Review by All Movie Guide
All Movie Guide
lost interest.
Despite the title, this 1962 puzzler is no relation to the 1919 silent horror classic Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari. The themes of relative insanity and sinister psychiatrists are similar, and a brief sequence appropriates the distorted, angular settings of the German masterwork, but the title choice was surely a marketing decision. It's unfortunate, since viewers who are duped into expecting a remake may find it difficult to judge this surreal thriller on its own terms. The Cabinet of Caligari is a remarkable little film that takes the viewer into the mind of madness, and it's a dark, confining place to be sure. Even after one has sussed out the structure of
Caligari and is privy to the twist ending that turns everything inside out, great pleasure can be taken in analyzing the symbols and clues that make the film such a mansion of mirrors. The cast is slightly mannered and a bit manic, playing just off the edge and encouraging tension. As the abducted Jane,
Glynis Johns is alternately prim and coquettish, and
Dan O'Herlihy brings mystery and menace to Caligari, Jane's kidnapper, tormentor, and, ultimately, her healer. If The Cabinet of Caligari resembles an episode of the sci-fi/mystery/thriller omnibus programs that were popular on television at the time, it's not a surprise. Director Roger Kay had briefly worked on
The Twilight Zone, and screenwriter
Robert Bloch (best known as the author of
Psycho) had penned scripts for
Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Viewers should disregard the exploitative title and settle in with an open mind in order to fully enjoy this weird psychological curio. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide