THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE
Directed & Produced by: Fritz Lang.
Written by: Fritz Lang & Thea von Harbou.
Director of Photography: Fritz Arno Wagner & Karl Vass.
Edited by: Lothar Wolff & Conrad von Molo.
Music by: Hans Erdmann.
Released by: Criterion Collection.
Language: German.
Country of Origin: Germany. 121 min. Not Rated.
With: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Otto Wernicke, Oskar Beregi, Sr., Gustav Diessl & Karl Meixner.

DVD Features: Commentary by David Kalat, author of The Strange Case of Dr. Mabuse. French-language version of the film, Le Testament du Dr. Mabuse, filmed simultaneously by Lang with French actors. Excerpts from For Example Fritz Lang (Zum Beispiel: Fritz Lang), 1964 interview with Lang, directed by Erwin Leiser (Mein Kampf). Mabuse in Mind (Mabuse Im Gedächtnis), 1984 film by Thomas Honickel featuring an interview with actor Rudolf Schündler (Hardy in The Testament of Dr. Mabuse). Comparison between the 1933 German version, the French version, and The Crimes of Dr. Mabuse, the edited and dubbed 1952 American version of the film. Interview with German Mabuse expert Michael Farin about the literary inventor of the series, Norbert Jacques. Rare production design drawings by art director Emil Hasler (M, The Blue Angel). Collection of memorabilia, press books, stills, and posters. Liner notes by Tom Gunning, author of The Films of Fritz Lang: Allegories of Vision and Modernity. New high-definition digital transfer with restored image & sound. New and improved English subtitle translation.

Director Fritz Lang's The Testament of Dr. Mabuse is the centerpiece of a trilogy that seeks to capitalize on the fears of society at its most fragile. If the last chapter, The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (1960) uses the Cold War to prey on a civilization living under the threat of nuclear annihilation, then the rise of Nazism looms in The Testament. Filmed and set in 1932, it is no wonder the film was banned by Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels (for threatening public order and safety). Part Caligari and Nosferatu, Dr. Mabuse is insane, but crafty. He runs his entire organization through the confines of his madhouse cell. His goal is to subjugate humanity through his crime network - causing chaos by instilling fear.

The film is a masterful work. Visually, it is as stunning as both Metropolis and M, and it boasts a tighter narrative than most films of its era. Lang has a talent for creating memorable villains and Dr. Mabuse may be his most complex. Rudolf Klein-Rogge's performance is altogether terrifying in the way he sentences the viewer to a state of cautious bewilderment. And reveling in its pulp fiction origins, the film features several exciting cliffhanging set pieces.

DVD Extras: This DVD package explodes with bonus material. The most interesting feature is the commentary by author David Kalat (The Strange Case of Dr. Mabuse). Kalat proves why he deserves to be considered a Mabuse expert as he dishes out an informative lecture that spans the entire run of the film. Interestingly, he contradicts Lang’s account of his clash with Goebbels, which is recounted in the fascinating and informal Lang interview excerpts. Another nugget lies in the interview with actor Rudolf Schündler, who reveals he played his part of Hardy as a homosexual hit man. (Maybe that explains the carnation in his lapel.) The French version of the film (complete with different cast members) is included, but is only appealing in contrast to the original. Michael Belkewitch
August 5, 2004