'But I think I know how to cure him now'
What did the director of the madhouse mean by this?
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MovieChat Forums > Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920) Discussion > 'But I think I know how to cure him now'
Maybe is as simple as they had no idea what he had, he was quiet about it, and then when he finally told the story to the other guy, he said everything, maybe they intentionally let him out of his imprisonment for that, it is also implying that the dr is in fact caligari and he will use him as a sonnambulist or whatever.
shareHe simply understood his delusion now, and thinks that he needed to play along to make him better. What that implies for the future of the director and patient, is left up to our imagination.
To me, it is a confirmation of the depth of his insanity, because the story was totally fictitious. That he fabricated such an intense delusion speaks volumes of how lost the patients are, and that human tragedy is rather sad.
That I understood, but I thought maybe there was something specifiic he meant by it, a specific method or something that would cure him.
But you're probably right, that's left to our imagination.
I thought it was left ambiguous on purpose. It could mean either (A) the director now has a better understanding of the patient's illness and thinks he knows of a treatment that would help, or (B) the director really is Caligari, and the 'treatment' that will 'help' is the director having Cesare kill him so that he'll shut up - forever - about his story.
Honestly, I took it to be the 2nd meaning. Because when you think about it, the first is rather boring. The director saying "oh I think I can help him now" - roll credits....that's a seriously flat ending isn't it? I'm not saying I am right, as I said it's ambiguous on purpose. But the 2nd ending is much jucier than the first. The first would just be "OK so all of that was a delusion and now he'll be better. Yay."
I always found the last line sinister-- it could mean he literally knows how to heal the guy, but it could also mean he's going to kill or otherwise permanently silence him, suggesting he was as evil as the Caligari in the dream segment of the movie. It's a creepy, haunting ending-- I love how it's never fully explained.
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