With Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Otto Wernicke, Oskar Beregi, Sr., Karl Meixner, Rudolf Schündler, Gustav Diessl, Wera Liessem, others.
William Blake called a series of his works his “Prophetic Books.” Lang could have called the Mabuse films something similar, and it would have stuck.
These captures are from a standard-definition edition. I was inspired to put them up after watching the new Eureka!/Masters of Cinema Blu-ray edition of the movie. I’ll have more to say about it in the next Blu-ray Consumer Guide, but I’ll say now it’s just amazing and if you have the gear acquire the title, now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVYBxCNm2YE
I’m being honest when I say that I love David Ehrenstein dropping Dr. Lizardo references at every given opportunity.
The Blu-ray is indeed pretty stunning (among the best high-def transfers I’ve seen this year, maybe the best of the black-and-white division), and rewatching the film the other week was a real “what the hell was I thinking” moment, as I’ll have to confess to not really digging it in the first go some years back. But to think a film this crackling and alive was made very early on in the sound era really puts to shame the too-often-accepted thought that the entire industry was still working out that whole sound thing. Hell, the opening scene alone creates the kind of sonic atmosphere you’re lucky to find in any era.
Gorgeous caps. I’d say this is one of my favorite Lang but beyond fleeting impressions of its atmosphere and striking visuals, I actually retain very little of it and need to see it again. I much preferred it to the silent serial.
Favorite Langs: Die Nibelungen, You Only Live Once and the Babel sequence in Metropolis.
I can’t remember if it was this film or M that was the first German-made Lang film that I saw, but it’s always been one of my favorites, and I also need to watch it again one of these days.
Along with that one, YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE and all of METROPOLIS (I must shamefacedly admit I’ve not yet seen DIE NIBELUNGEN), my list of favorite Lang films would include SPIES, M, FURY, MAN HUNT, SCARLET STREET, and THE BIG HEAT.
I’ve only seen Nibelungen on the anamorphic ally distorted You Tube video and the visuals STILL blew me away. I’ll take that fight with the paper mâché dragon over the endless Lord of the Rings battles any day…
This is very close to the top of my Lang list, if not the absolute top.
Showed to a group of friends a couple years ago and it went over really well.
I’ve owned Nibelungen for a while but I’m ashamed to say I’ve only seen the first part so far. Need to get on that. I’ve plowed through almost every other Lang film with the exception of a couple other early ones.
I really want to see Die Nibelungen and Liliom, but I’ve had no luck so far getting the damn DVDs. Favorite Langs, though, are Spione, M, Cloak and Dagger, Ministry of Fear, While the City Sleeps, House by the River and Fury. But I don’t think he ever made a bad film (or filmed a ill-considered shot).
Are you in the U.S., Shamus?
Kino has an R1 of Liliom; used copies are going for less than $10 on Amazon.
No, I’m not, but I’ll try and source it from someone over there. Thanks for the tip, Lazarus.