Mabuse is out this week as a dual format release from masters of cinema, and if youre new to the film then you doubtless want to know why it made such an impact. Kalat aggressively resists a mabuse equals hitler reading of the film, because the morally compromised world it depicts. In 1960, fritz lang returned to germany to make his last film, a much delayed sequel to dr. Mabuse tries to find the solution with clues from gangster thomas kent gustav diessl. Mabuse in mind mabuse im gedachtnis, 1984 film by thomas honickel featuring an interview with actor rudolf schundler hardy in the testament of dr. Criterions doubledisc dvd edition of the testament of dr. The following weapons were used in the film the testament of dr. Baum, director of the asylum where he is being held, to maintain his criminal activities outside and, indeed, on mabuse s death to accept that he is the reincarnation of the mad doctor. Mabuse the gambler silent, 1922 the testament of dr. The world lang had prophesied in dr mabuse, the gambler was coming to pass, and its greatest critic wanted no part of it. With jerry lacy, nathan wilson, kathryn leigh scott, lara parker. The gambler, testament has profound historical significance for students of langs work and german history.
He worms his way into the confidence of wealthy men, plays cards with them, hypnotizes them into cheating at their businesses, then puts them in a. Mabuse 1933 starring rudolf kleinrogge and gustav diessl on dvd and bluray. Mabuse is a fictional character created by norbert jacques in the german novel dr. Mabuse, coming eleven years after the first mabuse movie, almost plays like a compilation of one of those movie serials in which the hero finds himself in a perilous situation every twenty minutes although, of course, langs control over proceedings is far superior. Mabuse, the gambler, mastered from a 2000 restoration conducted by the friedrichwilhelmmurnaustiftung, and using existing camera negatives from the bundesarchivfilmarchiv, berlin, and the. An unimpressive remake of fritz langs 1933 the testament of dr. Mabuse is a 1961 blackandwhite crime film thriller made in west berlin. The gambler is the eightreel version of fritz langs twenty reeler, twopart silent thriller, dr. Otto wernicke, theodor loos, oskar beregi, rudolf kleinrogge. Mabuse, the gambler 1922, a silent fourhour, twopart film. Mabuse that has the mad doctor imprisoned in an insane asylum, hypnotizing rilla to carry out his evil plans. French version of the german movie the testament of dr. Mabuse the gambler, lang sketches out a panoply of.
Locked away in an asylum for a decade and teetering between life and death, the criminal mastermind doctor mabuse rudolf kleinrogge has scribbled his last will and testament. Mabuse lang and harbou show how the insane mabuse uses his hypnotic powers to induce dr. Mabuse, even though he has been imprisoned in a mental asylum for nearly a decade. Fritz lang directed this sequel to his nearly fourhour dr. The world which opens up before our eyes in this film is the world in which we all live. All one really needs to know about 1962s the invisible dr.
Kino lorber repertory is proud to present the authorized version of fritz langs 1922 film dr. Mabuse is a sequel to the financially successful dr. Unwittingly skipped over an entire mabuse film in my eagerness to get to the second one featuring gert frobe as inspector lohmann. With rudolf kleinrogge, otto wernicke, gustav diessl, rudolf schundler. Rudolf kleinrogge stars in a role he later repeated in the testament of dr. Mabuse movies, simply because it was the film that helped trigger langs flight from nazi germany. Mabuse, though, is that it ends with mabuse wolfgang preiss locked up in an insane asylum, which is where we find him at that start of this film, scribbling down the ingenious. Mabuse returns from exile to begin a new reign of terror, and only young inspector carl lohemann stands in his way. Langs last film in germany before he hurriedly left the country the director claimed that he had lately been offered a key position in the nazicontrolled film industry, the testament of dr mabuse aka. Mabuse 1933 and the much later the thousand eyes of dr. The film opens with detective hofmeister karl meixner spying on the activities of a criminal syndicate. Mabuse rudolph kleinrogge a sinister mesmeristpsychiatrist, toys with the weaknesses of the rich and influential.
However it packs a lot of thrills in a short two hours and theres a lot to love here. Mabuse, the gambler is the better of the two movies, but its very long over 3 12 hours with its two acts. Mabuse the gambler, and made famous by three films about the character directed by fritz lang. Created between the great war and world war ii, he became an embodiment of the rising nazi party and the disintegration of germanys weimar republic. Mabuse is an instance of a movie that can truly be called seminal.
Mabuse film series, being the sequel to fritz langs the thousand eyes of dr. Mabuse, the gambler, lang decided to revisit the character in the sound era, with a plot appropriately based on the eeriness of recorded sound. At the end of his film making odyssey, langs last directed film was the thousand eyes of dr. Mabuse was langs last film before he left germany for hollywood. Fu manchu, guy boothbys doctor nikola, fantomas, or svengali, the last. This is the supernatural fantasy about the evil dr. Molded as much by legendary film director fritz lang as by novelist norbert jacques, dr. Mabuse appear to be being put into practice again in the west germany of the. The terror of doctor mabuse letterboxd social film. Lang was at his peak of his powers when he made this film and its so gloriously expressionistic, dreamlike and beautiful. It is no wonder that the film s original press material claimed. Mabuse extends off the edge of the screen to such a degree that it even begins in the middle of a tense action scene, like, as kalat puts it, the middle chapter of an ongoing serial. In feel, though, it is closer to michael curtizs early warners horror films, like mystery of the wax museum or doctor x, crossed with a glib episode of the avengers and the inventive energy of hammer studios at their best. Part of a series of movies, this is another tale of the wicked dr.
Mabuse was banned by the nazis and had to have its premiere in vienna. Not realizing he has been seen, hofmeister is attacked by the thugs and later turns up out of his mind. With this in mind, i think it would be interesting to consider the movies dr. A film about the dastardly doings of norbert jacquess title villian, directed by fritz lang. It was a west germanfrenchitalian international coproduction directed by harald reinl that was the second of the 1960s ccc films dr. After a series of clever films noir for rko, the legendary director returned to west germany to make only three more films. Its realworld implications are transportable, as well. Not realizing he has been seen, hofmeister is attacked by the. A film which works on many levels as a detective story, a supernatural thriller, expressionist art, and lastly, as an ominous. Mabuse whose plans to dominate the world this time involve sending his drones to attack a nuclear power plant. When the documents nefarious writings start leading to terrifying parallels in reality, its up to berlins star detective, inspector lohmann otto. Fritz langs use of sound in m and the testament of dr mabuse, with michael wood duration.
Mabuse 1933, fritz langs followup to m 1931 and his last film made in germany until his return in the 1950s, is a particularly rich example of how lang uses popular genresin this case a blend of suspense thriller, science fiction and police proceduralas a starting point for making thematically complex artistic. Mabuse, the gambler, mastered from a 2000 restoration conducted by the friedrichwilhelmmurnaustiftung, and using existing camera negatives from the bundesarchivfilmarchiv, berlin, and the filmmuseum in stadtmuseum. Mabuse dashiell barnes 20121015 lang returns to the character that launched his career in what was his last film in germany for over 25 years. Mabuse fritz lang germany, 1933 locked away in an asylum for a decade and teetering between life and death, the criminal mastermind doctor mabuse rudolf kleinrogge has scribbled his last will and testament. Mabuse, the gambler, lang decided to revisit the character in the sound era, with a plot appropriately based on the eeriness of recorded sound in the film, it is ten years or so since the criminal empire of diabolical. Mabuse comparison between the 1933 german version, the french version, and the crimes of dr. Released 5 december 1933 in vienna, a french version 95 minutes was shot simultaneously with the same technical crew and released april 1933 in paris. Release dates 3 also known as aka 10 release dates france 21 april 1933 paris usa 19 march 1943. A new crime wave grips the city and all clues seem to lead to the nefarious dr. A sequel to his enormously successful silent film dr.
Several decades later, a whole slew of lowbudget german films were made with the characters name featuring as their selling point even good ol jess franco got in on the act with his the revenge of dr. Mabuse, is a 1933 german crimethriller film directed by fritz lang. Mabuse 1933 after a detective is assaulted by thugs and placed in an asylum run by professor baum oscar beregi, he observes the professors preoccupation with another. Mabuse silent of 1922 often shown in two parts, dr. Mabuse appear to be being put into practice again in the west germany of the wirtschaftswunder. The transfer is the first time the film has looked decent on video. Mabuse cast and crew including actors, directors, producers and more. Mabuse the gambler 1922 and features many cast and crew members from langs previous films. Mabuse 1933 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Mabuse, the methods of the long dead diabolical mastermind dr. Reviving the character of mabuse 10 years later in the last will of dr. He worms his way into the confidence of wealthy men, plays cards with them, hypnotizes them into cheating at. Oscar beregi, rudolf kleinrogge, otto wernicke, gustav diessl, vera liessem.
Apr 22, 2014 1962 aka terror of the mad doctor gerte frobe, wolfgang preiss, senta berger. Mabuse 1933 after a detective is assaulted by thugs and placed in an asylum run by professor baum oscar beregi, he observes the. When the documents nefarious writings start leading to terrifying parallels in reality, its up to berlins star detective, inspector lohmann otto wernicke. Mabuse is the second of the directors three films featuring the popular criminal mastermind and hypnotist. Mabuse is a 1933 psychological thriller from famed german director fritz lang m, metropolis, you only live once, the big heat. This is a brand new original story about the doctor not a remake, and weve been blessed with such an amazing cast, including dark shadows stars. Mabuse remains one of the more enigmatic figures in crime fiction and cinema. Both movies were directed simultaneously by fritz lang in germany. Mabuse, the edited and dubbed american version of the film.
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