The Cabinit Of Dr. Caligari

I was a little unsure of what I would make of a silent German film, as you would expect, however one was pleasantly surprised when I laid eyes on The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari. I had no idea that this was a major influence in the development in German expressionist films, I also had no idea that I love this type of film, and even more of a shocking discovery - I actually enjoy silent films. For some reason I put silent films in a box, hidden far far away in my list of to-do's and to-see's. I had this preconceived idea that they were going to be boring, I would never understand them, yada yada yada. However; having watched some of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton I've discovered that its alright to watch silent black and white movies, and its even more alright to enjoy them.
Dr. Caligari was not only beautiful to watch, it was quirky and visually exciting, and the set design was truly fantastic. Straight away I was thinking of how this looked like an older version of some awesome dreamlike Tim Burton/Edward Scissorhands movie, both of which I adore so very much. I was excited by the way in which the set design influenced so much of the story itself, and having never really payed much attention to setting, I acknowledged straight away that there is more to it than just wallpaper, a backdrop.
The setting reiterated the fact that this was a story being told by a psychopath, who's world was altered and obscured, hence the amazingly shaped doors and windows. (It's a pity the set designer isn't alive now, or my future flats would represent the inside of a mental patients view of our lovely world.)
I enjoyed the ending of Caligari, it left us questioning what on earth we had just watched. Yet, even if the story was absolutely awful, I would still enjoy this quirky silent film. I'm really happy I've watched this movie as I understand now that movies such as Blade Runner, Batman, etc didn't just pop out of no where. They were influenced by these century old relics such as Dr. Caligari, and not 100% unique. This makes me feel slightly better when I sit desperately trying to come up with 'brand new, unique' idea's that have 'NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.' (!!)
In general, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and was inspired at the crazy set design and how it can truly effect a movie and the way in which we inhale it.