From director Fritz Lang (Metropolis), this silent film was featured in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, and despite it being nearly five hours long I was determined to watch the whole thing. Basically an organisation of criminals led by mad professor Dr. Mabuse (Metropolis's Rudolf Klein-Rogge) are nearing the completion of a big scheme for the big big plan to take over the world, the crook will be able to make huge profits in the stock exchange stealing valuable information. Later the master criminal is also a master of disguise, and turns himself into a stage illusionist, hypnotist and mind reader (imagine an early Derren Brown), and along the way many people are murdered to get his own way. In cahoots with him, passing information about the plan to kill young millionaire Edgar Hull (Paul Richter), is the stage show's main attraction Cara Carozza (Aud Egede Nissen). Obviously the meaning behind the title is that Dr. Mabuse is also a keen gambler, and he tries to psychically manipulate Hull in a card game, which he loses. Soon police investigation into the mysterious crime spree begins, with Commissioner Staatsanwalt Von Welk (Bernhard Goetzke) leading the enquiries, with hardly any leads or accurate information at all, so he needs assistance and sources. In the end, after so many stories within the story, cons, crime and much more Dr. Mabuse is eventually caught in the end and arrested after suffering some kind of breakdown. Also starring Alfred Abel as Graf Told, Gertrude Welcker as Gräfin Dusy Told, Hans Adalbert Schlettow as Georg the Chauffeur and Georg John as Pesch. This is apparently a famous anti-totalitarianism allegory, I would have no idea what that means, I obviously found it too long and complicated at times, crossing to other things going on, and having to read all the dialogue, but there were certainly some memorable visuals, such as the stage show, and ghostly figures walking around, and when I could keep up it was an entertaining enough silent crime thriller. Very good!
Review of Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler
