From Caligari To Hitler: German Cinema In The Age Of The Masses

In 1947, Siegfried Kracauer's classic text probed the hypnotic villains of Weimar films to understand the rise of Nazi leaders in relation to German masses. This thesis not only opened important visions on film and society but also helped a war-weary world explain the presence of such evil in an enlightened state. This elegant documentary revisits Kracauer's terrain, weaving together restored prints with music and events from the 1920s. While we may argue with its broadest claims, we shudder anew at the dark threats these classic films convey.