Friedrich Feher's Francis is a not a typical hero, but rather a traumatized young man seeking the truth; it's obvious that he's overcome with grief and driven almost mad. Did I say almost? As a participant in the movie's main action, Francis is both horrified and curious about the Doctor's motives.
This is a movie I definitely recommend to the openly artistic. The DVD is the perfect gift for Tim Burton fans!

The classic German Expressionist horror film of 1919
When we talk about the history of the "movies" it is "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" ("Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari") that has almost always represented the first prime example of the "cinema," where we treat films as art. This is the best example of German Expressionism with angular sets and exaggerated performances by the actors that represented the dementia of the title character. Werner Krauss is the mad doctor, who uses his somnambulist Ceasar (Conrad Veidt) from his carnival sideshow to do his evil deeds, with Lil Dagover is the damsel in distress. The film is framed by a rather clever plot device that turns the narrative upside down in the end, as a young man (Friedrich Feher) tells the story of Dr. Caligari's visit to the small German town of Holstenwall to an older one, as they sit together on a park bench. There is also a strong sense of how the film serves as a metaphor for the destruction of post-war Germany.

Whatever the films shortcomings, the classic status of this 1919 film directed by Robert Wiene is assured by the striking art direction. The abstract, expressionists designs provide severely angled corners, crooked lines, and objects highlighted by decorative stripes. If "Then Battleship Potemkin" opens us up as students of cinema to the possibilities about montage, then "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" does the same for mise-en-scene. The film also establishes many of the conventions of the horror film (e.g., the mad scientist, beauty and the beast), although, surprisingly enough, the basic storyline has never been remade.

Brilliant film but an explanation for all!
It has been rumored for years that when the producers set out to make The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari they intended to end the film with Caligari getting captured and no framing story. Wrong! A first draft of the film's script shows there was always intended to be a framing story. But the one that was first intended was different than the one presented on film. Originally Francis and Jane were supposed to be at a picnic years later and reminiscing about their days in the town when murderer Caligari showed up. This was changed to the looney bin frame story probably so authority woudn't be depicted quite so negatively. Agreed the film is brilliant and powerfully scarey in it's final execution (no pun intended).

A gothic omen
The cabinet was one of the most remarkable films of the german expressionism.
The bitter gaze about a hollow-eyed sleepwalker (Cesare) who commits murders underthe influence of Dr. Caligary was a clear methapor about what's going on in that dark times. After watching this film , please get the famous Edward Munch's painting titled The scream and establish the underground roads.
The hopeless and the horror are depicted in this movie with a clear message behind the score. Beware about the hidden demons in your mind .
Twelve years before the rise of Hitler, Caligari means obviously the word hypnotist who changes to Cesare in a murder; the anlogy is more than obvious. Don't you?
The world evidently was in another mood , but this warning call from a bizarre film concerned to a few people. Today we are capable after eighty five years , of feel the message.
Robert Wiene established a real pattern around the new possibilities of expression for the movies. He made The hands of Orlac also with Conrad Viet a legendary actor , and won too with that.
But Caligari shocked the destiny of a whole generation of directors (Howard Hawks in Scarface , for instance , Freaks of Tod Browning , Edgar Ullmer, Andre de Toth , James Whale's Frankenstein , and more recently Werner Herzog , Roger Corman or Lars von Triers ) to name just a few , but specially to a young english film maker called Alfred Hitchcock and another giant Orson Welles . If you remember the chase sequence in The third man under the streets of Vienna , or countless sequences employed as dramatic visuals resources and narrative devices of the English master , remember that Caligari was the sparking light.
A cul movie and one of the pioneers jewels of the german expressionism!

"special" edition? - how so?
I am a very ticked off customer... This is an excellent movie indeed, and I'll let the other reviews speak for themselves in that respect. My question is... how is it that a SPECIAL EDITION of a DVD (and not a cheap one, by the way! It's not like it only costed five bucks or something; I paid 17.39 for it) does not even let you WATCH the original movie??? I just received it, and I haven't opened it yet, because I plan on returning it, since from what the back of the DVD says, I'm pretty sure that's it's in ENGLISH ONLY, even though this is a GERMAN film.

I am so sick of Americans being so full of themselves! Would it kill us to be a little cultural for once? My god - how hard is it to have an option to watch it either in the original german, or in English? It's a DVD, for cripes sake! DVDs can easily be dubbed or subtitled in a million languages, so why not the original language of the film? I've seen the film on VHS before, but I wanted to see the original german, so I figured a "special edition" DVD would be the way to go, but apparently not. For all the good (or lack thereof) that this DVD was worth, I might as well have made a copy, for free, from the library VHS! ... Read more

Description

Fascinating German production about a hypnotist, Dr. Caligari, and his victim who, when under hypnosis, carries out Dr. Caligari's commands. It is a pioneering film in the most expressionistic style and highly influential in its approach to lighting, composition and design. Produced about 80 years ago, it is considered a classic of the old era when both acting and technique were very limited and left to the imagination of the director. German with English titles. Musical score. ... Read more

Reviews (56)

There is something frightful in our midst!
Filmed way back in 1921, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is perhaps one of the oldest horror films ever made. As a viewer, I see this film as a macabre, magnificent work of art. It was probably intended to be that way, since director Robert Wiene was heavily inspired by the German Expressionist movement. With its skewed and handpainted scenery, crooked angles, looming shadows, and ghostly aura, this feature film is an Edvard Munch painting brought to life. More importantly, its simple yet terrifying plotline helped give birth to early cinematic horror, which would forever place Lon Chaney, Bela Legosi, and Boris Karloff on pedestals.
Here is the synopsis: A young man named Francis (Friedrich Feher) plays the narrator, opening his story at a carnival sideshow that opened in the town of Holstenwall. Francis and his best friend Alan (Hans Heinrich Von Twardowski) attended the show to witness a truly strange attraction: An aging scientist named Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) unveils to an astounded audience a ghoulish sleepwalker named Cesare (Conrad Veidt), who the Doctor solely commands through the power of hypnotism. Under his control, Cesare awakens from his coffin-like box to prophesise people's fates. When an excited Alan asks Cesare, "How long shall I live?" he grimly utters, "The time is short. You die at dawn!" Meanwhile, the town police investigate a string of bizarre murders. Not surprisingly, Alan would end up becoming the killer's next victim!

