The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920): SWS

Part of a month long film festival of silent film classics from the 1920’s, accompanied by live musical score.

Considered by many to be “the first horror film” this quintessential piece of German Expressionist Cinema is famed for its stunning set designs, costumes and makeup, all of which create its atmospheric and haunting atmosphere. 

At a carnival in Germany, Francis and his friend Alan encounter the crazed Dr. Caligari. The men see Caligari showing off his somnambulist, Cesare, a hypnotized man who the doctor claims can see into the future. Shockingly, Cesare then predicts Alan’s death, and by morning his chilling prophecy has come true — making Cesare the prime suspect. However, is Cesare guilty, or is the doctor controlling him?

This screening will be accompanied by live musical score, performed by the British Film Institute’s classically trained house pianist Meg Morley.

Since performing her first improvised score for silent film in 2016, Meg has regularly played at various international film festivals (Il Cinema Ritrovato, Netherlands Silent Film Festival, Le Giornate del Cinema Muto) and has recorded original scores for several DVD releases (including Hitchcock’s The Ring for US company Kino Lorber). She is a house pianist for the British Film Institute (at Southbank) which commissioned her, in 2018, to compose, perform and tour a score for the Meg Morley Trio to accompany several silent films starring Mabel Normand. Birmingham’s Flatpack Festival also commissioned her for a collaborative score with Derbyshire’s electronic band Haiku Salut for the 1930 German experimental silent film People on Sunday.

Runtime: 1hr 9mins

Director: Robert Wiene

Stars: Werner Kraus, Friedrich Feher, Rudolf Lettinger, Conrad Veidt