First and foremost, the story was great. It kept me guessing the whole way through, and provided a new twist at every turn. Just when it seemed that the plot was resolved, the movie took a whole new turn that threw everything out of balance. If it truly is the first twist-ending ever, it certainly set the standard for twist-endings in films.
Second, the setting was spectacular. At first, I thought it just looked stupid. The doors were weird and slanted, and the decor of many of the places in Holstenwall were just overall strange. But once it was revealed- Spoiler Alert!- that it was all a dream, it made much more sense. From an artistic viewpoint, the bizarre backdrop reinforced just how insane Francis truly was, and added to the eccentricity of the whole story.
Finally, I really liked what Weine did with limited camera movement, especially when the scenery in the shot was the fair. By keeping the moving carousel in the background, the monkey in the forefront, and people walking through rather than just standing around and filling the scene, Weine really generated the sense of a fun-filled fair. As well, when the murderer visits Alan in the night, the use of shadow to portray the murder really contributed to the sense of mystery.
All in all, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was very enjoyable and fairly riveting. I can only imagine how the movie would turn out if made in modern times, with the technology available today.
