The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
(Das Kabinett des Dr. Caligari)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, made in 1919, probably remains the ultimate expression of narrative through set design; even the exquisitely chiseled face of Conrad Veidt seems cut to reflect the angled shadows and interiors through which he sonambulistically slips, under the control of the evil Caligari. The film's tableaux-like backgrounds emerged from the Der Sturm expressionist group which included painters Röhrig and Reimann and the designer Hermann Warm, all of whom contributed to the design. With roots in fantasy, romanticism, and medieval stories, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is also intensely modern, and like the best science fiction carries a warning for the future. Its chilling tale of mind control and murder was written by two men, Janowitz and Mayer, who shared a hatred for militarism and authoritarianism. A decade before Hitler's rise, the fictional Caligari wrote in his diary, “Now I shall be able to prove whether a sonambulist can be compelled to do things...he would never do himself and would abhor doing--whether it is true that one in a trance can be driven to murder.” A prologue and epilogue attached at the insistence of producer Erich Pommer helped to re-route Janowitz and Mayer's charged political themes into a psychological (and pseudo-scientific) tale of personal madness.
• Directed by Robert Wiene. Produced by Erich Pommer. Written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer. Photographed by Willy Hameister. Set Design by Hermann Warm, Walter Reimann, and Walter Röhrig. With Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher, Lil Dagover. (1919, 77 mins, Silent with English titles, Piano accompaniment by Jon Mirsalis, 35mm, Print from PFA Collection)

A Trip to the Moon
(Le Voyage dans la lune)
“Georges Méliès' most renowned work, and one of the best loved films ever made. All the techniques that Méliès contributed to the advancement of film are brilliantly displayed: camera effects, ‘artificially arranged scenes,' narrative structure, and heightened theatricality. Based on a Jules Verne story, the film is a satiric comedy about the grandiosity of scientists and intellectuals, with Méliès himself playing the principal part. Trip to the Moon was an enormous advance over what other filmmakers of the day were doing. The film's title made audiences, who were accustomed to seeing real life or vaudeville skits on the screen, skeptical at first--since a trip to the moon was impossible, it could not be photographed. Soon, however, Méliès' delightful fantasy became the most widely exhibited, duped, and imitated film in the world.” Tom Schmidt
• Directed and Written by Georges Méliès. Photographed by Lucien Tainguy. Design and effects by Méliès. With Méliès, dancers from the Theatre du Chatelet, and acrobats from the Folies Bérgères. (1902, 11 mins, Silent with piano accompaniment by Jon Mirsalis, Print from PFA Collection)

The Possibility of War in the Air
This rare British silent is an absolutely incredible find, as scientifically innovative as it is cinematically original. An armor-plated car serves as a tank years before tanks were conceived. Aeroplanes are used in warfare with an ingenious use of spatial perception in the aerial battles. Total destruction by aerial bombings is subtly portrayed by a hanging telephone receiver. Decades ahead of its time!
• Directed by Charles Urban. (1910, ca. 10 mins, Silent with piano accompaniment by Jon Mirsalis, Print from W.K.E.)