The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari has a great plot which contains both interesting and mysterious features. It portrays reality in a way which you have to question your own reality and have to think of the truth of how we are influenced and portray our current reality. Everyone’s reality and is different and, therefore, could create a different distinction from what they got out of the film and how different or similar the films is to their own reality. This short film has a very chaotic and skewed version of reality but then again it is placed in an asylum which the people themselves have a skewed view. This, at least is how I thought of them initially.
In a way, the scenery is very twisted and makes a very claustrophobic movement area. The jagged blades of grass, the weird stairs, the swirly hallways, and the literal lens which we see through the movie all have signs of terror. The lens on the screen is just a little circle which makes it seem that the film is always consistently focusing in on whatever is happening as opposed to showing the full screen which contains several movements occurring simultaneously. This allows me to see in the mind of a mentally dysfunctional person of their OWN reality and how they perceive reality. But, it is one thing to understand another’s reality and it’s another thing to live in it. I doubt a person in an asylum created this film which means that this movie was influenced by the subjective view of the producer of how mentally ill people view the world. Furthermore, by relaying the movie as a constant skewed world, there is somewhat of normalcy after the film has ended. I become familiar with their reality. The first thing that came to mind was the lighting which is displayed. The bright lights are important because they depict a reality in which too much light is identified with crazy and delusional. Furthermore, when a person sees many bright lights it seems that a certain amount of the light is distorting their own view of reality by not allowing them to see the full picture leaving blank spots in certain areas. This is relatable to me not in a physical sense but more metaphoric. Like any other person, I don’t see the full picture in many situations and don’t understand ideas to their full potential.
The first thing that came to mind was the lighting which is displayed. The bright lights are important because they depict a reality in which too much light is identified with crazy and delusional. Furthermore, when a person sees many bright lights it seems that a certain amount of the light is distorting their own view of reality by not allowing them to see the full picture leaving blank spots in certain areas. This is relatable to me not in a physical sense but more of a metaphorical sense. Like any other person, I don’t see the full picture in many situations and don’t understand ideas to their full potential making me one of these people in a small way.
Sound, in movies, might not have been popular at that time OR maybe it was, but, the fact that there is no sound further depicts the insanity of people who can’t communicate with others and this is especially important in todays world where there is so many types of communication. But, in a sense, this shows that the reality that we live in displays not talking as insanity. I have been influenced by such a view which changes my reality to a whole new view on the “crazy” which aren’t so crazy after all. Additionally, this is somewhat of a horror movie and is displayed as such because of the building up of tension throughout the movie. The movie silence of the lambs displays such silence as being terrorizing, scary, and extremely powerful. The music replaces the silence of communication creates more tension and the fact that there are little headers which are displayed between certain scenes makes human emotion come out.
If I were to create my own film in NYC I would use the color to display the movie to make it more gory and memorable. Furthermore, I would use the NYC skyscrapers and famous monuments as a background in order to familiarize certain viewers with the scenery. Familiarity with something causes a back lash of emotion to come gushing out which will make the film and its scenes connectable to the viewers which is somehing which words dont have the power to do. I would use the docks of the hudson river and darkness in order to portray the murder as well as showinf the breath of a person making it cold and frightening. This would change the reality of the viewer by veiwing New York as a place without any lights even though it is always lit up as well as a place where if a person see the skyscrapers or the river of the area which the films is set in, there will be a negative identification as oppose to the positive portrayal of NY which, to me, is the reality.
I really relate to what you said about familiarity and how it causes “a backlash of emotion.” That is so true. When people read, see, or even hear something that they have experienced, they automatically feel connected to it.
I also like your idea to make New York City dark. Not only is it perfect for a murder-mystery but it also offers a quite interesting contrast to the NYC we all know.
Great work!