Dr. Mabuse - The Gambler

Starring:Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Aud Egede Nissen, Gertrude Welcker, Alfred Abel, Bernhard Goetzke, Paul Richter, Robert Forster-Larrinaga, Hans Adalbert Schlettow, Georg John, Charles Puffy, Grete Berger, Julius Falkenstein, Lydia Potechina, Julius E. Herrmann, Adolf Klein, Auguste Prasch-Grevenberg, Max Adalbert, Erich Walter, Hans Sternberg, Anita Berber
Director: Fritz Lang
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

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It's hard to imagine that the razor-sharp Kino DVD of Fritz Lang's first magnum opus fails to capture any of the visual electricity and heady atmosphere experienced by Berlin filmgoers in 1922. The film's historical importance to the crime-film genre and its thematic relevance to the director's later work have never been in dispute, but with only murky, choppy editions to go by, the movie has largely been paid lip service for its legacy rather than appreciated for itself. Now, thanks to this definitive restoration by the Murnau Institute, we can properly see it and experience it.

Dr. Mabuse the Gambler is actually two films in one--or, more precisely, one film in two feature-length parts totaling four-and-a-half hours and conceived to be watched on consecutive evenings. Its title character is a criminal mastermind with the power and the will to orchestrate complex capers, counterfeit national currencies, manipulate the stock market, and hypnotically bend anyone to play a role in his diabolical designs. The hand of Mabuse seems to reach everywhere--for the excellent reason that the Doctor himself, a master of disguise, turns out to be just about anywhere at just the moment his intervention will wreak havoc and wreck lives. (He's played by Rudolf Klein-Rogge, who would repeat the part ten years later in The Testament of Dr. Mabuse and also, in spirit if not in name, in Lang's dazzling 1928 film Spies; he was also the inventor Rotwang in Metropolis--as well as, offscreen, the former husband of Lang's screenwriter wife Thea von Harbou!)

The film's title in German is Doktor Mabuse der Spieler, and our supervillain is really less a gambler (all his games of chance are rigged) than a player: playing multiple roles, but even more importantly, playing with others' lives, playing with the very fabric of modern reality. The subtitles of the two parts are "A Picture of the Time" and "People of the Time"; the film is an artifact of the Weimar era when, as one character remarks, "We are bored and tired ... we need sensations of a very special kind to remain alive." Lang and his art directors, Otto Hunte and Karl Stahl-Urach, create a hallucinatory mise-en-scène in which the decor is at once stark and decadent, a playground for all manner of perverse spectacle and gamesmanship, a maze of corridors and doorways and streets where the modern and the gothic interlayer. This world ripe for Mabusian manipulation prefigured Hitler by a decade--and in one of his last declarations, the Doctor anticipates more contemporary visionaries of chaos: "I feel as a state within a state, with which I have always been at war." Fritz Lang continues to be a chillingly prophetic filmmaker. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler.......2007-06-18

Winning the trust of wealthy businessmen he can manipulate to his own ends, mad mesmerist Dr. Mabuse (Klein-Rogge) employs his psychic abilities to lure millionaire Edgar Hull (Paul Richter) into a fateful card game, prising information he plans to use in order to corner trade on the stock market. But wily police commissioner Von Wrenk (Bernhard Goetzke) is on Mabuse's trail, and is planning to bring an end to the devious doctor's criminal operation.

Newly remastered by Kino video, this crisp DVD creates the electricity and atmosphere experienced by Berlin moviegoers in 1922. Lang's sinister thriller is a vivid, engaging tale of crime and evil (the German director's lifelong preoccupation from "M" to "The Big Heat") that plunges us into a seedy underworld of dingy cabarets and gambling houses in 1920s Berlin. Klein-Rogge is amazing as the malevolent master criminal, a calculating opponent seized with hubris and a penchant for clever disguises. Avoiding all the pitfalls of overly stagy silents, Lang brilliantly handles the (rather explosive) action and livens the pace, creating an atmospheric, fully realized world. Best viewed over two nights owing to its four-hour length, "Mabuse" is an eerily brilliant pinnacle of early cinema.

A major force in Germany 1922 .......2007-03-20

The period after WW1 was for Germany featured by an unbridled vices, sharp depression in many orders, hopeless, desperation, deep despair, hysteria and cynicism. So Dr. Mabuse should be the prototype of his own time, a man who didn't' t believe in love but desire; a gambler, he bets, plays cards, roulette and lives and fates of people simply because there was not reason for not making it. "If God doesn't exist , everything is permitted" , in words of Dostoievsky. Mabuse represents the reincarnation of Faust in a decaying environment, where power is the reason for living and the perfect substitute for happiness. That's why the final is so admirably metaphorical when he escapes via the sewer tunnels.

Lang mirrored with accurate precision and dramatic realism the state of things in which Germany was involved would seem to materialize the foreseen visions of the Expressionism, artistically expressed just two years ago in "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari."

Powerful filmic achievement that simply overpowers all kind of sublime adjectives to describe this prominent landmark in the cinema.