Devastated by the sudden loss of his friend, Francis seeks aid from the town police. Together, they find clues linking the cold-blooded killings with Dr. Caligari's priceless freak of nature. In the film's latter half, Francis and the authorities read through the Doctor's notes and discover his most fiendish, insane ambition: The old man gleefully named himself after an 11th century monk who once toured across Northern Italy with a somnanbulist at his side. Dr. Caligari's studies reveal how he recruited poor Cesare from an insane asylum and forced him to commit acts of murder and terrorize innocent people! After the awful truth is exposed, justice prevails as the wicked Doctor is bound in a straitjacket and dragged away. Or is he?
I really love how Conrad Veidt's Cesare character is both terrifying and sympathetic. Although he basically wears a black bodysuit, his figure somehow provides the illusion of inhuman strength, like he was carved out of stone. However, that changes later on when Cesare breaks into the bedroom of Francis's betrothed Jane (Lil Dagover). In a state of torment, he raises the knife over his head and stops himself from stabbing the sleeping woman. In that instance, a viewer can realize that Cesare is only human, and that the Doctor is the true monster. The way actor Werner Krauss portrays him, by the way, is quite marvelous. He's clearly the manipulator of the story; a dangerously clever individual who tries desperately not to get caught. Finally, Friedrich Feher's Francis is a not a typical hero, but rather a traumatized young man seeking the truth; it's obvious that he's overcome with grief and driven almost mad. Did I say almost? As a participant in the movie's main action, Francis is both horrified and curious about the Doctor's motives.
This is a movie I definitely recommend to the openly artistic. The DVD is the perfect gift for Tim Burton fans!

The classic German Expressionist horror film of 1919
When we talk about the history of the "movies" it is "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" ("Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari") that has almost always represented the first prime example of the "cinema," where we treat films as art. This is the best example of German Expressionism with angular sets and exaggerated performances by the actors that represented the dementia of the title character. Werner Krauss is the mad doctor, who uses his somnambulist Ceasar (Conrad Veidt) from his carnival sideshow to do his evil deeds, with Lil Dagover is the damsel in distress. The film is framed by a rather clever plot device that turns the narrative upside down in the end, as a young man (Friedrich Feher) tells the story of Dr. Caligari's visit to the small German town of Holstenwall to an older one, as they sit together on a park bench. There is also a strong sense of how the film serves as a metaphor for the destruction of post-war Germany.

Whatever the films shortcomings, the classic status of this 1919 film directed by Robert Wiene is assured by the striking art direction. The abstract, expressionists designs provide severely angled corners, crooked lines, and objects highlighted by decorative stripes. If "Then Battleship Potemkin" opens us up as students of cinema to the possibilities about montage, then "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" does the same for mise-en-scene. The film also establishes many of the conventions of the horror film (e.g., the mad scientist, beauty and the beast), although, surprisingly enough, the basic storyline has never been remade.

Brilliant film but an explanation for all!
It has been rumored for years that when the producers set out to make The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari they intended to end the film with Caligari getting captured and no framing story. Wrong! A first draft of the film's script shows there was always intended to be a framing story. But the one that was first intended was different than the one presented on film. Originally Francis and Jane were supposed to be at a picnic years later and reminiscing about their days in the town when murderer Caligari showed up. This was changed to the looney bin frame story probably so authority woudn't be depicted quite so negatively. Agreed the film is brilliant and powerfully scarey in it's final execution (no pun intended).

A gothic omen
The cabinet was one of the most remarkable films of the german expressionism.
The bitter gaze about a hollow-eyed sleepwalker (Cesare) who commits murders underthe influence of Dr. Caligary was a clear methapor about what's going on in that dark times. After watching this film , please get the famous Edward Munch's painting titled The scream and establish the underground roads.
The hopeless and the horror are depicted in this movie with a clear message behind the score. Beware about the hidden demons in your mind .
Twelve years before the rise of Hitler, Caligari means obviously the word hypnotist who changes to Cesare in a murder; the anlogy is more than obvious. Don't you?
The world evidently was in another mood , but this warning call from a bizarre film concerned to a few people. Today we are capable after eighty five years , of feel the message.
Robert Wiene established a real pattern around the new possibilities of expression for the movies. He made The hands of Orlac also with Conrad Viet a legendary actor , and won too with that.
But Caligari shocked the destiny of a whole generation of directors (Howard Hawks in Scarface , for instance , Freaks of Tod Browning , Edgar Ullmer, Andre de Toth , James Whale's Frankenstein , and more recently Werner Herzog , Roger Corman or Lars von Triers ) to name just a few , but specially to a young english film maker called Alfred Hitchcock and another giant Orson Welles . If you remember the chase sequence in The third man under the streets of Vienna , or countless sequences employed as dramatic visuals resources and narrative devices of the English master , remember that Caligari was the sparking light.
A cul movie and one of the pioneers jewels of the german expressionism!

"special" edition? - how so?
I am a very ticked off customer... This is an excellent movie indeed, and I'll let the other reviews speak for themselves in that respect. My question is... how is it that a SPECIAL EDITION of a DVD (and not a cheap one, by the way! It's not like it only costed five bucks or something; I paid 17.39 for it) does not even let you WATCH the original movie??? I just received it, and I haven't opened it yet, because I plan on returning it, since from what the back of the DVD says, I'm pretty sure that's it's in ENGLISH ONLY, even though this is a GERMAN film.

I am so sick of Americans being so full of themselves! Would it kill us to be a little cultural for once? My god - how hard is it to have an option to watch it either in the original german, or in English? It's a DVD, for cripes sake! DVDs can easily be dubbed or subtitled in a million languages, so why not the original language of the film? I've seen the film on VHS before, but I wanted to see the original german, so I figured a "special edition" DVD would be the way to go, but apparently not. For all the good (or lack thereof) that this DVD was worth, I might as well have made a copy, for free, from the library VHS! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Michael Powell uses the inky darkness of the London blackout as the memorable setting for this romantic wartime espionage thriller. Conrad Veidt, the severe hawk-faced German actor best known for playing villains (including the evil vizier in the Powell-directed portions of The Thief of Bagdad), enjoys a rare heroic turn as the no-nonsense captain of a neutral Danish freighter pulled into a British port. When two of his passengers sneak off one night, he follows the headstrong Mrs. Sorensen (Valerie Hobson) in hopes of meeting up with her fellow truant. Instead he runs into a nest of Nazis: his delinquent passengers are in reality British spies, and he's caught in the web of intrigue. Clearly a wartime propaganda piece, this witty, fast-paced thriller concocted by Powell and screenwriter Emeric Pressburger makes the most of its nocturnal setting. The charming nightclub hopping turns into a kidnapping and a daring escape (the resourceful captain navigates his way through London by the stars), and concludes with a brawl that joins the Danes with a group of plucky Brits--Allies in action! Spiced with genial humor (provided by Claude Rains look-alike Hay Petrie, who plays the dual roles of the first mate, Skold, and his two-fisted restaurateur cousin) and a refreshingly mature angle on romantic sparring, this joins The Lady Vanishes as one of the best and most elegant of the British wartime thrillers. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A real pleasant Hitchcockian surprise!
I bought this movie because it was directed by Michael Powell, scripted by Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and starred Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson (a great important British director/producer/writer and two great stars). I knew this hailed from just before Powell & Pressburger hit their stride as THE ARCHERS. Boy, what a pleasant surprise; this is FIRST-RATE suspense/spy thriller which takes place in the early days of wartime Britian but before Pearl Harbor. It's about a Danish sea captain who's forced to follow two missing and suspicious passengers while his ship is being temporarily held by the British. What follows is a spy mystery through London during the days of Blackouts....and is ever bit as clever, amusing and suspenseful as any of Hitchcock's superb British sound films. I URGE you to check out this great and little seeen British film classic.

