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The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (2 Discs) (Criterion Collection) (Special edition, Restored / Remastered, Dual-layered DVD)
- Starring: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Otto Wernicke, Gustav Diessl
- Director: Fritz Lang
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Description
Fritz Lang directed this sequel to his nearly four-hour Dr. Mabuse silent of 1922 (often shown in two parts, Dr. Mabuse: Der Spieler/The Gambler and Dr. Mabuse: King of Crime). The film opens with Detective Hofmeister (Karl Meixner) spying on the activities of a criminal syndicate. Not realizing he has been seen, Hofmeister is attacked by the thugs and later turns up out of his mind. He is placed in the institution of Professor Baum (Oscar Beregi), who becomes increasingly obsessed with another patient -- the master criminal and hypnotist Dr. Mabuse (Rudolf Klein-Rogge). Baum's assistant, Dr. Kramm (Theodor Loos), connects Mabuse's writings to a series of the syndicate's recent criminal activities, and is murdered for his knowledge by crime lord Hardy (Rudolf Schündler) who takes orders from a hidden Mabuse. Putting all these pieces together is chief investigator Lohmann (Otto Wernicke), whose story plays out simultaneously with that of ex-cop Thomas Kent (Gustav Diessl), a member of the gang who is torn between his need for money and his love for a young woman named Lilli (Wera Liessem). Various clues lead Lohmann to suspect Mabuse's involvement, but when he arrives at the asylum, Baum reveals that Mabuse has died. Meanwhile, Kent's decision to confess to the cops lands himself and Lilli in a room with a hidden bomb. Lohmann traps the gang in a moll's house, leading to a wild shootout. Kent and Lilli escape and race to Lohmann to tell him that Mabuse is behind the crimes. They all race back to the asylum where they discover that Mabuse has taken control of Baum, who sets a monstrous fire at a chemical factory. The mad doctor then leads Lohmann and Kent on a wild car chase back to the asylum where the mystery behind the Baum-Mabuse-Hofmeister connection takes a disturbing turn. Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide
Features
- Genre: Crime & Espionage
- Category: Master Criminal Films, Police Detective Film
- Theme: Demonic Possession
- Release Date: May 18, 2004
- Studio: Criterion
- Lead Actors: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Otto Wernicke, Gustav Diessl, Wera Liessem
- Supporting Actors: Theo Lingen, Oskar Hocker, Klaus Pohl, Rudolf Schundler, Oscar Beregi Sr., Ludwig Stossel, Paul Henckels, Georg John, Karl Meixner, Theodor Loos, Camilla Spira
- Director: Fritz Lang
- Run Time: 2 hr 1 min
- Language: German
- Subtitle Language: English
- Format: DVD
Additional Information
- DPCI: 246-00-6611
- ASIN: B002HX588M
- Catalog #: 11332457
- Item can not be gift wrapped.
Shipping & Policies
- You may return this item to any Target store.Opens in New Window
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- Estimated Ship Dimensions : 7.54 inches length x 5.4 inches width x 0.84 inches height
- Estimated Ship Weight: 0.39 pound.
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Expert Reviews
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse was Fritz Lang's second sound film and a sequel to his enormously successful 1922 silent. Mixing several genres including cop drama, mystery, and horror, Lang created a rare hybrid picture full of striking characters and images. Lensed simultaneously in French and German, Testament details a three-pronged story: one about a crime ring run from behind a curtain by the evil Dr. Mabuse, a second about a guilt-stricken member of Mabuse's gang who has fallen in love, and a third about a determined detective who is stumped by the strange case. Marked by Lang's brilliant camerawork, the film connects the dots with a number of excellent scenes that culminate in one incredible sequence that jumps back and forth between two thrilling escapes: a couple trapped in a room with a ticking time bomb and the criminals stuck in another building with cops outside the door. In another memorable scene, a doctor who has connected Mabuse to the crimes is gunned down in heavy traffic when the killers use their horns to provide a noisy cover. The exciting car chase featured in the film's climax -- led by the evil doctor in his Mercedes -- was one of the first of its kind. Performances are very good across the board, but Otto Wernicke really steals the show as Detective Lohmann, a character Wernicke also played in Lang's 1931 classic M. Rudolf Klein-Rogge is sufficiently creepy in the part of Mabuse (he also played the Mabuse role in Lang's silent Dr. Mabuse), although his performance is limited to a handful of brief scenes and some chilling double-exposure shots in which his spirit steps out of his body to do its evil work. Co-star Rudolf Schündler, who plays the psycho gunman Hardy, later appeared in Dario Argento's Suspiria. Testament was later cut into a 75-minute, dubbed version that was titled The Crimes of Dr. Mabuse. Lang revisited the character of Mabuse in 1960's The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse, which turned out to be his final film. Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide
