Inside Caligari and The Last Laugh essays

Inside Caligari and The Last Laugh essays The films, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and The Last Laugh were very important films. They opened new doors to cinema. They showed the world that films dont have to leave you feeling really good about life and the world we live in. By this I mean that the two films listed above tell the viewers about the power people posses and the misuse of that power. There are different ways to misuse power; the rich take power for granted, and in Caligaris case, well, he madly misuses his status as the head doctor of the asylum. My basic idea for this essay is to show that power is derived from different sources; money, status, attitude, and appearance, however, that power isnt always used for the best purposes. The films use expressionistic devices to support my thesis in ways that compare to and appose one another. In Caligari there were several instances where expressionism was used. The set of Caligari was the first obvious expressionistic device used. The shadows on the set were perfect for the somnambulist Cesare to stalk his unsuspecting victims. He gained control of all of his prey by using the set to blend and then emerge with element of surprise. He had a dark, unrealistic look that fit in with the dark shadows that were sometimes painted onto the set. Cesares victims had nowhere to hide, however, he had everywhere to hide. Basically the set portrayed the atmosphere of the movie; black, warped, and fairly unrealistic. The slanted buildings and the painted backdrops and walkways gave the viewer the initial sense of something wrong in their midst. The Last Laugh didnt try to make the viewer feel awkward, but it did use its set to give the viewer a strong shift in emotion. At the beginning the doorman was on top of the world in his position, but after he was unable to peform his duties, he was demoted to the bathroom attendant. Here the set takes on the unrealistic form. The bathro...