Technically impressive, lively ... effective ... but rationally and logically preposterous: impact and effect have been given precedence over coherence and sense of plot ... supernatural events allow the cutting of rational corners! There are also ambiguities and discontinuities ... poorly matched disparate plot lines? ... which are carried through on the vigour of the action but also reflect Fritz Lang’s own ambiguities of intent (political? anti-nazi or not?) and his dubious accounts of dealings with Doctor Goebbels and the regime. The accompanying “documentary essay” is as interesting as the film itself!
A high point of early German cinema. Mabuse controls staff/inmates of an asylum using telepathic mind control, with orders taken from real Nazi speeches! Lang's final German film before the war is a wonderfully feverish stream of distressed imagination.
The film itself on first viewing is a very odd experience. It seems slightly silly or meandering but the excellent commentary underlines the innovative use of sound and visuals. It could even be seen as a sequel to 'M' - one of the undisputed greatest films of the era. Any film fan needs to see this. But watch the commentary afterwards.