'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,' I would say is my favorite of the films we've so far watched in class. But, seeing as we've only seen four and that this is the full-length narrative film, that wouldn't really be saying much.

When a movie makes you think beyond the short amount of time during which you are screening it, it becomes a great movie. Throughout the weekend, I continually found an excuse to talk about the movie and it's wild proportions, crazy make-up and absolutely confusing plot line.

I think one of my favorite observations (well, an observation of someone else in the class that I thought was awesome) was about the film's similarities to the modern work of Tim Burton. Never having really been a huge fan of the Burton, I was forced to look at him in a new light. The fact that he found this movie perhaps just as revoluationary and fascinating as I did forced me to appreciate him again. And, thinking back to the movies of his that I like (e.g., Edward Scissorhands), the similarities are extreme. Johnny Depp, who plays Edward in the movie, bares an extreme likeness to Conrad Veidt's character Cesare in Dr. Caligari. Finding connections between the beginnings of cinema and such modernities as Tim Burton films is what really makes the experience of watching such old movies.

I'm sure I'll be renting a bunch of Tim Burton movies now, just to revel in my newfound knowledge of his inspirations...