Plot:
In a seemingly tranquil park, Francis sits on a bench alongside an elderly man, expressing his distress over being driven away from his family and home by supernatural forces. As a disoriented woman passes by, Francis introduces her as his "fiancée" Jane and explains that they have endured a harrowing ordeal. The majority of the film unfolds through Francis' flashback, set in Holstenwall, a gloomy village with twisted buildings and winding streets.
Francis and his friend Alan, who both have affections for Jane, plan to attend the town fair. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure named Dr. Caligari seeks permission from the impolite town clerk to present a spectacle at the fair featuring Cesare, a sleepwalker. Despite the clerk's mockery and insults, Caligari eventually receives approval. That night, the clerk is found murdered in his bed.
The following morning, Francis and Alan visit Caligari's sideshow attraction, where Cesare, who appears to be asleep, is revealed from a coffin-like box. Upon Caligari's command, Cesare awakens and responds to questions from the audience. Despite Francis' objections, Alan asks Cesare, "How long will I live?" To Alan's horror, Cesare answers, "The time is short. You will die at dawn!" Later that night, an intruder breaks into Alan's home and fatally stabs him in his bed. Grief-stricken, Francis, Jane, and her father, Dr. Olsen, join forces to investigate Alan's murder. With police authorization, they probe into the mysteries surrounding Cesare. During that same night, the police apprehend a criminal with a knife who is caught attempting to murder an elderly woman. When questioned by Francis and Dr. Olsen, the criminal confesses to the elderly woman's attack but denies involvement in the two previous deaths, claiming he took advantage of the situation to divert suspicion from himself.
In the dark hours, Francis secretly spies on Caligari and observes what appears to be Cesare sleeping in his box. However, the real Cesare sneaks into Jane's home while she sleeps. He raises a knife, seemingly intending to harm her, but instead abducts her after a struggle, dragging her out through the window onto the streets. Pursued by an enraged mob, Cesare eventually releases Jane and flees before collapsing and dying. Francis confirms that the confessed criminal responsible for the attack on the elderly woman remains locked up and could not have been Jane's assailant. Francis and the police investigate Caligari's sideshow, discovering that the "Cesare" in the box is actually a lifeless dummy. In the ensuing chaos, Caligari escapes, and Francis gives chase, witnessing Caligari entering an insane asylum.
Driven by curiosity, Francis delves deeper into the matter and is astounded to discover that Caligari is the director of the asylum. With assistance from the asylum staff, Francis examines the director's records and diary while the director is sleeping. The writings reveal the director's obsession with the story of an 18th-century mystic named Caligari, who employed a sleepwalker named Cesare to commit murders in northern Italian towns. The present-day director, in his quest to comprehend the past Caligari, conducts experiments on a sleepwalker admitted to the asylum, transforming him into his own version of Cesare. Filled with madness, the director exclaims, "I must become Caligari!" Francis and the doctors summon the police to Caligari's office, where they present Cesare's lifeless body. In a violent outburst, Caligari attacks one of the staff members. He is subdued, restrained in a straitjacket, and becomes an inmate in his own asylum.
Directed by: Robert Wiene
Written by: Carl Mayer, Hans Janowitz
Starring: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Fehér, Lil Dagover
Hans Heinz v. Twardowski, Rudolf Lettinger
Cinematography: Willy Hameister
Production company: Decla-Film (later known as Decla-Bioscop AG)
Release date: 26 February 1920 (Germany)
Running time: 74 minutes
Country: Germany
Languages: Silent film, German intertitles