Conrad Veidt rocks
The 'old brands' are dead, so the newspapers say. Owners of copyrights of The Three Stooges are desperately trying to get young people interested in them again, the Looney Tunes gang are being tricked out in hip-hop clothes (ick ick ick) to try to interest todays kids.....well, Conrad Veidt needs no such crutches. True, the movie is in black and white which means today's youth won't watch it...til they grow a little older and learn that blacker is better (sort of like Gene Wilder and his Young Frankenstein.) It's WWII and Veidt, a German actor, here plays a Danish ship captain (have to explain his accent) whose ship is halted overnight by customs on a through voyage. A passenger (Valerie Hobson) jumps ship and Captain Andersen (Veidt) is determined to get her back at all costs. They arrive via train in London in the middle of a blackout (one of the film's original titles) and Hobson proceeds to lead Veidt on a merry chase. An excellent screen duo, if you like this movie you absolutely must get their first pairing, The Spy In Black. That one will have you in tears at the ending!

Sublime early Archers, spy thriller as dance of Eros.
'Contrabond' is only the second of the mighty Powell and Pressburger collaborations, and already we can see perfectly formed the unique, treasurable characteristics of their exhilerating genius. A tale of spies tryig to outfoil the Nazis, if the film was intended as a propaganda effort, than it goes off the standard rails pretty quickly. true, the central narrative arc, of an indifferent neutral forced to take a moral stand during the war, inspired by romance, is similar to the later 'Casablanca' (in which star Conrad Veidt featured) and many Humphrey Bogart films of the 1940s.

But it is in comparison to another future Bogart film that 'Contraband''s true flavour lies - 'the Big Sleep'. Ken Russell has called it ' a light, romantic comedy with bondage overtones', and the relationship between the two leads begins with ship captain Veidt threatening to put intransigent passenger Valerie Hobson in irons. Later scenes include the pair being roped toether in a dark basement spied on by Nazi voyeurs (including a coded lesbian), an escape involving Hobson's long legs as a knife, and badinage on a bus of flagrantly transparent doubles entendres. the emphasis on grills, lifts and confined spaces, or fetishistic imagery such as an all-female nightclub band whose legs are mannequins', or the surreal attic stuffed with plaster busts of Chamberlain, add to this sexually fantastic atmosphere. this is a spy thriller in which genre mechanics and development are always erotic, and in which the centre of activity is appropriately a cinema. you could look at 'Contraband' as a benevolent version of Powell's later, darker masterpiece 'Peeping Tom'.

this is not to say the wartime setting is mere backdrop. Like many of the Archers' films, there is a strong documentary element underpinning the fantasy, with a gorgeous montage of ships that could have come from an (unusually good) Grierson factual film (or Powell's earlier 'Red Ensign'). There is a rare vision of the London blackout with its practical difficulties (providing the film with its metaphors of light and darkness). Magically, solid, urban London is turned by the enterprising captain into a navigable ocean.

Most characteristic of Powell and Pressburger is the tacit opposition between Nazism, with its nihilistic form of nationalism, and the beautiful portrait of the Danish emigres. this at first seems to be a pretext for stereotypes and jokes about modern Vikings, but it soon becomes apparent that the Archers are celebrating this form of nationalism, free from blustering jingoism, one at ease in and with other cultures, one based on shared experience, history, friendship, loyalty and memory, on the civilised bonds of culture - food and music. A remarkable film, with some of the most extraordinary, emotive camerawork and idiosyncratic editing in British cinema.

So-so early Powell/Pressburger
Conrad Veidt has those Caligari eyes that have always made him seem so sinister, and together with his thickly accented, nasal voice, they hurt an otherwise fine attempt at being a likeable hero. The movie itself has a British-era Hitchcock feel to it, essentially a light-hearted espionage tale that begins aboard a Danish freighter (helmed by Veidt) confined at a British port for examination during wartime, and then leads by train into London during a blackout. Veidt makes a good staunch captain, but his foray into romance with Valerie Hobson and the general equanimity of his written character don't jibe with his pinched appearance. Not as charming or engaging as it could have been.

An Intriguing Good Time
This is a movie that just clicks. It is just funny enough while also being just suspenseful enough with just enough of a nice romance. It opens with some close ups of some very real ocean freighters which are just grubby enough to know that they are not staged. Conrad Veidt, probably best known as the cruel Gestapo Major in Casablanca does comedy quite while while looking the part of an iron tailed sea captain. Valerie Hobson is so cute and so funny that she also passes as a secret agent. See this one and enjoy yourself. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Dark Journey-- a Vivien Leigh film pre-Gone with the Wind
I bought this video to add to my growing collection of Vivien Leigh films. Of course, this is a must have. It captures Vivien before the Gone with the Wind phenomenon. On a whole, the plot was a bit slow and the sound quality made it difficult to understand all the actors, many of which have thick accents. What makes this film worthwhile is Vivien's performance. She truly carries the film! Vivien Leigh only made a handful of films, and it is interesting to hear the change in her voice. In her last few films her voice is husky, an effect of her habitual smoking. Though, in her earlier films, like DARK JOURNEY, her voice is light and almost musical. DARK JOURNEY is a must have for any serious Vivien Leigh fan!

Good story!
This film is about a double agent, played by the beautiful Vivien Leigh, who meets and falls in love with the enemy. In this case it's Conrad Veidt, who's part of the German Intelligence. The film may seem dated, but with a story like this and a star like Vivien Leigh, this is sure to be a winner! This is not one of your average run of the mill spy movies, there's more here than meets the eye. It's worth it just to see a young Vivien (pre-Gone With the Wind). Give this one a try.

