Starts off really well and ends ok, but the middle of the film is a total drag. Serious pacing problems bring this down by about 5 tiers. Veidt was suitably anguished and expressive in the lead role but a few of the other characters were lacklustre. Good cinematography and music fitting with the period and genre. Could have been a great film if not for the terribly boring middle section.

Hm...that was a major case of histronics (with lots and lots of silent-movie eyes). Starts out tremendously; unlike the 1935 remake, they get right to the train wreck. But the middle portion drags and droops (they definitely could've excised a half-hour or so in there somewhere). Very good score btw by Paul Mercer (for the DVD version).

the ending wrapped it up to my satisfaction and veidt was pretty decent, but this movie kind of blew.

Wiene perfectly nails the creepy atmosphere in this film that transitions from expressionism to a more realistic style. Big, sparsely furnished rooms where the corners fade into the shadows, and Conrad Veidt's hands contorted into strange and menacing positions. But the pacing is like molasses, with just about everything taking twice as long as it needs to. Personally, I don't think Caligari is all that great either, but its tighter construction makes it more enjoyable than this.

A few really excellent sets, great acting (especially from an electrifying Veidt) and use of "the gaze" (eyes to die for, eyes worth killing for!) and a chilling atmosphere, where every explanation seems possible and nothing is ruled out. It is - unfortunately - a bit drawn out.