Investigating the Impact of Experssionist painting on the Film (Dr.Caligari"s Office)

Painting is known as one of the oldest arts and has an important place in the birth and even survival of one of the last humankind arts, cinema. The relationship, similarities and differences between these two arts are not only interesting but also controversial. German expressionism which is known as a style today, has an important role in evolution of artworks and styles. Expressionism is significant in cinema history as well as in painting. Expressionist cinema has had direct and indirect effects on the cinematic genres of horror, crime, and noir. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari by Robert Wiene (1920) is the most famous and important expressionist film which includes all factors of expressionism. It seems that this genre is mainly based on expressionist painting. This study by library sources and descriptive- analytic method tries to survey the impact of expressionist painting on expressionist films and at the same time study the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari in the basis of expressionist factors in painting.