Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, 1920

Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, 1920

A key film in the development of the cinema of the imagination, Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari was linked in the public mind with the Expressionist art movement. Fritz Lang, attached to direct before Robert Weine took over, devised the frame story which later influenced his noir thriller The Woman in the Window, 1944. The film’s design included forms and shadows painted directly onto the dreamlike sets which were made of canvases and paper. Due to its Expressionist imagery Caligari remains one of the most famous German films from the silent era.

Vincent by Tim Burton

This short black-and-white animation by Tim Burton is unabashedly shot through with German Expressionist style. The classic horror-inspired sequences parody some of the genre's quintessential moments. Any fan of the macabre will find him or herself smiling by the closing credits. Enjoy!