One Morning On A Caligari Remake...

I spent the morning writing an impromptu treatment for a remake of The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari. Considering the context and subject matter of the film beyond its visuals, I reworked it into a political thriller that's made in response to our current conservative political climate.

I partly got the idea when recalling a video that mentioned the commodification of German Expressionism (specifically in the context of Tim Burton films), removing the original transgressive political and social themes of films like Caligari. As a fan of the original Caligari, I contemplated how its original message can be recontextualized in a way where people wouldn't immediately think Hot Topic teen fodder. Part of it was also greatly inspired by Piotr Szulkin's War Of The Worlds film, specifically in how he intended to personally develop the original theme to fit the political climate of 1980s Poland while also matching Wells' original intent when writing the novel. Stylistically, the narrative of the Caligari remake I wrote partly takes after the films of John Frankenheimer. I picture it playing out like the fusion of a Frankenheimer film and Rainer Werner Fassbinder's World On A Wire. Very mute with an underlying intensity and unease.