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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse (1933)

Starring Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Otto Wernicke, Gustav Diessl, Rudolf Schundler, Oskar Hocker
Directed by Fritz Lang
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Despite being imprisoned in an insane asylum, and apparently out of his mind, the criminal genius Dr. Mabuse is still able to devise plans and deliver them to his criminal gang to carry out.

Fritz Lang's follow-up to his silent classic Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler is a less impressive film in my opinion, but still interesting viewing, featuring thrilling sequences including a nighttime car chase from a burning chemical factory, and two people desperately trying to escape from a locked room containing a bomb.  Less time and detail is devoted to the extent of Mabuse's attempts to create terror in the city, as the director focuses more on Mabuse's gang, including a reluctant member who wants to give up his criminal past and start a new life with his beautiful girlfriend.  It's still a worthy effort by a master filmmaker, just not as impactful as the story's first chapter.

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