Picked up an interesting book recently -
From Caligari To Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film
Although some of it has now been discredited (written in 1947) it makes some interesting observations on early German silent cinema - especially of how and why it evolved the way it did. Caligari in particular is a bit of an eye opener. In a nutshell - the two original script writers protested at the framing of their intended movie with extra storyline at beginning and end. The interesting thing is...take away this framing and you get a movie with a completely different slant that focuses on the insanity of tyranny. Quite prophetic considering the rise of Hitler soon after.
Anyway, just thought I'd mention the book for anybody that might be interested
