Testament of Dr. Mabuse (SE) (Criterion) (DVD)

Locked away in an asylum for a decade and teetering between life and death, the criminal mastermind Dr. Mabuse has scribbled his last will and testament: a manifesto establishing a future empire of crime. When the document's nefarious writings start leading to terrifying parallels in reality, it's up to Berlin's star detective to connect the most fragmented, maddening clues in a case unlike any other. Fritz Lang's film reunites the director with the character that had effectively launched his career, and Lang puts slogans and ideas expounded by the Nazis into the mouth of a madman, warning the audience of an imminent menace, which was soon to become a reality. A landmark of mystery and suspense for countless espionage and noir thrillers to come, this is the complete, uncut original director's version in a stunning new transfer. The two-disc special edition also includes the alternate French-language version of the film and a wealth of other supplemental materials.

Special Features:
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 (Zum Beispiel: Fritz Lang), 1964 interview with Lang, directed by famed German documentarian Erwin Leiser (Mein Kampf); Mabuse in Mind (Mabuse Im Ged„chtnis), 1984 film by Thomas Honickel featuring an interview with actor Rudolf Schndler (Hardy in The Testament of Dr. Mabuse); Comparison between the 1933 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 (M, The Blue Angel); Collection of memorabilia, press books, stills, and posters; Liner notes by Tom Gunning, author of The Films of Fritz Lang: Allegories of Vision and Modernity

Requirements:

• Running Time 121 Min