th the film and society. First of all, the fact that evil can be conditioned is a scary thought indeed. It was this line of thinking that led to the red scare of the 1950s in the United States. We were afraid that the enemy was brainwashing our citizens, but more frightening, re-assimilating them in our society to corrupt others. In fact, mental power is a well-researched issue, particularly in Eastern Europe. The powers of hypnosis and suggestibility were well documented in the early to mid 20th century, and still continue to this very day. The myth of Caligari feeds off this question: can a person be driven to commit murder against his or her will? Fortunately, modern research tells us emphatically "no," but this answer was not so clear during the decades immediately following the production of Caligari . This conflict of normality versus corruption and insanity is a substantial theme throughout the rest of the film, as the line between insanity and sanity becomes blurred. Another important concept is the fact that evil is not total in nature. Cesar demonstrates, as many screen monsters in the future were to duplicate, that being a hideous evil creature may not be what it is cracked up to be. Maybe these outsiders have longings and feelings of their own and are not simply murderous drones. Cesar, therefore, may not be simply a stone-faced puppet, but a tortured soul longing to gain sanctuary. Count Dracula is not just some pent-up old-timer donning a tuxedo and cape who kills just for the thrill of sucking blood, but rather a lonely being who takes others lives in order to sustain his own. Maybe it is okay for these traditional "enemies of society" to take a breather, in order to savor the feelings a free spirit experiences. And since love is considered the most basic and important human emotion, it would be a good enough start....
