Il diabolico Dr. Mabuse

Eccentric characters are drawn to the Luxor Hotel where a panicked and paranoid pretty lady (Addams) is attempting to kill herself to be rid of her fears forever. Van Eyck saves her, falls in love, but also under the influence of the nefarious "Dr. Mabuse". He's the old "prophet" who the police go to -- or is he? No, he's the guy pretending to be Dr. Mabuse, using secret cameras hidden around to Luxor to spy on its guests and set up a master plan! -- or is he?

This one may sound cheezy, but it's all in good fun and with tongue in cheeck, and a good final film for Lang.

Fritz Lang's "Die 1000 Augen Des Dr. Mabuse" aka. "The Thousand Eyes Of Dr. Mabuse" of 1960 is, after 27 years, the third movie on the arch-criminal Dr. Mabuse, the first one made after World War 2, and Lang's last movie as a director. Although not brilliant in any of its aspects, this is a very well-acted, highly entertaining and original mystery that maintains its suspense and stays interesting throughout its 100 minutes, as it cleverly bears more than one surprise.

After a reporter is murdered on his way to a TV station in Wiesbaden, Comissioner Kras' (Gert Fröbe) investigations lead him to a local luxury hotel. As the investigations are dragging on without progress, Kras is offered the help of a mysterious blind psychic...

The acting in "The 1,000 Eyes Of Dr Mabuse" is generally very good, especially Gert Fröbe, who would play the arch villain "Goldfinger" in the greatest James Bond movie four years later, delivers a great performance as the rough-and-ready police commissioner Kras. Further great performances come from Wolfgang Preiss, Dawn Addams, and Werner Peters, who plays and obtrusive insurance salesman. The movie remains interesting all the time, as there's one little twist after another, and just when you think that something was predictable, another twist is coming up. One noticeable quality of this movie is that director Lang, who had fled to the United States in the years of Naziism, dares to mention the Nazi times in the movie, which (allthough only mentioned casually once or twice) was more than rare in 1960, a time when popular German movies usually remained as silent as possible about this "unpleasant" subject.

"Die 1000 Augen Des Dr. Mabuse" is not one of Fritz Lang's masterpieces, but it definitely is a highly entertaining and clever mystery, that should not leave anybody bored. Recommended!

The last film that Lang directed, this was to be his triumphant return to Germany after having fled the Nazis in the late 1930's. Unfortunately, it was brutally cut and re-edited when it was released here, so it never gained the popularity and acclaim that it deserved. It's the story of an American businessman in Berlin who is drawn into a secretive world of conspiracies, spies, and murder. Everyone in this movie is lying to him, with the single exception of the police inspector, played by a pre-"Goldfinger" Gert Frobe. But it's also the movie that effectively laid down the basic rules of the modern spy thriller: the handsome and well-dressed leading man who is equally at home with a gun, a girl, or a drink in his hand, the megalomaniacal and shadowy villain with plans for world domination, the gadgetry and surveillance, the hidden lair, etc. Don't be put off by the fact that it's a foreign, black and white movie – this is an exciting story told by a master director who has been unforgivably forgotten.

This is a 16mm print which I acquired in a batch of films. It is very well dubbed in English. I assume the film is available on video. This film reminds me of the serials of the 1930's. Fritz Lang ended his career with this swansong, a return to a theme of his earlier Dr. Mabuse films. The master criminal's henchmen have never seen his face, and get their commands by radio while cruising in a van. Note the scene in the police commissioner's office. Everyone is smoking furiously and the room soon becomes filled with smoke. There is an almost identical scene to this in "M". Overall and very amusing and enjoyable film.

Of course this isn't the most classic or best Fritz Lang movie but it nevertheless is a more than worthy last one by him. It's not that he died shortly afterward (he lived till 1976) but he lost his eye sight and by 1964 he was already nearly blind. It feels right that he ended his directing career with a Dr. Mabuse movie. His previous 2 directed Dr. Mabuse movies, "Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler - Ein Bild der Zeit" and "Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse" are among his best and also best known works. He obviously had some real passion and respect for the character of Dr. Mabuse. Why else would he had made 3 movies involving the character, over the course of 4 decades. The character is of course also a real intriguing ones. He was one of the first real movie villain in the 1922 movie "Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler - Ein Bild der Zeit". A character that manipulates, influences peoples will, all for his own benefits, with the help of hypnotic and supernatural powers.

Just like 7 of the 8 Dr. Mabuse movies made, this movie is shot in atmospheric black & white. Fritz Lang made a few color movies late in his career but for this movie he went back to his beloved black & white. No doubt he did this on intentions to let this movie connect more and better to the previous 2 Dr. Mabuse movie, made before this one. After all, the last Dr. Mabuse made before this one dates back from 1933.

Even though this movie is made 27 years later, it's still a direct sequel to to "Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse". It makes lots of references to the events which occurred in that movie. However if you haven't seen the previous 2 movies, I think you'll also still have a good time watching this movie and understand the events in it.

The visual style and style of film-making is also mostly the same when compared to the 1933 movie. A style Fritz Lang was of course very experienced in, being one of the best directors of the '20's and '30's. Nevertheless the movie is still set in its 'present' day 1960. It makes this a '60's movie in '30's style, which also provides the movie with a few clumsiness's and at times makes this movie feel, sound and look way more outdated. It therefor can be argued if this was the right approach. No doubt it is also part of the reason why this movie isn't as well known and appreciated as the previous two Dr. Mabuse movies from 1933 and 1922.

The cinematography within this movie is especially great and helps to give the movie its own unique atmosphere and old fashioned feeling style.

Gert Fröbe was really excellent in this movie. He proofs himself once more to be one of the best German actors that ever lived. Ir's fun that many actor appearing in this movie also appeared in the later Dr. Mabuse sequels, often in completely different roles, including Gert Fröbe.

It's sort of too bad that the whole movie doesn't have the pace and excitement of the movie its first halve. There is more talking than real thriller or suspense moments in the second part. Still the whole mysterious atmosphere and question; 'Who is Dr. Mabuse?', remains present throughout the entire movie. The movie also ends with a real blast and gets surprisingly action filled toward its ending.

Yet another real recommendable Dr. Mabuse movie!

8/10

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