Excellent movie
Takes place during WWI. Although the main characters are spies, we don't really see them do much spying. The true story is a love story between a French agent and a German agent, and how they each put duty before love. Conrad Veidt and Vivien Leigh both excellent. Only problem is tho it takes place in Sweden and France, with characters of those nationalities as well as German, everybody has an English accent - except Veidt, of course! END ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A truly perfect movie, the 1942 Casablanca still wows viewers today, and for good reason. Its unique story of a love triangle set against terribly high stakes in the war against a monster is sophisticated instead of outlandish, intriguing instead of garish. Humphrey Bogart plays the allegedly apolitical club owner in unoccupied French territory that is nevertheless crawling with Nazis; Ingrid Bergman is the lover who mysteriously deserted him in Paris; and Paul Heinreid is her heroic, slightly bewildered husband. Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Conrad Veidt are among what may be the best supporting cast in the history of Hollywood films. This is certainly among the most spirited and ennobling movies ever made.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (386)

Bogart's Best and one of the best films ever!
Wow, where to start. Quite simply, this has to be one of the greatest movies ever made. Now realize that this is coming from me, a 16-year-old! I don't consider myself anything of a film expert, but I know a good film when I see one. It's hard to imagine that the part of Rick was originally scripted for Ronald Reagan, but Bogart's performance is flawless, as is Bergman's. I also find it somewhat ironic that it spawned a catch phrase that was never spoken verbatum in the film, but aside from that, wow. A lot of people may find the storyline somewhat dry by today's standards, but I love it. All of the actors have marvelous voices. Casablanca only gets better 'As Time Goes By' (neat little reference, eh?), and I highly recommend it to anyone with a pulse and a soul. If you must see one more movie before you die, it doesn't get any better than Casablanca.

Also, Bogart fans should check out "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Enforcer".

Special Edition... PHOOEE!!!
I'm holding out for a 16:9 colorized version with Dolby Digital EX 9.1! I mean when I watch Casablanca and I here the gun shot at the end, I want to HERE GUN SHOT AT THE END!!! Also Ingrid Bergman is no Maryland Monroe.

As close to perfect as a film can get...
One of the greatest, and certainly one of the most quoted, films in cinema history, Casablanca brings all the essential elements to the big screen - adventure, romance, intrigue, suspense, and of course, evil Nazi bad guys (if you doubt this last one as an essential element, then reference the success of the Indiana Jones films). With a director and cast second to none, Casablanca makes a strong case for consideration as the best movie ever made - cementing its status as a must-see film.

The story begins in a place called Rick's, a popular watering hole in Vichey controlled Morocco on the outskirts of Nazi dominated Europe. An important travel hub, Casablanca plays host to innumerable colorful characters with any number of varying agendas. Arms dealers, spies, and revolutionaries walk side-by-side through streets littered with pickpockets. But at Rick's, everyone seems to enjoy themselves. Owner Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) seems content with his life of serving customers and making money until she walks in - Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), the love of his life.

A couple of years earlier, as the Nazis moved into Paris, Rick and Ilsa fell in love. But in the act of fleeing the Nazi advance, Ilsa sent Rick a note at the train station informing him that she could not go with him. She offered no explanation. Now, she was appearing in his establishment with her husband - fugitive and Nazi resistance leader Victor Laszlo.

As the hours unfold, and the Nazis search for Laszlo in an attempt to cut off his escape, Rick learns the whole story. When he met Ilsa in Paris she was married to Laszlo, but she thought he was dead - a victim of the Nazi regime. But before she could flee Paris with Rick, she learned that her husband had escaped a Nazi concentration camp. She stayed behind to care for him.

Needing help to aid her husband's escape to the United States, Ilsa appeals to Rick. It is clear that they still love each other. But will Rick use his influence and connections to help himself and Ilsa or Victor Laszlo? Will his idealism prevail over his hard pragmatism? The Third Reich is closing in on Victor Laszlo and only Rick can save him...

The DVD Report

Legend!
Casablanca is one of the few movies that is every bit as good as its hype.The story moves at a frantic, but believable, pace.Like all of the great ones, this film is not tarnished by its age.The unfortunate thing is that, in 2005, so much of the dialogue has so fully entered our cultural lexicon that the new viewer may be disappointed as to how cliche it sounds.Yet, none of the lines like "play it again Sam," "...out of all of the gin joints" and "this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," were ever heard before Casablanca's release. Sure, Bogey is stupendous as is Bergman but what about Claude Rains? He practically steals the title role away from Rick.His character is incredibly complex and interesting.It is somewhat amusing as to the favorable spin that the French are given, but we must remember that back in 1941 they were a defeated ally.

Courtesy
Anyone notice that even Nazi's were more courteous than our own slimy FBI and ATF agents? ... Read more

Reviews (359)

Even After So Much Time Has Gone By
Only Citizen Kane was ranked higher when the American Film Institute announced its list of "America's Greatest Movies." (The Godfather, Gone with the Wind, and Lawrence of Arabia complete the top five.) My own opinion is that AFI ranked Casablanca higher than it deserves. Nonetheless, the film remains immensely popular among critics and film historians as well as so-called movie buffs. It received an Academy Award as best film in 1943, as did Michael Curtiz for directing it. Bogart and Bergman are joined by an especially strong supporting cast (notably Greenstreet, Henreid, Lorre, Rains, and Veidt). There really isn't much to the plot but the dialogue is first-rate. (Philip Epstein, Julius Epstein, and Howard W. Koch shared an Oscar for best screenplay.) It is tempting to over-analyze this film by, for example, devoting excessive attention to American versus European sensibilities during World War II, the conflict between what Rick and Ilsa want to do with what they think they ought to do, etc.

Obviously, the war in progress outside of Rick's cafe cannot be denied although he makes every effort to insulate himself and his clientele from it. There is no shortage of social and political issues and yet, in my opinion, the significance of the film -- and its enduring appeal -- is explained by the development of the relationship between Rick and Ilsa. The final resolution is necessarily somewhat ambiguous, I think, precisely because the relationship between two people in war time faces quite different challenges, obligations, and implications than it would otherwise. Ultimately, having recently seen this film again in a special edition, accompanied by an abundance of supplementary features (e.g. Roger Ebert's commentary, Lauren Bacall's Introduction, and about ten minutes of additional scenes and out takes), I think the film now has a special symbolic significance which could not have been evident when it was released in 1942. More specifically, it somehow dramatizes what so many of us also struggle with when seeking a balance of obligations to ourselves and to others as well as to certain values which sustain the human race, especially during crises which threaten its survival. Perhaps I make too much of this film but these are among the reasons why it continues to hold special meaning for me.

Rounding Up the Usual Suspects
(To the reader: This review is about the original MGM DVD release and NOT about the 2-disc edition just released.)

Casablanca!

