Lang. Lang is an early master- he gave us the 4th best film of the 1920s and 3rd best of the 1930s- that’s remarkable. I think I looked past Lang initially because he doesn’t have the big third film after Metropolis and M. I’ve concluded, at least for the time being, that the body of the rest of his work (total of 22 archiveable films), particularly his brilliant work in film noir (and the partial bringing about of that entire genre), was enough for this slot and act as a surrogate third masterpiece. Unlike many of the other great silent directors, I think the Lang had a second act and that was a key difference (he has 9 films in the top 100 of their respective decade- which is tied for 9th all-time). You combine that with his two giant masterpieces that should be in anyone’s top 100 (and maybe top 50) and you’ve got the #21 director on my list.
Best film: M. Ideally I’d love to Metropolis again (it’s been 7-8 years) before making this call. M influenced everything from Seven and Fincher and the serial killer film. Metropolis influenced everything from Blade Runner to Inception (which is funny with Nolan here because I see some Dr. Mabuse in Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight.
total archiveable films: 22
top 100 films: 2 (M, Metropolis)
top 500 films: 6 (M, Metropolis, Mabuse: The Gambler, The Big Heat, Scarlet Street, Destiny)
top 100 films of the decade: 9 (Metropolis, Mabuse: The Gambler, Destiny, Spies, M, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, You Only Live Once, Scarlet Street, The Big Heat)
most overrated: The Tiger of Eschnapur. Lang has a couple of these late West German financed films towards the end of his career. I’ve only seen them once but I’m not high on them- especially to be at #676 all-time.
most underrated : Scarlet Street is #485 film and it can’t crack the TSPDT top 1000 somehow. It’s definitely a remake bias. This is Renoir’s La Chienne from 1931 and no this isn’t quite as good but still– Lang’s take is unique and quite spectacular. Kind of an eerie obsession/noir 40’s film with a great performance by Edward G. Robinson. Really dark depressing film. Reunites 3 principals from Women in the Window the year before. Might be Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea’s best and probably pretty close for Edward G. Robinson as well- he’s superb. It’s a magnificent masculinity study (reminded me of Blue Angel from von Sternberg)- Edward G. is verbally castrated, made to wear an apron – he does the dishes like 3-4 times in a short film here .It really shows Edward g’s range—he was Little Caesar in 1930 and then can turn around and be the softest of the soft here. Dark and painful to watch- so degrading. Streetlamp lighting is certainly a reoccurring visual- as are the window shots. The voices Edward G hears towards the end of the film are powerful- but it’s not really built up enough- that might be keeping this from a masterpiece
gem I want to spotlight: Destiny is my #486 and isn’t on the TSPDT top 1000 either so I could have easily been “most underrated”, too. It’s a mesmerizing film. Not his debut (8th film according to IMDB) but my first in the archives for Lang. Quite an epic with the story in 3 parts clearly influenced by Griffith’s Intolerance (Mideast story line, Spanish story line and Chinese story line). Post Great War pessimism “a ravaged town”. Early Lang really loves his chapter breaks like the Mabuse films- works here really well with the 3 part story. Incredible mise-en-scene work- standouts include some of the shots with 10+ large candle and some of the lighting walking up to death’s house on the stairs. Early portrayal of death- which of course is done most famously by Bergman in The Seventh Seal (1957). Love vs death clear story/narrative. The film, special effects (on display in Chinese narrative especially with magician story line) and mostly the mise-en-scene size, grandeur and detail is really a brilliant foreshadowing of the work in Metropolis to come later in 1927.
stylistic innovations/traits: If Eisenstein was known for editing and the montage and Murnau was known for moving the camera then Lang was known for his startling imagery: dark and expressionistic- a master of mise-en-scene. He’s influenced by Caligari (so was Murnau) and Murnau did more than just move the camera (he’s the guy who did Nosferatu after all) Dark films- both German expressionism and film noir—two crucial film movements. It was consistent in both stretches of his career. It’s no mistake that he was known for dark films and his early films in Hollywood are often cited as tea leaves leading to film noir (literally translating to “dark or “black” I think”). Sections of his films, Testament of Dr. Mabuse opening as an example, show a gorgeously cluttered mise-en-scene like von Sternberg. Lang also does paranoia through atmosphere so well—perhaps only Polanki and Pakula could match.
top 10
- M
- Metropolis
- Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler
- The Big Heat
- Scarlet Street
- Destiny
- The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
- You Only Live Once
- Spies
- The Woman in the Window
By year and grades
| 1921- Destiny | HR/MS |
| 1922- Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler | MS |
| 1927- Metropolis | MP |
| 1928- Spies | R |
| 1931- M | MP |
| 1933- The Testament of Dr. Mabuse | HR |
| 1936- Fury | R |
| 1937- You Only Live Once | HR |
| 1941- Man Hunt | R |
| 1944- The Woman In the Window | |
| 1945- Scarlet Street | MS |
| 1948- The Secret Beyond the Door | |
| 1952- Clash By Night | R |
| 1952- Rancho Notorious | R |
| 1953- The Big Heat | MS |
| 1953- The Blue Gardenia | R |
| 1954- Human Desire | R |
| 1955- Moonfleet | R |
| 1956- While the City Sleeps | R |
| 1958- The Tiger of Eschnapur | R |
| 1959- The Indian Tomb | R |
| 1960- 1000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse |
*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film
MS is Must-see- top 5-6 quality of the year film
HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film
R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives
Study Summary: Fritz Lang
Fritz Lang deserves to be mentioned with the best of the very best as far as film directors go. Not only does Lang boast one of the most impressive filmographies, he is also one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. Lang is associated with two of the most important film movements/eras with German Expressionism and later Film Noir in the United States. Of course, there are undeniable similarities between these movements, and it could be argued that Film Noir was largely inspired by Expressionism. He also happens to be one of the only filmmakers who thrived in both the silent and sound eras. Hitchcock made quality silent films but nothing all that close to being at MP level in my opinion. FW Murnau made some of the best silent films of all time but sadly died young before he had the chance to make a great film in the sound era
Lang does not always use a main character or rather he does not always use the perspective of a single primary character. Even in his film noirs, it is only Lang, as opposed to any single character who contains the audience’s perspective. This is matched visually as Lang likes to use surveillance camera angles and overhead shots
Fritz Lang was not merely gifted at using large sets but was a World Creator. From Dr Mabuse to Metropolis, Lang used large sets to build his fictional Worlds. He used sets for most of his noir work as well, creating cities that almost seem enclosed
The visual style of Lang is based largely around expressionism. Much of his work involves high contrast lighting, shadow, silhouette, nighttime shots of street alleys, superimposed images, etc. Common motifs includes shots of clocks, mirrors, architecture, industrial imagery, amongst much more. Lang used a great amount of symbolism in his films, for example in The Big Heat (1953) when a character is implicitly shutting down an investigation related to corruption while the character is literally washing his hands in the sink
Lang’s use of unusual framing stands out in much of his work but probably in M (1931) and Die Nibelungen (1924) more than any other. He often used geometric shapes to frame shots in these films. One of the best framed shots in Destiny (1921) uses a shape resembling a pentagon. His film work used a great deal of frame in frames, especially using windows and doorways which also had symbolic value as they served as portals to different worlds. The Woman in the Window (1944) is a standout for this
Metropolis (1927) and M (1931) are regarded as not only two of the greatest films ever but also two of the most influential films of all time. Metropolis is considered to be one of the very first and certainly most influential science fiction films of all time and M had a huge influence on crime films, in particular serial killer films and film noir
Similar to Stanley Kubrick, Lang did not seem to have much faith in the goodness of mankind. This should not come as all that surprising given that he fled Germany shortly after the Nazi’s had taken over the country. In fact, due to his eminence filmmaking gifts, Joseph Goebbels tried to recruit Lang to be the face of German Propaganda films. Lang shrewdly accepted the offer but left Germany that very night for Paris and not too long after was in the United States where the 2nd part of his career started up
Some of Lang’s early work is incredibly lengthy with Dr Mabuse the Gambler (1922) running for 5 and ½ hours while Metropolis and Spies are both 2 and ½ hours. Die Nibelungen (1924) was broken into 2 films, but it is essentially a single film with an overarching narrative that lasts over 5 hours. Lang’s films in the US were much shorter, they often ran between 90 and 110 minutes with a few exceptions. Lang was forced to work with comparatively smaller budgets and less time to actually shoot the films. His later film noirs are not quite as visually impressive
By my count Lang has 5 MP level films. 3 of these were German films and the other 2 were American Film Noirs. He has 3 MS films, and I could see Destiny (1921) as a potential MP with repeat viewings, probably more than the other 2 MS films
Metropolis (1927) deserves the top spot in my estimation followed by M (1931). As stated before, they are two of the most influential films of all time and they are amongst the very best as well
Final Ranking and Grades:
# 1 Metropolis (1927) – MP
# 2 M (1931) – MP
# 3 Scarlet Street (1945) – MP
# 4 Die Nibelungen (1924) – MP
# 5 The Big Heat (1953) – MP
# 6 Destiny (1921) – MS
# 7 Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (1922) – MS
# 8 The Woman in the Window (1944) – MS
# 9 The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) – MS/HR
# 10 You Only Live Once (1937) – MS/HR
# 11 Secret Beyond the Door (1947) – HR
# 12 Ministry of Fear (1944) – HR
# 13 Fury (1936) – HR
# 14 Spies (1928) – HR/R
# 15 1000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (1960) – HR/R
# 16 While the City Sleeps (1956) – R
# 17 Man Hunt (1941) – R
# 18 Clash by Night (1952) – R (Fringe)
# 19 Human Desire (1954) – R (Fringe)
@James – Awesome study! Lang certainly has the resume and style to be a top 10 director. I was hoping you would check out his two-parter film The Indian Tomb (which I think is free on youtube) since I was always curious at those films.
@Harry – thank you, regarding top 10 potential I don’t think his filmography as strong as it is, would be top 10 but combined with the visuals I think you could make an argument. I think if you factored influence with the filmography and visuals, he has a really strong case for top 10. It was staggering to see just how ahead of his time his work was, especially Metropolis (1927) and M (1931). Not to mention the influence of Dr. Mabuse as a character, he was essentially a Bond Villain before there were Bond Villains. Plus how many auteurs do you have that are associated with two major film movements/eras in German Expressionism and Film Noir?
I considered watching The Indian Tomb but decided against it, I do like how he finished his career in Germany, in particular how he ended his career with another Dr. Mabuse film
@James – to answer your question, I cannot think of any. Visconti is the closest answer for having roots in neorealism and noir (as well as being a very important director to the epic genre which isn’t as specific).
Spies especially feels like it could have influenced Bond/ Hitchcock too
@Harry – Visconti is one of the most versatile directors, I was blown away by this when I did my Study on him
yeah I think I may have underrated Spies (1928) a bit and I definitely see similarities to Hitchcock. They actually started their respective careers around the same time. Hitchcock took much longer to start making MS and MP level films
@James Trapp- wow- 19!! Great work
@Drake – thank you, it is an imposing filmography considering the length of some of the early films, but well worth the time to cover them
I am looking to follow up with a shorter study, my interest in Noir has been reignited. I am considering the following but open to other suggestions (from anyone who wants to chime in)
Jules Dassin
Carol Reed
Joseph H. Lewis
Henri-Georges Clouzot – not exactly noir but mystery/suspense plus Criterion just released a 4K Restoration of Wages of Fear (1953)
@James – Carol Reed!
@Harry – funny I was leaning toward Reed. I just got The Third Man (1949) on 4K
Nicholas Ray, Sam Fuller or Otto Preminger? But Clouzot, Reed and Dassin are all great choices.
A Louis Malle study would also be highly recommended given the diverse nature of his filmography. Elevator to the Gallows would at least fit somewhere near the noir theme.
