Why was ‘The Cabinet of Dr Caligari’s use of Mise En Scene, cinematography and editing so innovative?

The Mise En Scene in the film was made to look quite moody and abstract; for example, the elongated and stretched streets and window panes. Also the jagged and bold lighting in most of the scene.

The cinematography in the film was so innovative because cinematographer, Willy Hameister, used long takes and shots so that the audience know the setting in the scenes, but also close up shots of the characters to see their unsettling reactions.

The editing is another key element that made the film so innovative for its time because it used the technique known as the ‘iris wipe’; where the scene would fade to black, but not before focusing on the key point in the shot (e.g. on one or more characters or an object). Also jump cuts were used in the film to create tension between characters.