The very name conjures up an exotic mix of adventure, intrigue, heroism, selfless sacrifice, and romance. Hear the title of this 1942 Best Picture winner and your memory will provide you with images of Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Dooley Wilson, Peter Lorre, and Claude Rains. Or maybe you'll hear snatches of Max Steiner's unforgettable score, with its interpolation of Herman Hupfeld's "As Time Goes By" and the stirring strains of "The Marsellaise."

Based on the stage play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett and Joan Allison, the movie tells a dramatic story of refugees fleeing from wartorn Europe and making a perilous trip to Casablanca in French Morocco. It is December 1941 and that French colony is under the control of "unoccupied France." Ostensibly neutral in World War II, Vichy France is nevertheless a German vassal state, as the arrival of Major Strasser (Conrad Veldt) clearly demonstrates.

Strasser's mission in Casablanca: to stop Czech underground leader Victor Laszlo (Henreid) from obtaining one of two exit visas stolen from two murdered German couriers and escaping from the Gestapo. Having tracked the defiant Laszlo after his escape from a Nazi concentration camp, Strasser is determined to capture the symbol of anti-Nazi resistance once and for all.

Accompanying Laszlo is the beautiful Ilsa Lund (Bergman), a young Norweigan student whom he married in secret before he was captured by the Gestapo in 1940. Devoted to her husband and his great cause, Ilsa has been at his side since Laszlo's miraculous escape and sudden reappearance in Paris.

Unbeknownst to Laszlo, however, his fate will now rest in the hands of American saloonkeeper Rick Blaine (Bogart). In the months following Victor's escape from the concentration camp he was reported as "presumed dead." In loneliness and despair, the grieving Ilsa met and fell in love with Rick in Paris shortly before the German occupation began. For a brief time the lovers were together, only to tragically part ways when news of Laszlo's return reached Ilsa.

Now, in the eve of America's entry into World War II, Victor Laszlo's fate hangs on the conflicting emotions felt by both Rick and Ilsa, as well as the shifting loyalties of French police Capt. Louis Renault (Rains).

The screenplay by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch is a wonderful mixture of romance, intrigue, drama and comedy (the latter provided both by colorful characters and witty exchanges). Director Michael Curtiz and producer Hal B. Wallis made Casablanca as one of many movies produced in 1942, never knowing that it would become a classic of Hollywood's Golden Era.

"As Time Goes By" This Is The Best Film You'll Ever See
From the first frame of "Casablanca" you know you are about to watch something special. There is not a moment in the film where you will find yourself bored or overwhelmed. It is perfect in every way. I have seen many films in my time and I am only 17. I have an extensive collection of over 180 DVDs and this is by far my most prized. I saw this film for the first time exactly one year ago and purchased this Two-Disc Special Edition the day it came out. Not a day goes by when this film does not pop into my mind.

There are many movies but very few great films. The few include Gone With the Wind, Wizard of Oz, Lawrence of Arabia, Schindler's List, The Godfather, and, of course, the rarely seen Imitation of Life. This is at the head of those. It is at the head of all films.

"Casablanca" is about Rick (Humphrey Bogart), the owner of an American bar in Morroco, who is visited by Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the object of a love affair in Paris a few years earlier. She is accompanied by her husband (Paul Heinreid) who knows nothing of this but is only interested in acheiving two exit visas because they are both wanted. What follows is the most romantic and thrilling film of all time.

The DVD transfer is nothing short of miraculous. The film looks like it had been filmed today in B & W. Even the mono soundtrack sounds breathtaking. The DVD does not shy away from some amazing special features. I don't want to spoil them but anyone will find them interesting. I promise you this is one of the finest DVD packages on the market.

So go out now and buy the film that recieved three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay; the film that was called the Second Greatest Film of All Time on the AFI's 100 Best List (it's second to Citizen Kane); and also called the Most Romantic Film of All Time by the AFI's 100 Most Romantic Films.

"Play it again, Sam."

Best Gin Joint in the world!
Simply the best movie ever made.
Bogie at his best, Bergman as always splendid! Add in a wonderful supporting cast headed by Peter Lorre, and the result is the perfect bittersweet love story. A must have for any Bogart fan, and a must see for everyone!

Black & White For A Reason
Ah, kids today. "Man, it's crap if there's no color to assist my info-ladened cranium!" Get a life. It's "Casablanca", for God's sake. It NEEDS to stay in B&W format. And, might I say, this film is a cult classic for more reasons than just minimalist acting. Dialogue: Heard of it, kids? It's what actors used to do instead of blowing (...)up or flying through the air in front of a blue screen. I love my DVD of "Casablanca", and cherish the fact that I don't have to rewind a tape to get to some of my favorite quotes. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Not the best version of "Patience"
We did "Patience" about thirty years ago at UConn, set in a lovely monochromatic design concept, which resembled a Blue Willow china pattern. The production was chock full of references to Oscar Wilde, Coventry Patmore, et alia. It was very campy and very well done. This video seems somewhat ho-hum in that Judith DePaul HAD to video the COMPLEAT G+S for the project in the UK in the Eighties. I get the feeling that the producers just said, about "Patience", we "we have to do it." It is too bad. "Patience", in many ways, is Gilbert's most brilliant libretto. Sullivan is not as his best here, but the score is certainly very good. I do agree with another reviewer here in that the work is far more topical than "Mikado" or "Pirates". But for anyone who knows the Aesthetic movement of the 1880s in London will howl at this very funny opera.

(Stratford Canada...PLEASE do this show! Your other G+S shows on DVD are brilliant!!!)

Positively Early English!
A couple of weeks ago I was reading an annotated version "The Picture of Dorian Gray," in which the editor mentioned the rôle Wilde played in popularising this operetta in the States. Since I recognised from the start the comic possibilities inherent in the Aesthetic movement, I couldn't wait until I saw what that genius Gilbert had made of it. I was certainly not disappointed--first by the libretto and score, and then by the marvellous sets, costuming, and vocal casting. The best cast members were the ladies of the Ambrosian Opera Chorus. The languorous, disdainful grace of their movements during the first scene with Patience was perfect, and their singing tight and very together throughout the entire show. I agree with David Olivenbaum that Anne Collins made a great Lady Jane, but I must say that the three leads (Bunthorne, Grosvenor, and Patience) were well-cast even though they don't fit the parts physically--having two aging men play young heartthrobs and a pretty blonde play a "plain, homely, unattractive" girl actually added to the irony and humour of the situation.
A must-see for anyone with a languid love for lilies, a passion for the super-aesthetical, and a predilection for transcendental dialogue--and for those who like to make wicked fun of the mincing, lily-loving, poetic types.

