The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: Setting Analysis

the setting that i will be analyzing is the scene of the fair, with Holstenwall as a background.

this scene shows the city of Holstenwall looming in the background. this is a very powerful backdrop because we get to know what kind of place Holstenwall is. the buildings and houses within it are all slanting towards the middle, causing it to look like a rocky mountain. all the windows and walls are curved and all the houses have the typical triangular shaped roof. the leaning houses gives the whole city an abstract and mysterious feel. this lets us know that there will be mysterious and special things that will happen there.

the way the fair stalls are set up makes it seem as though they go a long way away, towards the horizon. this gives us the illusion that the fairgrounds are very big and that the fair is a very major event. the blocking done also helps to add to this. the people are directed to be in many different layers and show a large amount of levels. this helps to make it seem as though there are a lot of people at the fair. the main characters are highlighted by having a lot of space around them.

for example Dr. Caligari has a large area around him as he walks towards the camera. despite the area being very crowded he seems to be able to roam freely. thus highlighting his importance within the movie.