How much do you know about German Expressionism, the artistic movement that reached its peak in 1920s Berlin? You may know more than you think you do if you’re a fan of movies made by the likes of Ridley Scott (Bladerunner) or Tim Burton (Batman Returns, Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd, et al). David Lynch’s films also reflect German Expressionistic traits of strongly-presented symbolism and deliberate use of surrealism in stories meant to appeal to the intellectual. Direct Expressionism in film was a trend that lasted only a short time before losing its popular appeal, but elements of Expressionism remained popular with filmmakers in the 30s and 40s and very strongly influenced two developing film genres: film noir and horror.

The earliest and most acclaimed film of German Expressionism is The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, screening Thursday, October 30, at SIFF Cinema as part of its “Dark Nights” series. This film is one of the earliest to tell a story in “flashback” mode and it’s interesting to see how the technique has been developed in the years since then, both for better and for worse. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari tells the story of the title character and his faithful companion, the eternally sleeping walking Cesare carnival performers with a sinister connection to a string of murders in a German mountain village. Even nearly nine decades from its original release date, the story is suspenseful and startling in its moments of surprise.

The screening begins with a talk by German composer Gunter Buchwald about German silent film history. Buchwald will then provide an improvised piano and violent soundtrack for The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and return after the film for a post-film discussion.