I'm only sleeping

Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (The cabinet of Dr. Caligari)

(1920)

You'll probably be surprised to learn that I'd never seen this universally acclaimed silent classic. I may watch it again sometime, but it won't be for the psychological insights, which are rudimentary at best, or the acting, which is overdone according to the era's standards.

No, there's just one element of this film that I found stunning--but for that element, "stunning" is inadequate. There is not a single set that doesn't merit intense study, each with its own surreal geometry. I'm sure it's not literally true that there are no parallel lines to be seen anywhere, but they are rare--even doorjambs are rhomboid or triangular--which is impractical carpentry, I expect, but astonishing filmmaking. See this film, if for no other reason, to see it.