A German silent cinema masterpiece in restored form.......2006-08-08

Fritz Lang's brilliantly directed and designed DR. MABUSE: THE GAMBLER (1922, Germany) is one of the crowning achievements of the German silent cinema from the decade following World War One. And Kino Video in Manhattan has given it a magnificent restoration that runs a full four-and-a-half hours. The print is beautiful, way longer than previous versions on home video, and with an evocatively harsh piano and violin score by Aljoscha Zimmermann and ensemble.

Dr. Mabuse (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) is the archetype of all master criminals in a century of espionage movies, from James Bond to Alfred Hitchcock. He is a master of many disguises and is forever masterminding all means of terrorism in early 1920's Berlin. In this respect, DR. MABUSE: THE GAMBLER is very timely and contemporary.

In a movie that is also a commentary on 1920's Germany living, Mabuse works out of (or frequents) a cabaret with a gambling table that vanishes quickly in case of a police raid, and that offers cocaine for the mere asking. One wonders whether the cast and crew of Bob Fosse's CABARET (1972) saw this movie. Thea von Harbou's adaptation of Norbert Jacques' novel keeps the action moving quickly, despite the mammoth length. Something is always blowing up, and Mabuse is forever in another disguise to elude the police.

Actually, the 270 minute length is an asset because continuity holes have been filled in. We have two separate movies with an intermission for easy two night viewing on home video. (The intermission is at the two-and-a-half hour mark) The cinematography is by Carl Hoffmann, while the wondrous art direction is by Otto Hunte and Carl Stahl-Urach. Other cast members include METROPOLIS' Alfred Abel, Bernardt Goetzke, Aud Egede Nissen, and Paul Richter.

DR. MABUSE: THE GAMBLER is the grandfather of all espionage movies and cannot be recommended highly enough to fans of this genre. In its Kino Video restoration (which actually is a Berlin-Munich-Moscow restoration with Kino as American distributor), the movie is a stupendous achievement even by today's achievements. If you like it, then check out Kino's impeccable restorations of such other Lang silent restorations as DIE NIEBULENGEN (1924), METROPOLIS (1927), and SPIES (1928).
At (800) 562-3330 or Amazon.com, they are the definitive source for Lang silents.

good Fritz Lang film but a horrendous soundtrack - Kino vers.......2006-08-08

This new Kino version of the film has 40 or so more minutes of film, but unfortunatly has a terrible, almost unlistenable soundtrack of some guy plink-plinking away at a few notes on the piano. Which is really a shame. While Die Nibelungen, Metropolis, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, Spies, and Woman on the Moon are better films, this film deserved better than this soundtrack, one is almost forced to recommend the shorter Image version on dvd.

Fritz Lang's TRUE Silent Masterpiece........2006-07-22

Yes METROPOLIS is the movie that everybody knows and while it is a highly influential work of world cinema, for my money Fritz Lang's true masterpiece is DR. MABUSE, THE GAMBLER especially when seen in this new authorized edition from Kino which runs 270 minutes. That's 57 minutes longer than the previous Image release which was the standard bearer up until now. There is so much I could say about this release but I will do my best to try and be concise. All of the elements that make Fritz Lang's movies what they are are on display here. The set design is truly astonishing not only for how it looks but for how it complements the action that is going on in front of it. The cinematography by Carl Hoffmann is fabulous especially when seen in a proper restoration like the one here. The editing is first rate as it highlights the dramatic action and the characters throughout the film. The characters are also fascinating to watch and there are so many of them. In many ways DR MABUSE plays like a silent version of Quentin Tarrentino's PULP FICTION (the source material IS pulp fiction) which leads me to what for me is the real strength of the picture and that is the screenplay by Thea von Harbou. The principal themes of guilt, intimidation and redemption which occur throught Lang's work are fully displayed here for the first time. Although they are often pointed out as the biggest weakness in his pictures I think just the opposite. Von Harbou's screenplays are grounded in silent film storytelling which makes them appear simplistic but like a fairy tale or other allegorical work there is a lot more when you look below the surface. It is rather telling after Lang left her and Germany that the principal themes of her scenarios crop up again and again in his work from LILIOM to SCARLET STREET to HOUSE BY THE RIVER. Rounding out the film are the vivid performances of Rudolf Klein-Rogge (Harbou's ex-husband and Rotwang in METROPOLIS) as Dr Mabuse, Bernhard Goetzke (DESTINY) as von Wenk, Alfred Abel (METROPOLIS) as Count Told and especially Norwegian actress Aud Egede Nissen as the ill-fated Cara Carozza who is the heart and soul of the story. One unintended effect by Lang is that the film is now an incredible time capsule of 1920's Berlin and what the world of CABARET must have been like. Rounding out this double DVD set are background documentaries on the making and meaning of DR. MABUSE including a marvelous part with composer Aljoscha Zimmerman and how he created his new background score which is absolutely perfect. Any lover of movies silent or sound should have this release as an example of a top director at the peak of his powers and as a prime example of how a restoration of a classic film should be done.

