NOTE - Dr. Freudine is a fictitious psychiatrist and my alter ego who sometimes helps me to review books, movies and music. Last time she was fascinated by Dr. Mabuse The Gambler in the first part of this review.
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Irish looks slanty-eyed at Leo beside me, but just for a moment before he breaks into an embarrassingly welcoming smile. I wonder how Leo feels as Irish greets me with a possessive kiss and hugs me to him. “So this is your client, darlin’?”

“Irish, you remember him from introducing the Occupation 101 documentary we went to…?”

“Yes, of course! But you look so much younger up close. Well, what a different experience a silent film is. No Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton this Dr. Mabuse!”

“Did you expect comedy?” Leo seems honestly interested, I’ll give him that.

“Oh, yeah, the exaggerated emotions, sped-up like the Keystone Cops. It was a pleasant surprise that Mabuse wasn’t just a comic book villian, but his ominous presence was felt everywhere, in the insane asylum, the women’s prison…”

“Hey, you guys have fun talking, but I’m getting a sandwich,” I mutter and take off. Irish is first to chuckle, but neither follow me. When I return, half of my Avocado-Mushroom Melt attacked, the guys make a seat for me between them while The Testament of Dr. Mabuse begins. This time it’s a talkie, but Rudolf Klein-Rogge is back as Dr. Mabuse ten years later in an insane asylum. Dr. Mabuse The Gambler ended with him being captured by the police and gone crazy; he hasn’t spoken or even been conscious since. One day his doctor notices that his patient is making motions as if to write and, given a pencil and a stack of paper, he eventually scrawls across them his detailed instructions on how to commit crime not only for money, but also to terrorize the public with senseless acts of violence. Then he dies.

Dr. Baum reads them and sees the evil genius in Mabuse. Suddenly there’s a gang recruited to act according to a voice coming from an invisible speaker calling himself Mabuse and an Inspector Lohmann, with some similarities to Sherlock Holmes, tries to uncover who is behind the crimes. We get a more tender love story this time when a recruit changes his mind because his girlfriend turns up to give her love and support. ‘Mabuse’ will not tolerate this betrayal and they must fight for their lives. People are always fighting against their fates in these films and director Fritz Lang shows them only surviving if they give into them.

Irish turns to me and hisses, “Is this weird or what? Mabuse’s ghost is a real presence in this one. He’s becoming Dr. Baum, right? Or is it the other way around?”

“I’ve never heard of words hypnotizing anyone,” I grunt and shush him.

Okay, so the mystery isn’t hard for us to figure out like it is for Lohmann, but it’s so fun watching him put the pieces of the puzzle together and his mind working. It’s suspenseful watching the young lovers fight for their lives against something they can’t control and to see how it’ll end. I'm fascinated with the undying spirit of Mabuse too and how Lang has a circular structure to his films, ending with people imprisoned by their fates just like in the beginning.

“Well!” Leo exclaims softly after The Testament of Dr. Mabuse ends. “That gives proof to the idea that there’s power in a name alone.”

“That's crazy!" Irish scoffs. "If Mabuse wasn’t first a criminal genius and master hypnotist, nobody would’ve cared about him. We didn’t see him psychoanalyze anyone,” he retorts. “I’d like to read the novel that inspired the films. Maybe as a young man he was a decent doctor.”

I nod. “Before the war. Yes, the novel would be very interesting, but the film happened right before Hitler came to power, which gives it more historical value and, of course, entertainment because of the bombings, the car chase at night, murders. The DVD‘s audio commentary would probably be fascinating.”

“It seemed like a film way ahead of its time, though,” Leo adds, “not just a two-hour movie stuck in 1933.” With that we all agree and stand up to leave the theater with the others. Outside it’s becoming darker and Irish offers Leo a ride to his car, but he prefers to walk in the night air. I turn away with Irish, giving a last look at the guy striding away and wondering if I’d ever know why he asked me to the Ritz.

This is another entry in the Good Movie Write-off. See http://www.epinions.com/user-captaind for more info.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD