History YMMV / TheCabinetOfDrCaligari

* OnceOriginalNowCommon: This may not come as a surprise given that the film is not only ''a hundred years old'', but is generally considered the [[TropeCodifier first true horror movie]]. Many of the tropes and aesthetics associated with horror media started with this film, with the most notably being the TwistEnding, which today have become so common in horror movie, to the point that [[Creator/MNightShyamalan some director]] have made it their [[CreatorThumbprint thumbprint]]. With this movie's said ending being [[CaptainObviousReveal a tad easy to figure out if one is paying enough attention]].

** TheReveal that [[spoiler:Francis is an inmate in an insane asylum who made up the entire story of Caligari.]] Not only is it one of the first [[TwistEnding Twist Endings]] in the history of film, but it's also one of the most controversial and talked about aspects of the movie.

** TheReveal that [[spoiler:Francis is an inmate in an insane asylum who made up the entire story of Caligari.]] Not only was it one of the first [[TwistEnding Twist Endings]] in the history of film, but it's also one of the most controversial and talked about aspects of the movie.

** TheReveal that [[spoiler:Francis is an inmate in an insane asylum who made up the entire story of Caligari]]. Not only was it one of the first [[TwistEnding Twist Endings]] in the history of film, but it's also one of the most talked about aspects of the movie.

* OnceOriginalNowCommon: This may not come as a surprise given that the film is not only ''a hundred years old'', but is generally considered the [[TropeCodifier first true horror movie]]. Many of the tropes and aesthetics associated with horror media started with this film, with the most notably being the TwistEnding, which today have become so common in horror movie, to the point that [[MNightShyamalan some director]] have made it their [[CreatorThumbprint thumbprint]]. With this movie's said ending being [[CaptainObviousTwist a tad easy to figure out if one is paying enough attention]].

* CaptainObviousReveal: Francis' story ends in [[spoiler:a mental hospital]], going back to the original setting of him talking to a man in the park, and, as the film is fairly short, you'd probably recall all too easily at this point that the man got Francis to tell his story by telling him about ghosts harassing him, so the twist is incredibly predictable and turns the WhamShot of [[spoiler:the mental hospital and the characters from Francis' story]] into a somewhat underwhelming 'wham'.
* EndingFatigue: We see the TwistEnding. Then we see the asylum. We see all the patients [[spoiler:who appeared in Francis’ story]] and then some. Then it gets inverted: [[spoiler:the head of the asylum declares he can cure Francis]], and the film ends abruptly.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Cesare isn't on screen for very long but he's arguably the most memorable character in the film.

* HypeBacklash: One hundred years happened, and none of the effects that were influential in the film are that influential anymore. See TheUntwist and CaptainObviousReveal.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: One hundred years happened, and none of the effects that were influential in the film are that influential anymore. See TheUntwist and CaptainObviousReveal.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: Nearly ''the entire film'' can fall under this, what with all of the {{bizarrchitecture}} and other surreal visuals.

* CaptainObviousReveal: Francis’ story ends in [[spoiler:a mental hospital]], going back to the original setting of him talking to a man in the park, and, as the film is fairly short, you’d probably recall all too easily at this point that the man got Francis to tell his story by telling him about ghosts harassing him, so the twist is incredibly predictable and turns the WhamShot of [[spoiler:the mental hospital and the characters from Francis’ story]] into a somewhat underwhelming ‘wham’.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: Nearly ''the entire film'' can fall under this.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: Nearly ''the entire film'' can fall under this

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: Nearly''the entire film'' can fall under this

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: ''The entire film'' can fall under this

* What Do You Mean, It Wasn't Made On Drugs?: ''The entire film''

* What Do You Mean, It Wasn't Made On Drugs?:

* What Do You Mean, It Wasn't Made On Drugs?

* TheUntwist: It's obvious that the murders are conducted by Cesare, under Dr. Caligari's orders. [[spoiler:It's actually a RedHerring for the ''real'' twist, that the entire scenario was AllJustADream.]]

* TheUntwist: It's obvious that the murders are conducted by Cesare, under Dr. Caligari's orders. [[spoiler:It's actually a RedHerring for the ''real'' twist, that the entire scenario was AllJustADream.]]
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* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Rather than, [[spoiler:Francis imagining the whole story]], it was all an elaborate [[spoiler:role-play by the Director to try and understand Francis's delusions]]. Similar in vein to Film/ShutterIsland.
** [[spoiler: Why does Francis see Dr. Caligari as the villain? Does he simply hate the doctor for trying to understand his mind, or is the doctor truly cruel to him and Francis's fantasies are a way to cope with the doctors abuse. After all [[BedlamHouse insane asylums]] don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to treating people back in those days.]]

* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: Siegfried Kracauer's influential study, ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_Caligari_to_Hitler From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film]]'', argues that ''Caligari'' is a metaphor for the creeping authoritarianism in post-World War I Germany, and that the "escapist" film genres it influenced, such as horror, science fiction, and crime, cultivated a political apathy that allowed the fascists to seize power. Most critics of the book feel that Kracauer overstated his case.