Wonderful!!! Positively hysterical!!
It is very difficult to find good videos of Gilbert and Sullivan anywhere ... If you like G&S and you don't have this opera, buy it -- it's purely delightful. You may also look up some of the other wonderful operas in this series.

Excellent
Although I knew absolutely nothing about aestheticism before I saw this, I got a general idea of what it was about upon seeing it. But you don't have to know about aestheticism to enjoy this. The music is wonderful as well as the cast. The only weak spot in the cast is the Duke (I forget the actor's name) who has a very annoying speaking voice during his dialogue scenes. To make up for that, however, he has quite a powerful and beautiful tenor singing voice. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Maybe not for everyone...
No doubt this film is important in various ways, such as representing German cinema and art of the time, and both sets and acting are good and interesting, but from a more general viewpoint this film might be a bit disappointing to the average viewer. Unless you are particularly interested in the Expressionist artwork or other technical aspects, "Waxworks" might seem to lack a concrete storyline or a lighter air like that of many American films of the time. Although the individual stories contained in Waxworks are good and interesting, the overall feel is a kind of heavy, dark intenseness; much like The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, for instance. Unless this style is of special interest or appeal to someone, this film might not be the best choice, but for a sample of German film and art, it's certainly worth a try. Otherwise, this DVD is excellent, with a few other interesting special features.

A worthy excursion into German Expressionism
Kino does a beautiful presentation of this entry into German Expressionism on film. The plot essentially includes a writer telling stories about figures in a carnival waxworks display. The writer is smitten with the daughter of the waxworks owner, as a sideline. These are fairly incidental to the trilogy of stories that intertwine.
First, Haroun Al-Raschid is played by Emil Jannings. This story is fairly humorous and very fun to watch, with a chase scene through an Escher-esque set as a baker tries to escape after a failed attempt at thievery.
This is followed by Ivan the Terrible, played by Conrad Veidt. Conrad plays an eerie, insane, and meglomaniacal potrayal of the famous tyrant. Ivan, as promised, is indeed, terrible and Conrad's acting adds volumes with this peek into murderous insanity.
Werner Krauss portrays Jack the Ripper in the third story (dreamed by the sleeping writer). His performance is grand and uncanny, though the association of Jack the Ripper with Spring Heeled Jack is highly erronious, and distracting. While Jack the Ripper never displayed any uncanny abilities to speak of (in the film as well), Spring Heeled Jack was known to leap great distances and heights and breath fire. These two characters have little in common, even down to the fact that there were numerous descriptions of Spring Heeled Jack by eye witnesses, and very few of Jack the Ripper. Additionally, Spring Heeled Jack is only credited with one murder, seemingly accidental. By combining them in such a poor manner, Leni does an injustice to two classic legends.
This film is classic of German Expressionism, and aside from bad scholarship, lives up to its reputation. The DVD includes the necessary original color-wash familiar to German silent films of its time, and is a very nice print to watch. Included as extras in this volume are REBUS FILM I, a fun 1926 short by Leni combining live footage and animation to perform a crossword puzzle on film. Also, an excerpt from Douglas Fairbanks's THE THIEF OF BAGDAD, as a comparision to Emil Jennings's role in WAXWORKS. The film WAXWORKS has 12 different scene selections.

German Horror Classic Debuts On DVD.
Paul Leni's WAXWORKS has taken its own sweet time in coming before the public in presentable form. This of course is not the film's fault. Now that it is here as part of a quartet of restored German Horror Classics, there is cause for much rejoicing. As is often the case with most anthology films the parts are greater than the whole. There are three episodes involving figures in a wax museum which are linked by the framing story of a writer writing about them. Are they scary? No, but at least one of them (IVAN THE TERRIBLE with Conrad Veidt) is genuinely disturbing while another (SPRING HEELED JACK with Werner Krauss) boasts the most expressionistic sets since CABINET OF DR CALIGARI (also in this set of four new releases from Kino International). The longest sequence features Emil Jannings in an Arabian Nights setting which is more comic in tone and surprisingly erotic thanks to Olga Belajeff who plays the romantic lead in all three stories. The male lead is William Dieterle who plays the writer. He would give up acting and become a major director in Hollywood during the 30's and 40's. This is the first time this film has ever looked this good. It was restored from two differnt prints and has been properly tinted. The accompanying piano score is effective especially in the IVAN sequence. WAXWORKS is not a great film but it is an important one. It is one of the first horror anthology films and boasts spectacular set designs for the three stories. While it won't scare you, it will entertain you and that is ultimately what it is all about. As mentioned earlier this is part of a quartet of silent German horror films newly restored and released on DVD. It can be purchased seperately but if you enjoy these type of films then spring for the whole package. In addition to NOSFERATU and CABINET OF DR CALIGARI, there is a striking new restoration of THE GOLEM. ... Read more

Description

With LESLIE FENTON, CONRAD VEIDT, JILL ESMOND. The F.P.1 is a marvel of modern science and architecture: a floating airstrip to be stationed in the mid-Atlantic that would be a key rest and re-fueling stop for airplanes on transcontinental flights. It is the brainchild of Lt. Commander Droste, a man of imagination and foresight who for years had been developing its plans. The time finally has come to build the F.P.1. However, as this tense and exciting drama unfolds you will see that "there are spies in industry as well as war!" It seems that some shadowy figures have hatched a diabolical plot to sabotage the F.P.1 before its construction can be completed. Drostes old friend Ellissen is a charismatic world-famous airman-adventurer who sets speed records whenever he enters a cockpit. During the course of the scenario both men fall in love with alluring Claire Lennartz, part-owner of the shipyard where the F.P.1 is being constructed. The result is a tale of passion and jealousy, romance and intrigue set amid the excitement surrounding the implementation of state-of-the-art technology. This was filmed on location in Germany not long before Adolph Hitler came to power. Soon afterward the virulently anti-Nazi German film star Conrad Veidt (who is cast a Ellissen) went into exile in England. He later returned to Germany for a visit, but was detained by the Nazis on the pretext that he was too ill to go back to England. An international incident resulted, with Veidt eventually being released upon the insistence of British doctors sent to Germany. 71 minutes. ... Read more

Reviews (56)

There is something frightful in our midst!
Filmed way back in 1921, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is perhaps one of the oldest horror films ever made. As a viewer, I see this film as a macabre, magnificent work of art. It was probably intended to be that way, since director Robert Wiene was heavily inspired by the German Expressionist movement. With its skewed and handpainted scenery, crooked angles, looming shadows, and ghostly aura, this feature film is an Edvard Munch painting brought to life. More importantly, its simple yet terrifying plotline helped give birth to early cinematic horror, which would forever place Lon Chaney, Bela Legosi, and Boris Karloff on pedestals.
Here is the synopsis: A young man named Francis (Friedrich Feher) plays the narrator, opening his story at a carnival sideshow that opened in the town of Holstenwall. Francis and his best friend Alan (Hans Heinrich Von Twardowski) attended the show to witness a truly strange attraction: An aging scientist named Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) unveils to an astounded audience a ghoulish sleepwalker named Cesare (Conrad Veidt), who the Doctor solely commands through the power of hypnotism. Under his control, Cesare awakens from his coffin-like box to prophesise people's fates. When an excited Alan asks Cesare, "How long shall I live?" he grimly utters, "The time is short. You die at dawn!" Meanwhile, the town police investigate a string of bizarre murders. Not surprisingly, Alan would end up becoming the killer's next victim!

