Once again, Criterion has proven itself to be unmatched in the world of DVD production. Over the years, they have taken films from almost every imaginable genre and delivered them to film lovers in meticulously packaged sets. This time around, I draw your attention to #231of the Criterion Collection, “The Testament of Dr. Mabuse.” Originally released in 1933,”The Testament of Dr. Mabuse” was director Fritz Lang’s follow-up to his two-part 1922 silent film, “Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler.” Lang is probably best known to film students as the genius behind “M” and “Metropolis.” To be honest, since I make no claim of having an encyclopedic knowledge of films, I was only familiar with those two films. Much to my dismay, I had never heard of the Dr. Mabuse series. But now I have, and you should to. Just to give you a little background, Dr. Mabuse, as he was presented in the 1922 films, was the head of a huge crime organization. It seemed no one could put an end to his reign of terror.

Ultimately he was defeated by his own demons, eventually going mad at the sight of ghosts of those he had murdered. It would seem he would end his career in an insane asylum. Ten years later, Lang saw fit to bring the character back to life… well sort of. In ”The Testament of Dr. Mabuse,” we find the ‘good’ doctor still incarcerated in the asylum, seemingly incommunicado. One day he begins acting out the motion of writing and is given pen and paper. What starts out as gibberish soon becomes legible, and eventually he is churning out page after page of what is to become a manifesto on how to successfully run a crime syndicate.

Fantastic as it is, this in itself wouldn’t be too much of a problem. After all, how could he possibly put any of this information to use when he is locked away? However, when the crimes that describes start to take place, it is up to Inspector Lohmann to find out just how it is happening. This particular part of the plot I found especially interesting because the character of Lohmann (Otto Wernicke) had previously appeared in “M.” He was a great character, and I applauded him as much here as I did as he was chasing the child murdering Franz Beckert (Peter Lorre).

What I find sad about a film like ”The Testament of Dr. Mabuse” is that it will never be seen by as many people as it should. Today’s audiences are so ‘spoiled’ by big special effects, or even just the fact that a film is in color, that most won’t give a film like this a chance. What they don’t realize is that Lang, as a director was way ahead of his time, and his films a lot more modern than they might expect. I love older films for a variety of reasons. I might be impressed by the technical aspects of the film taking into consideration the equipment that was available at the time, for example. But in the case of this particular film, is Lang’s intention of what the film was to symbolize.

Fritz Lang was both Austrian and Jewish, living in a time when the latter was becoming less and less popular. ”The Testament of Dr. Mabuse” was in essence Lang’s attempt to show the direction Germany was heading as the Nazi Party was slowly taking over. I understand that his skill as a filmmaker caught the eye of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels and he was invited to head a new Film Institute that was being formed. Instead of taking up this ‘generous’ offer, Lang wisely fled the country and his film ended up being banned.

”The Testament of Dr. Mabuse” has been available on VHS for some time, but I’ve been told that these versions are nearly unwatchable. Criterion has painstakingly restored the film to its former glory, and personally I was amazed at how terrific the image and sound were considering its age. They did such a good job that I would swear it wasn’t made quite that long ago.

But the other reason I turn to these Criterion sets, is that they often contain some of the most remarkable extra features. There were so many in fact, that Criterion had to make this a 2-disc set just to hold it all. The first disc holds the film itself, with a commentary by David Kalat, who is an expert on the subject of Mabuse. The thought that someone might be an expert on a subject like this might seem a little odd, but I have to say his is one of the best and most entertainingly informative I’ve heard in quite a while. Most commentators have a tendency to be dry, and drone on. Kalat keeps the commentary lively and everything he has to say is nothing less than fascinating.

The second disc holds treasures that will have film fanatics drooling for hours. As I learned more about Lang, I became increasingly interested in some of the choices he made in his career. I was surprised to learn that made a French version of the film, which he shot at the same time as his German version, but with French actors. I’ve heard that this has been done a few times since, but the concept really threw me. What’s great is that this second version is included on the disc, and though it doesn’t look quite as good as the main attraction, is still well worth watching just to try and catch the differences. And if you can’t catch them, there is a feature hosted by Kalat that compares not only the two, but a third dubbed and horribly-edited American version.

Another Mabuse expert, Michael Farin is interviewed about author Norbert Jacques, who created the character. But the two best features involve past interviews with Rudolf Shundler, who played a hit-man in the film and one with Fritz Lang himself. This latter one is quite long, but well worth the time to watch. Beyond these features, you’ll find any number production design materials, posters and stills. And inside the case there is a foldout insert that contains an essay by Tom Gunning, who is a professor at the University of Chicago and author of a book about the films of Fritz Lang. I’d suggest reading it before watching the movie.

Being able to see such a great transfer of ”The Testament of Dr. Mabuse” is a real treat. The film has moments that are truly terrifying and suspenseful, even by today’s standards. If you don’t have an aversion to older Black and White films (and I feel sorry for you if you do), I highly recommend this DVD.

Directed by: Fritz Lang
Starring: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Otto Wernicke
Extras: Audio Commentary by David Kalat, Author of “The Strange Case of Dr. Mabuse”, Complete French-language Version of the Film, “Le Testament du Dr. Mabuse” - Filmed Simultaneously by Lang with French Actors, Excerpts from “For Example Fritz Lang”, 1964 interview with Lang, “Mabuse in Mind” - 1984 Film by Thomas Honickel Featuring an Interview with Actor Rudolf Schundler, Comparison Between the 1932 German Version, the French Version, and “The Crimes of Dr. Mabuse” the Edited and Dubbed 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, Collection of Memorabilia, Press Books, Stills and Posters, New Essay by Tom Gunning, Author of “The Films of Fritz Lang”
Specifications:
Studio: Criterion
Release Date: 5/18/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give The Testament of Dr. Mabuse an A.