Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler - Ein Bild der Zeit) (Dr. Mabuse, King of Crime) (1922)

91% of critics liked it
(11 reviews)
89% of users liked it
(2,054 ratings)

Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler is the eight-reel version of Fritz Lang's twenty reeler, two-part silent thriller, Dr. Mabuse. Mabuse (Rudolph Klein-Rogge) a sinister mesmerist/psychiatrist, toys with the weaknesses of the rich and influential. He worms his way into the confidence of wealthy men, plays… More Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler is the eight-reel version of Fritz Lang's twenty reeler, two-part silent thriller, Dr. Mabuse. Mabuse (Rudolph Klein-Rogge) a sinister mesmerist/psychiatrist, toys with the weaknesses of the rich and influential. He worms his way into the confidence of wealthy men, plays cards with them, hypnotizes them into cheating at their businesses, then puts them in a position to be blackmailed so that he can corner the stock market. A devilishly ingenious plan-but Mabuse is up against the plodding, methodical police detective Wrenk, whose subconscious is not so easily swayed...at least, not at first. In 1932, Lang directed a talkie sequel to Dr. Mabuse the Gambler, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 4 hr. 2 min.
Directed By: Fritz Lang
Written By: Fritz Lang, Jacques François, Norbert Jacques
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1922 Wide
On DVD: Aug 28, 2001

Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Plays like the stream of a not very pleasant consciousness.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Though disjointed and poorly paced and the plot makes little sense, there are inspirational moments throughout.
Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com
One of the silent era's best and most exciting epics, the hyper-modern Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler has scarcely aged a day in nearly ninety years.
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television
Uneven but sometimes outstanding film.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Straightforward enough -- but also unique enough -- to provide an excellent primer to Lang's early work.
Keith Uhlich, Slant Magazine
"Tsi-Nan-Fu!" Go forth and do the bidding I have coded in this review.
Keith Uhlich, Slant Magazine
This Mabuse has only pretensions to myth; he's as mortal as they come and Lang's film slowly (very slowly) leads him down a Fibonacci-spiraled path to the one true salvation--insanity.
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
In Europe Mabuse is as familiar an icon of horror as Count Dracula or Frankenstein's Monster. It began here, with Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler ('...the Gambler').
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
[Image Entertainment DVD's] enjoyable scene-specific commentary by Lang expert David Kalat ... does what a commentary is supposed to do: it provides depth and understanding in an entertaining fashion.
, Time Out
Lang's introduction to Mabuse is typical of his early work in being disorganised and erratically paced as a narrative, but shot through with flashes of inspiration.
, Film4
This is wonderfully exuberant cinema, delighting in the possibilities of the art form.

Read all 11 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Pierluigi P

An ambitious tale that blends crime, mystery and horror. Starring an arch villain who lays in the same snake pit with the likes of Fu Manchu, Svengali, professor Moriarty, Fantomas and dear old Dr. Caligari. despite its excessive duration, it delivers a superb interpretation by Rudolf… More
An ambitious tale that blends crime, mystery and horror. Starring an arch villain who lays in the same snake pit with the likes of Fu Manchu, Svengali, professor Moriarty, Fantomas and dear old Dr. Caligari. despite its excessive duration, it delivers a superb interpretation by Rudolf Klein-Rogge and the visual power of Fritz Lang, master in the creation of unnerving and nightmarish atmospheres to accentuate the twisted psyche of this peculiar and mephistophelian character.
Arash X

It's a four hour long silent film but it didn't bore me not even for a second thanks to the great story & Lang's masterful direction, One of the best & most entertaining silent films I've ever seen
Stella D

a great silent crime epic from 1922, the original tale of dr. mabuse, brilliant psychoanalyst and criminal mastermind who uses mind control on his victims. this was highly entertaining despite being over 4 hours long. mabuse is the heir of caligari and fantomas and some say he… More
a great silent crime epic from 1922, the original tale of dr. mabuse, brilliant psychoanalyst and criminal mastermind who uses mind control on his victims. this was highly entertaining despite being over 4 hours long. mabuse is the heir of caligari and fantomas and some say he prefigured hitler with his megalomaniacal aims. a master of disguise, he certainly inspired the bond villains. wonderful underworld atmosphere, cool effects and some nice expressionistic touches tho overall it's more realistic than many early german films. the showdown is straight up american gangster. if ur not into a 4 hour silent film, try the sequel, the testament of dr. mabuse, 1932, also well worth a watch.
Eric B

Fritz Lang's "Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler" is so full of action and suspense that you may forget that it's a silent while watching. And sure, its length is intimidating (about four hours, in two parts), but it's really no chore to sit through if you spread your… More
Fritz Lang's "Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler" is so full of action and suspense that you may forget that it's a silent while watching. And sure, its length is intimidating (about four hours, in two parts), but it's really no chore to sit through if you spread your viewing across two nights. The film's familiar "supervillain" plot is still a fixture of Hollywood cinema. Dr. Mabuse (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) is a psychoanalyst whose mystical powers of mesmerism allow him to control people. This makes him a terror at baccarat, where his glaring eyes compel opponents to make losing choices. He is also a master of disguise (the film's most reliable source of fun), and thus pulls off all sorts of devilish tricks without anyone realizing they're the work of a single person. His crimes are not limited to gambling, and eventually span counterfeiting, rioting, commodities fraud and murder. However, a crafty state attorney named Von Wenk (Bernard Goetzke) finally notices the pattern, and becomes the first authority to pose a serious threat to Mabuse's underworld reign. The battle of wits between these formidable adversaries is the story's core. The film's daunting length is mostly due to all the extended caper sequences. The first two schemes alone span the opening 40 minutes. Subplots with two alluring women -- an exotic dancer who's an accomplice to Mabuse, and a countess who ducks Mabuse's romantic advances and helps out Von Wenk -- also chew up plenty of time. The fate of the countess's vulnerable husband becomes another important element, depicted in detail. Where "Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler" falls short of other Lang classics is its visual imagery. Outside of one secret casino (a performance stage can lower over a retractable dealer's table at a moment's notice), the dazzling sets of films like "Metropolis" and "Die Nibelungen" are in short supply. There are a few notable effects and props -- hypnotic words superimposed over the action, a shot of Mabuse's "floating" head, a couple of laughably phallic costumes from a burlesque show, one multi-image segment with avenging ghosts -- but most scenes take place in everyday room interiors. Still, Klein-Rogge's bulging eyes are practically a special effect on their own.
Hal M

A must-see for students of early film history. Absorbing characters, plenty of action, and marvelous German Expressionist sets. Director Fritz Lang's shot composition should be studied by today's careless, unsteady MTV-schooled filmmakers! As you watch it on your DVD… More
A must-see for students of early film history. Absorbing characters, plenty of action, and marvelous German Expressionist sets. Director Fritz Lang's shot composition should be studied by today's careless, unsteady MTV-schooled filmmakers! As you watch it on your DVD player freeze the frame every so often--you could make a hundred fine still photographs from these. My chief knock against the DVD version is the music score (recorded in recent years). Monotonous, harsh, largely unrelated to the screen action. If you ever want to lock your enemies in your cellar and drive them nuts, play them this soundtrack on an endless loop...
Brandon K

I would never, ever, ever, ever, ever watch this again and the fact that I made it through it to begin with is an act of God, but everything from the effects to the intricate plot is extremely impressive.