Os Mil Olhos do Dr. Mabuse

You don't necessarily need to have seen Lang's earlier Mabuse films to be able to love this one. Like in his silent spy film 'Spione', Lang creates everything that would go on to be a genre cliche - but they all had to be original once. Here we have the stolen prototype weapon - a gun that fires needle shaped bullets that travel through glass and leave very little trace of assassination; and then there's the villain's car, with its revolving number-plates. Lang was certainly a few quick steps ahead of the makers of the Bond films, and certainly on a level with Hitchcock, Powell et al when it came to commenting on voyeurism.

The plot's labyrinthine, of course, but it rattles along at such a pace and with such striking visuals that you hardly have time or the inclination to stop and worry - and it all comes clear at the end, with one or two fantastic revelations in addition to the few you expect.

If one part doesn't quite please as much as you like, it's the context it fails to reference properly. Made at such a crucial time in History by a man who had seen so much, one only wishes it had more commentary to make. Lang's career swung like a pendulum between social commentary and serial escapades - if only he'd been able to pull the two together for his final film.

What a swan song this is! Wild and wooly fun from Fritz Lang. Dr Mabuse is running his criminal empire from the Hotel Luxor. His henchmen never see his face as they receive their orders via radio.Without giving too much away his plans involve the takeover of a rich man's empire and general blackmail and murder.Gert Frobe plays the inspector out to nab Mabuse before Mabuse kills him.Funniest scene takes place in the Inspector's office when everybody starts to fall before a bomb goes off! After watching 5 Mabuse movies in a row this is easily the best.It is available from Sinister Cinema.

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.

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.

This is a great little whodunit and an excellent start to the revival of Fritz Lang's great Dr. Mabuse series. It is very reminiscent of the earlier films in the twenties and thirties, particularly Le Testament Du Dr. Mabuse, from which Lang lifts and modernizes many situations.

I said don't read the credits in the title to this review because guessing who is actually the mastermind Mabuse is half of the fun...there are a lot of red herrings that don't play out until the last fifteen minutes of the movie.

This was the first movie in the new Mabuse series and I would recommend anyone delving into the world of Dr. Mabuse use this as a starting point (especially if none of the silents or early talkies are available in your area).