THE

CABINET OF
DR.CALIGARI
: Popular culture
 Popular
Culture
• The Cabinet of Dr Caligari has influenced a lot of popular films and culture that was
enjoyed then and now. But we’re going to focus more on the effects it had on the
perception of science (mad scientist trope) and its influence on the films created by Tim
Burton, as its quite evident that Robert Wiene’s work inspired Burton.
 Tim • Burton is a popular director who’s influenced the modern
gothic horror and animation genres by creating films such as

Burton’s
Edward Scissor hands, Sweeney Todd, Vincent, Nightmare
Before Christmas etc.

Films
• But a lot of these influential films were inspired by Caligari.
Rick Heinrich, a production designer for some of Burtons
films like Nightmare Before Christmas, admitted in the book
‘Tim Burton-by Jim smith and J Clive Matthews’, that “some
of the designs are reminiscent of the of the old German
Expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and Nosferatu
which have a strong, graphic two-dimensional look within a
three-dimensional environment. That’s something Tim and I
have always liked to play with in the films we’ve done
together.” (Smith and Matthews, 2002:202)
 Sweeney • “The main character in Sweeney Todd and the character of
Edward Scissorhands bare a close resemblance to the

Todd
character of Cesare from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. They all
have pale faces contrasted by black hair that are unruly
and out of place, dark shadows around all of their eyes, and
also the obvious lack of joy in their faces.” (OSS, 2016)
• The exaggerated makeup and expressions come from
German Expressionist films, thus showing how Burton’s films
are a link between modern popular culture and the German
culture of the 1920’s.

Fig 1, 2016 Fig 2, 2016 • Sweeney’s nature is similar to that of Franzis. He is a morally
grey main character. Both characters lose the people they
care for to murder that causes them to either kill (like Todd)
or get involved in a murder case (Franzis). They think that
their actions are justified but from a wider perspective they
are deemed as insane by other members in both worlds, but
Fig 3, 2016 seen as morally grey by todays standards.
 Nightmare • Much like The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, the landscape and
architecture of Nightmare Before Christmas is quite

Before warped and angular, thus mimicking Franzis’

nightmarish flashbacks. This also helps set the tone for

Christmas the world that Jack Skellington is in.

• What’s also quite interesting is how in both films, the
characters have been reduced to dark silhouettes that
are situated in front of a luminous object or landscape.
• Its even mentioned in the book ‘Tim Burton’s
Nightmare Before Christmas (The Film, The Art, The
Vision)’ that “the buildings, backgrounds and trappings
of Nightmare’s world show influences as diverse as
Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1919).”
Fig 4, 2016 Fig 5, 2010 (Thompson, F, 1994:103)
Conclusion • Overall, The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari has had quite a large
effect on popular culture today. A lot of Burton’s work
is inspired by this film but that’s just a small portion the
wider pop cultural effect this film has had. Apart from
environment design, Burton’s characters are influenced
by the characters in The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari.
 Harvard
• Fig 1, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari: Cesare, Fig 2, Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
and Fig 3, Edward ScissorHands (2016)

https://oss.adm.ntu.edu.sg/janl0001/category/2016-df2009/

Illustration Accessed 20th September 2018

• Fig 4 (The Cabinet of Dr Caligary: Cesare rooftop) (2016)

List https://oss.adm.ntu.edu.sg/janl0001/category/2016-df2009/

Accessed 20th September 2018

• Fig 5 Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas (2010)

https://www.parkablogs.com/es/content/book-review-tim-burtons-nightmare-christmas-film-
art-vision

Accessed 20th September 2018

 Harvard
• Smith, J and Clive Matthews, J (2002). Tim Burton. London : Virgin Books LTD. 202.

• N/A. (2012). German Expressionism in Tim Burton's Films. Available:

https://oss.adm.ntu.edu.sg/janl0001/tag/the-nightmare-before-christmas/. Last accessed

Bibliography •
20th September 2018.

Thompson, F (1994). The Film, The Art, The Vision: Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas .
London : BOXTREE LIMITED. 103.