This does a fine job of building a sense of mystery, with many puzzle pieces including no few brought out strictly by reference in dialogue. I wold perhaps prefer if the film took more active role in putting those pieces together, for there's a substantial length in the middle where we seem to get goings-on without ready connection to the plot, and 'The 1,000 eye of Dr. Mabuse' saves all its most substantial assemblage for the beginning and the end. The picture feels imbalanced in that regard, and unbothered, which is strange not just on account of the general eventfulness, but also the vibrancy of that mystery and the active plot elements - which also means that the back end feels overfull and rushed by comparison.
All this is unfortunate, for the actual story being told is strong on paper, interesting and compelling. We get calculated machinations worthy of any major spy flick, flavoring of paranormal and pseudoscientific notions, conspiracy, murder, action, manipulation and deceit, and more. It's perhaps regrettable that the antagonist's motivations are so base and stereotypical, but then, that's hardly a matter exclusive to this title. More concerning to me is that the film is so uneven in its dispensation of its narrative, and moreover the connective tissues between beats and scenes aren't as robust and meaningfully engaging as I would hope. Not as much as I would hope - and, not that I've seen them all, but also less than I'm used to in watching the films of Fritz Lang.
The screenplay may be thusly troubled, but in fairness, otherwise this is gratifyingly well made. The cast is solid, and I don't think there's any impugning Lang as director. Any violence and action sequences are done well, definitely including stunts and those effects that are employed. I personally am most impressed with the production design and art direction; the feature is set almost entirely within the confines of a single building, but it feels meaningfully real and large, a sense certainly bolstered by Karl Löb's cinematography and Lang's shot composition. The image quality and sound design are crisp and clear; this looks great all around in terms of the fundamental audiovisual presentation.
Ultimately I like 'The 1,000 eyes of Dr. Mabuse,' but it's not so striking to me as to demand viewership. There's just enough weakness in the writing as to tarnish the overall experience; spreading out the plot development, and perhaps filling in the midsection as such, would have been helpful. Still, whether one is a fan of Lang, of crime thrillers and mysteries specifically, or just of cinema at large, at large this is suitably well done as to deserve a look if you come across it.
All this is unfortunate, for the actual story being told is strong on paper, interesting and compelling. We get calculated machinations worthy of any major spy flick, flavoring of paranormal and pseudoscientific notions, conspiracy, murder, action, manipulation and deceit, and more. It's perhaps regrettable that the antagonist's motivations are so base and stereotypical, but then, that's hardly a matter exclusive to this title. More concerning to me is that the film is so uneven in its dispensation of its narrative, and moreover the connective tissues between beats and scenes aren't as robust and meaningfully engaging as I would hope. Not as much as I would hope - and, not that I've seen them all, but also less than I'm used to in watching the films of Fritz Lang.
The screenplay may be thusly troubled, but in fairness, otherwise this is gratifyingly well made. The cast is solid, and I don't think there's any impugning Lang as director. Any violence and action sequences are done well, definitely including stunts and those effects that are employed. I personally am most impressed with the production design and art direction; the feature is set almost entirely within the confines of a single building, but it feels meaningfully real and large, a sense certainly bolstered by Karl Löb's cinematography and Lang's shot composition. The image quality and sound design are crisp and clear; this looks great all around in terms of the fundamental audiovisual presentation.
Ultimately I like 'The 1,000 eyes of Dr. Mabuse,' but it's not so striking to me as to demand viewership. There's just enough weakness in the writing as to tarnish the overall experience; spreading out the plot development, and perhaps filling in the midsection as such, would have been helpful. Still, whether one is a fan of Lang, of crime thrillers and mysteries specifically, or just of cinema at large, at large this is suitably well done as to deserve a look if you come across it.