Devastated by the sudden loss of his friend, Francis seeks aid from the town police. Together, they find clues linking the cold-blooded killings with Dr. Caligari's priceless freak of nature. In the film's latter half, Francis and the authorities read through the Doctor's notes and discover his most fiendish, insane ambition: The old man gleefully named himself after an 11th century monk who once toured across Northern Italy with a somnanbulist at his side. Dr. Caligari's studies reveal how he recruited poor Cesare from an insane asylum and forced him to commit acts of murder and terrorize innocent people! After the awful truth is exposed, justice prevails as the wicked Doctor is bound in a straitjacket and dragged away. Or is he?
I really love how Conrad Veidt's Cesare character is both terrifying and sympathetic. Although he basically wears a black bodysuit, his figure somehow provides the illusion of inhuman strength, like he was carved out of stone. However, that changes later on when Cesare breaks into the bedroom of Francis's betrothed Jane (Lil Dagover). In a state of torment, he raises the knife over his head and stops himself from stabbing the sleeping woman. In that instance, a viewer can realize that Cesare is only human, and that the Doctor is the true monster. The way actor Werner Krauss portrays him, by the way, is quite marvelous. He's clearly the manipulator of the story; a dangerously clever individual who tries desperately not to get caught. Finally, Friedrich Feher's Francis is a not a typical hero, but rather a traumatized young man seeking the truth; it's obvious that he's overcome with grief and driven almost mad. Did I say almost? As a participant in the movie's main action, Francis is both horrified and curious about the Doctor's motives.
This is a movie I definitely recommend to the openly artistic. The DVD is the perfect gift for Tim Burton fans!

The classic German Expressionist horror film of 1919
When we talk about the history of the "movies" it is "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" ("Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari") that has almost always represented the first prime example of the "cinema," where we treat films as art. This is the best example of German Expressionism with angular sets and exaggerated performances by the actors that represented the dementia of the title character. Werner Krauss is the mad doctor, who uses his somnambulist Ceasar (Conrad Veidt) from his carnival sideshow to do his evil deeds, with Lil Dagover is the damsel in distress. The film is framed by a rather clever plot device that turns the narrative upside down in the end, as a young man (Friedrich Feher) tells the story of Dr. Caligari's visit to the small German town of Holstenwall to an older one, as they sit together on a park bench. There is also a strong sense of how the film serves as a metaphor for the destruction of post-war Germany.

Whatever the films shortcomings, the classic status of this 1919 film directed by Robert Wiene is assured by the striking art direction. The abstract, expressionists designs provide severely angled corners, crooked lines, and objects highlighted by decorative stripes. If "Then Battleship Potemkin" opens us up as students of cinema to the possibilities about montage, then "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" does the same for mise-en-scene. The film also establishes many of the conventions of the horror film (e.g., the mad scientist, beauty and the beast), although, surprisingly enough, the basic storyline has never been remade.

Brilliant film but an explanation for all!
It has been rumored for years that when the producers set out to make The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari they intended to end the film with Caligari getting captured and no framing story. Wrong! A first draft of the film's script shows there was always intended to be a framing story. But the one that was first intended was different than the one presented on film. Originally Francis and Jane were supposed to be at a picnic years later and reminiscing about their days in the town when murderer Caligari showed up. This was changed to the looney bin frame story probably so authority woudn't be depicted quite so negatively. Agreed the film is brilliant and powerfully scarey in it's final execution (no pun intended).

A gothic omen
The cabinet was one of the most remarkable films of the german expressionism.
The bitter gaze about a hollow-eyed sleepwalker (Cesare) who commits murders underthe influence of Dr. Caligary was a clear methapor about what's going on in that dark times. After watching this film , please get the famous Edward Munch's painting titled The scream and establish the underground roads.
The hopeless and the horror are depicted in this movie with a clear message behind the score. Beware about the hidden demons in your mind .
Twelve years before the rise of Hitler, Caligari means obviously the word hypnotist who changes to Cesare in a murder; the anlogy is more than obvious. Don't you?
The world evidently was in another mood , but this warning call from a bizarre film concerned to a few people. Today we are capable after eighty five years , of feel the message.
Robert Wiene established a real pattern around the new possibilities of expression for the movies. He made The hands of Orlac also with Conrad Viet a legendary actor , and won too with that.
But Caligari shocked the destiny of a whole generation of directors (Howard Hawks in Scarface , for instance , Freaks of Tod Browning , Edgar Ullmer, Andre de Toth , James Whale's Frankenstein , and more recently Werner Herzog , Roger Corman or Lars von Triers ) to name just a few , but specially to a young english film maker called Alfred Hitchcock and another giant Orson Welles . If you remember the chase sequence in The third man under the streets of Vienna , or countless sequences employed as dramatic visuals resources and narrative devices of the English master , remember that Caligari was the sparking light.
A cul movie and one of the pioneers jewels of the german expressionism!

"special" edition? - how so?
I am a very ticked off customer... This is an excellent movie indeed, and I'll let the other reviews speak for themselves in that respect. My question is... how is it that a SPECIAL EDITION of a DVD (and not a cheap one, by the way! It's not like it only costed five bucks or something; I paid 17.39 for it) does not even let you WATCH the original movie??? I just received it, and I haven't opened it yet, because I plan on returning it, since from what the back of the DVD says, I'm pretty sure that's it's in ENGLISH ONLY, even though this is a GERMAN film.

I am so sick of Americans being so full of themselves! Would it kill us to be a little cultural for once? My god - how hard is it to have an option to watch it either in the original german, or in English? It's a DVD, for cripes sake! DVDs can easily be dubbed or subtitled in a million languages, so why not the original language of the film? I've seen the film on VHS before, but I wanted to see the original german, so I figured a "special edition" DVD would be the way to go, but apparently not. For all the good (or lack thereof) that this DVD was worth, I might as well have made a copy, for free, from the library VHS! ... Read more

Reviews (359)

Even After So Much Time Has Gone By
Only Citizen Kane was ranked higher when the American Film Institute announced its list of "America's Greatest Movies." (The Godfather, Gone with the Wind, and Lawrence of Arabia complete the top five.) My own opinion is that AFI ranked Casablanca higher than it deserves. Nonetheless, the film remains immensely popular among critics and film historians as well as so-called movie buffs. It received an Academy Award as best film in 1943, as did Michael Curtiz for directing it. Bogart and Bergman are joined by an especially strong supporting cast (notably Greenstreet, Henreid, Lorre, Rains, and Veidt). There really isn't much to the plot but the dialogue is first-rate. (Philip Epstein, Julius Epstein, and Howard W. Koch shared an Oscar for best screenplay.) It is tempting to over-analyze this film by, for example, devoting excessive attention to American versus European sensibilities during World War II, the conflict between what Rick and Ilsa want to do with what they think they ought to do, etc.

Obviously, the war in progress outside of Rick's cafe cannot be denied although he makes every effort to insulate himself and his clientele from it. There is no shortage of social and political issues and yet, in my opinion, the significance of the film -- and its enduring appeal -- is explained by the development of the relationship between Rick and Ilsa. The final resolution is necessarily somewhat ambiguous, I think, precisely because the relationship between two people in war time faces quite different challenges, obligations, and implications than it would otherwise. Ultimately, having recently seen this film again in a special edition, accompanied by an abundance of supplementary features (e.g. Roger Ebert's commentary, Lauren Bacall's Introduction, and about ten minutes of additional scenes and out takes), I think the film now has a special symbolic significance which could not have been evident when it was released in 1942. More specifically, it somehow dramatizes what so many of us also struggle with when seeking a balance of obligations to ourselves and to others as well as to certain values which sustain the human race, especially during crises which threaten its survival. Perhaps I make too much of this film but these are among the reasons why it continues to hold special meaning for me.

Rounding Up the Usual Suspects
(To the reader: This review is about the original MGM DVD release and NOT about the 2-disc edition just released.)

Casablanca!

The very name conjures up an exotic mix of adventure, intrigue, heroism, selfless sacrifice, and romance. Hear the title of this 1942 Best Picture winner and your memory will provide you with images of Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Dooley Wilson, Peter Lorre, and Claude Rains. Or maybe you'll hear snatches of Max Steiner's unforgettable score, with its interpolation of Herman Hupfeld's "As Time Goes By" and the stirring strains of "The Marsellaise."

Based on the stage play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett and Joan Allison, the movie tells a dramatic story of refugees fleeing from wartorn Europe and making a perilous trip to Casablanca in French Morocco. It is December 1941 and that French colony is under the control of "unoccupied France." Ostensibly neutral in World War II, Vichy France is nevertheless a German vassal state, as the arrival of Major Strasser (Conrad Veldt) clearly demonstrates.

Strasser's mission in Casablanca: to stop Czech underground leader Victor Laszlo (Henreid) from obtaining one of two exit visas stolen from two murdered German couriers and escaping from the Gestapo. Having tracked the defiant Laszlo after his escape from a Nazi concentration camp, Strasser is determined to capture the symbol of anti-Nazi resistance once and for all.

Accompanying Laszlo is the beautiful Ilsa Lund (Bergman), a young Norweigan student whom he married in secret before he was captured by the Gestapo in 1940. Devoted to her husband and his great cause, Ilsa has been at his side since Laszlo's miraculous escape and sudden reappearance in Paris.

Unbeknownst to Laszlo, however, his fate will now rest in the hands of American saloonkeeper Rick Blaine (Bogart). In the months following Victor's escape from the concentration camp he was reported as "presumed dead." In loneliness and despair, the grieving Ilsa met and fell in love with Rick in Paris shortly before the German occupation began. For a brief time the lovers were together, only to tragically part ways when news of Laszlo's return reached Ilsa.

Now, in the eve of America's entry into World War II, Victor Laszlo's fate hangs on the conflicting emotions felt by both Rick and Ilsa, as well as the shifting loyalties of French police Capt. Louis Renault (Rains).

The screenplay by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch is a wonderful mixture of romance, intrigue, drama and comedy (the latter provided both by colorful characters and witty exchanges). Director Michael Curtiz and producer Hal B. Wallis made Casablanca as one of many movies produced in 1942, never knowing that it would become a classic of Hollywood's Golden Era.

"As Time Goes By" This Is The Best Film You'll Ever See
From the first frame of "Casablanca" you know you are about to watch something special. There is not a moment in the film where you will find yourself bored or overwhelmed. It is perfect in every way. I have seen many films in my time and I am only 17. I have an extensive collection of over 180 DVDs and this is by far my most prized. I saw this film for the first time exactly one year ago and purchased this Two-Disc Special Edition the day it came out. Not a day goes by when this film does not pop into my mind.

There are many movies but very few great films. The few include Gone With the Wind, Wizard of Oz, Lawrence of Arabia, Schindler's List, The Godfather, and, of course, the rarely seen Imitation of Life. This is at the head of those. It is at the head of all films.

"Casablanca" is about Rick (Humphrey Bogart), the owner of an American bar in Morroco, who is visited by Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the object of a love affair in Paris a few years earlier. She is accompanied by her husband (Paul Heinreid) who knows nothing of this but is only interested in acheiving two exit visas because they are both wanted. What follows is the most romantic and thrilling film of all time.

The DVD transfer is nothing short of miraculous. The film looks like it had been filmed today in B & W. Even the mono soundtrack sounds breathtaking. The DVD does not shy away from some amazing special features. I don't want to spoil them but anyone will find them interesting. I promise you this is one of the finest DVD packages on the market.

So go out now and buy the film that recieved three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay; the film that was called the Second Greatest Film of All Time on the AFI's 100 Best List (it's second to Citizen Kane); and also called the Most Romantic Film of All Time by the AFI's 100 Most Romantic Films.

"Play it again, Sam."

Best Gin Joint in the world!
Simply the best movie ever made.
Bogie at his best, Bergman as always splendid! Add in a wonderful supporting cast headed by Peter Lorre, and the result is the perfect bittersweet love story. A must have for any Bogart fan, and a must see for everyone!

Black & White For A Reason
Ah, kids today. "Man, it's crap if there's no color to assist my info-ladened cranium!" Get a life. It's "Casablanca", for God's sake. It NEEDS to stay in B&W format. And, might I say, this film is a cult classic for more reasons than just minimalist acting. Dialogue: Heard of it, kids? It's what actors used to do instead of blowing (...)up or flying through the air in front of a blue screen. I love my DVD of "Casablanca", and cherish the fact that I don't have to rewind a tape to get to some of my favorite quotes. ... Read more