Average customer rating:

German Expressionist Masterpiece
Incomplete, lousy score: great film
Very good film but short on chills
For And Against
A timeless classic

Dr. Mabuse - The Gambler
Starring: Rudolf Klein-Rogge , Aud Egede Nissen , Gertrude Welcker , Alfred Abel , and Bernhard Goetzke
Director: Fritz Lang
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

World War I | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Destiny (1921) aka Der müde Tod
M - Criterion Collection (Special Edition)
The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse
Spies

ASIN: B00005M2CC
Release Date: 2001-08-28

Description

Dr. Mabuse--criminal genius, psychologist, hypnotist, counterfeiter, card shark, master of disguise, thief of state secrets and ruler of a sinister empire founded on selfishness, chicanery and murder--gained his first screen incarnation in this monumental film by Fritz Lang, one of cinema's greatest directors. Made in 1922 and subtitled "A Picture of Our Time," "Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler" is indeed a snapshot of a historical moment when Germany was likened to Sodom and Gomorrah. Now, both parts of Fritz Lang's memorable silent film--"Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler" and "Dr. Mabuse, King of Crime"--are now available on one package.

Customer Reviews:

German Expressionist Masterpiece.......2007-01-01

Though pre-dating "Metropolis",Fritz Lang's absolute silent masterpiece and not quite as nightmarish as "Cabinet of Doctor Caligari" or "Nosferatu", "Dr. Mabuse-The Gambler" created a disturbing (and frightfully prophetic) and highly suspenseful masterwork about the criminal genius Dr. Mabuse who manipulates people's minds to carry out his misdeeds. Some of the shots such as where the screen moves to a close up of Doctor Mabuse and the rest of the screen is black were new for their time. On two discs because the film was divided into two parts at the time, my only complaint is the plodding piano score that is too similar to that used for other silent films. Melodramatic yes but "Dr. Mabuse" is less so than most American films of the time. And of course Fritz Lang after fleeing Nazi Germany would continue to churn out classics such as "The Ministry of Fear". Make sure you get this 2 disc version, as other versions are heavily inferior in that the film quality is lacking and they are missing crucial footage.

Incomplete, lousy score: great film.......2005-01-02

I have loved this film since I saw it on a big screen in film school. As a collector and afficionado of both silent and sound film noir, to me, Dr. Mabuse has no equal. Not only was it made in 1922 by the great Fritz Lang from a novel by Norbert Jacques; not only did it presage Hitler's rise and subsequent fall, but it was prescient about the future in a way that Metropolis, another famous Lang film, was not. This was the truth about Germany in the 1920's and Mabuse film scholar(hard to believe there is such a thing, but there you go),David Kalat enhances this two disc set with his insightful, though occasionaly over-analytical, commentary.

My problem with the Image Entertainment DVD is this: the version I saw in film school had a much different and more cohesive score by Konrad Elfers that features one of the most haunting, yet uplifting themes in all silent film music history. Why this score was not used by Image baffles the mind. The new score, while in surround sound, does nothng to highlight the jazz age in the Weimar Republic as does Elfer's magnificent composition. My first VHS copy of the film has this score on part 1 and regardless of the enhanced quality of the image on the DVD, the film is slower and more confusing with the new music and definitely not as much fun to watch. My new DVD also breaks up alot (my other discs do not) so there may be a problem with the DVD itself.

Otherwise, this is still one of Fritz Lang's greatest silent films and the DVD does have Kalat's great commentary which, though a bit stuffy, tells you more about the origins of Dr. Mabuse and the making of the film than you'll ever find out without doing a ton of research. It's interesting to hear that there is another, more complete version available in Europe: too bad we in America are at the mercy of the Region 1 and 2 debacle. Why can't the whole world used the same standard for DVD's so we could all get the benefit of the global marketplace and see the best possible version of the film instead of wasting almost $40 on one we may have to replace next week, if not next year?

Very good film but short on chills.......2004-11-20

I was hoping it'd be scarier. The only times I thought it scary was when Count Told saw images of himself chasing after him. Film gets better on repeat viewings and the commentary is good and informative.

For And Against.......2004-06-18

As of June 2004 you need to wait and think before you buy this DVD. In it's favour it has a fantastic commentary by David Kalat. Against it, it's not a complete version. It WAS the most complete available, but now a region 2 release by Eureka contains the whole film, complete and restored.

A timeless classic.......2003-10-20

I am became interested in this film largely because of its director Fritz Lang. I had always enjoyed Metropolis (I now own the Kino release which is nothing short of breath taking in the quality). I began to read about the evil doctor and I was hooked by the concept of the narrative. So dark and given its timing so right in the context of a Weimar Germany.
I must admit that slient films require the viewer to see the film from a different context as compared to modern cinema. However, if one makes that adjustment the rewards are worth it.

Many of the other reviews do an excellent job of discussing the plot and the like so in the context I will not go into any detail other than to say it may well in total be a 4 hour experience but it DOES NOT feel like it. This is one of my favourite pieces of cinema. I think much of garbage coming out of Hollywood could learn much from a thriller such as this.

David Kalat's narration is fantastic, and so are the other Mabuse films he has reviewed. Like all great teachers you never feel as if you are being educated but being entertained.

Bravo on the DVD and Bravo to David.

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