@Palmer – all great suggestions, I think I am going Reed but might do one of those after. I am looking to do a couple smaller studies before covering another of the Giants like a John Ford or Ingmar Bergman
1000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (1960)
Notes:
The film starts with superimposed images of eyes during opening credits
2:10 homicide squad receive phone call about the murder of a reporter in traffic
3:14 murder in traffic resembling a scene from The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)
5:53 blind fortune teller named Peter Cornelius removes glasses
7:04 camera gliding through police station office showing the aftermath of a break in
9:20 a group of men at a table talk about Dr. Mabuse and unusual murder weapon
13:40 the Luxor Hotel is associated with numerous crimes
14:31 high angle POV shot from top of ledge as woman stands on it outside Luxor Hotel, the woman is named Marion Menil (played by Dawn Addams)
20:53 Dr. Jordan shows up to look after Marion Menil who was talked out of jumping off the ledge
29:53 rapid turning of vehicle was palpable effect
35:13 explosion in police station
38:24 camera gliding through dance floor and restaurant at Luxor Hotel as Henry and Marion are shown seated together at a table
45:05 close up on Peter’s face
49:30 surveillance camera angle slow fade out showing the POV is an actual surveillance camera
50:17 venetian blind shadow patterns on wall
51:00 a one-way mirror
55:15 Peter Cornelius and small group gather in dark room for a séance
55:18 cut to shot of clock
57:47 Cornelius mentions Dr. Mabuse name as tension in room rises
1:05:44 club footed man enters room of Marion Menil with
1:06:33 cut to shot inside surveillance room of man partially visible in foreground watching video
1:07:47 great sequence of Peter breaking through door to save Marion from club footed man who is revealed to be her husband
1:20:47 camera pushes in on the “eyes” which are secret surveillance cameras located throughout the hotel including inside the hotel rooms
1:21:56 man holding gun appears outside elevator
1:23:30 another fade out from surveillance camera angle to inside of surveillance room
1:31:38 Dr. Jordan literally removes a mask while standing in front of a hotel
1:34:20 changing license plate of getaway car
1:38:23 POV from inside looking out
1:38:48 the film ends with a dissolve following car driving off bridge into water, to a shot of Marian Menil in hospital
Thoughts:
I love that Lang’s final film is a return to the Dr. Mabuse Storyline. There is something full circle about it, especially considering Lang fled Germany when the Nazi’s had taken over. He returned to Germany in the late 1950s and made what were his final films there
Given this is the 3rd and final Dr. Mabuse film from Lang there are references to events from prior Mabuse films even though someone could certainly watch this film in isolation without seeing the previous two
I love the use of surveillance as you have surveillance camera angles of hallway of hotel and a fade out revealing characters who are actually watching different parts of the hotel in a surveillance room full of TVs. What makes this so effective is in the constant shifting and blending of POV. This makes the 2nd half the stronger half. The final 20 minutes is especially strong as the many twists and revelations are revealed
Mirrors serve as motif related to identity in a number of Lang’s films and they are used effectively here, particularly in a secretive one-way mirror
I love the reveal of the eyes as secretive surveillance cameras
The films ends with a great car chase involving the getaway car having a changing of license plates
By the way Dr. Mabuse deserves to be mentioned in discussions on the greatest movie villains. He serves as a prototype for Bond Villains, the manipulative power hungry megalomaniac
Verdict: HR/R
While the City Sleeps (1956)
Notes:
Dana Andrews as Edward Mobley
The film opens with a 20 something year old man knocking on a door and a woman appearing by shadow, only her father answers door
2:20 close up on the man’s dark leather gloves over the door handle
2:48 camera pushes in on terrified looking young woman screaming before cutting to the opening credits
4:19 “ask mother” written of wall
7:57 Amos Kyne, a news media mogul, who is on his deathbed in his office at work requests the leaders of his company’s divisions come into his office
9:58 Amos dies in his office
12:34 following Kyne’s death, the corporation went to his son Walter Kyne, whom his father did not work with as the two never had a great relationship
15:35 two-shot of Walter and his father’s portrait
22:45 close up shot of door handle similar to opening scene
31:43 claustrophobic atmosphere as innocent man is hounded by police as a suspect
43:04 shot reverse shot with the killer in his home and Edward Mobley on the TV who is speaking directly to the killer
43:56 close up of the killer’s angry face as he hears Mobley saying things he doesn’t like hearing
58:50 the killer is revealed to be a drug store employee
59:02 frame in frame as killer eyes woman but upset a man is in the apartment
1:09:23 nice use of shadow
1:20:28 low angle shot after killer invades woman’s apartment, this is followed by a close up on the killer’s extremely angry face
1:21:25 surveillance camera angle of killer running down street after failed murder attempt
1:23:36 chase scene in subway tracks, nice use of silhouette and shadow
1:33:07 dissolve to newspaper story about the killer getting caught
1:36:00 there is a slow fade out at bar revealing group of people who witness Mobley quitting
Thoughts:
Lang with another serial killer film. It is not exactly a who done it as we (the audience) are shown who the perpetrator is in the opening scene. It is also a newspaper film, focusing on office politics
There are close ups on door handles throughout the film when the killer enters leaves apartment
Lang uses closeups on the killer’s face throughout the film, a face of pure rage
Lang uses shadows in a number of scenes
Definitely a lesser Lang film but still worth a viewing
Verdict: R
Human Desire (1954)
Notes:
Thoughts:
Lang uses the leads of The Big Heat (1953) Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame for a poor man’s Double Indemnity (1944) or The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946 film). There are elements of noir and melodrama
Gloria Grahame is excellent and the main reason to watch
Admittingly this is a very fringe recommendation
Verdict: R (Fringe)
The Big Heat (1953)
Notes:
The film opens with a close up of a gun on a table, a hand grips it and kills himself, this man is soon revealed to be Tom Duncan
1:15 a woman revealed to be Mrs. Duncan walks past the grandfather clock and notices a letter next to the deceased Tom Duncan
1:32 gun, police badge, and a letter addressed to the District Attorney
2:36 Mike Lagana the crime boss of the city is woken up by Mrs. Duncan
3:55 Gloria Grahame as Debby talks to crime boss Mike Lagana, followed by her boyfriend Vince Stone played by the great Lee Marvin
4:08 frame in frame using doorway
4:12 Lee Marvin as Vince Stone, Mr. Lagana’s right hand man
4:53 large crime scene camera flash and fade out
5:15 Glenn Ford as Dave Bannion
5:40 Mrs. Duncan shown in front of multiple mirrors
8:10 Bannion’s home life is wholesome, almost overly so with the joyful music it feels
15:16 Mrs. Duncan is quite the actress
17:38 shadow on doors
18:28 Bannion’s boss literally washing his hands
20:06 deep focus with characters spaced out in 4 different depths of filed
20:23 bar tender on the take cleaning out glass, also washing hands of it so to speak
21:20 reflection in far right background as Bannion walks out of the bar
22:47 two-shot with Bannion and Bartender standing face to face
29:20 Bannion standing over Mike Lagana
33:43 Bannion’s home life serves as a contrast with his work life
35:18 Bannion’s car bombed killing his wife
38:38 Bannion quits the department
39:15 frame in frames via doorways and windows
44:30 Lucy Duncan blackmailing Lagana
47:20 two-shot of Bannion high pressuring man in parking lot who won’t give information
49:27 Bannion framed behind fence
50:27 camera gliding through bar room
51:45 camera pushing in on gangsters playing card game
52:46 close up on Vince Stone’s face after camera moves in on my as Bannion approaches
59:09 Debby returns to Vince
1:00:57 close up on pot of boiling hot coffee which is thrown on Debby’s face off camera
1:02:01 shadow as Bannion is awaken in the middle of the night
1:02:42 Debby with a scarred face
1:06:02 Bannion towering over Larry Gordon
1:07:37 “you’re out of business thief”
1:07:55 cut to shot of Lagana’s mothers portrait and fadeout
1:09:32 high angle shot of Bannion outside Lucy Duncan’s house
1:12:50 venetian blind shadows as Debby sits in a dark room
1:14:57 high angle two-shot with patterned shadows of wall
1:21:23 high contrast lighting
1:22:05 Debby reveals burned face
Thoughts:
A phenomenon film noir
Great and efficient visual storytelling. The opening scene creates instant intrigue, as it skips using an establishing shot and instead shows a gun on a desk, followed by a hand picking it up and a gun shot off screen followed by a dead body falling forward onto the desk. The wife of the man who committed suicide looks at a letter addressed to the District Attorney; this letter would later serve as her blackmail tool. A call to the main crime boss shortly after and the entire story is set up in a matter of minutes
Glen Ford is just awesome here, the way he calls people thieves to their faces and doesn’t back down to anyone, maintaining his moral compass. He is essentially a one man force for much of the film as his superiors are either corrupt or are happy to allow corruption to go on so long as nothing directly impacts their own lives
Ebert makes an interesting point about Bannion, pointing out that he causes extraordinary collateral damage to those around him even if he’s always doing what he believes is morally correct, this is also an interesting twist on the standard film noir in which it is a female who is the cause of deaths or character’s misfortune
Speaking of The Untouchables, there is a similar dynamic as both of these films examine good and evil in a way that at least initially seem straight forward but are more complex as the heroes are tempted to fight fire with fire
Mirrors as a motif, in early scene Mrs. Duncan is shown in front of several mirrors in her room, Lang often uses mirrors to indicate two-faced characters, and Mrs. Duncan would qualify as she is far from the innocent window she initially portrays
The violence in the film is particularly memorable and goes well beyond typical violence in noirs from this time period. In particular the coffee scene which actually occurs off screen following a POV shot of Vince Stone seeing a scalding hot pot of coffee
Lang had to operate with a smaller budget here. The film is less expressionism than much of his prior work. Much of the violence occurs in well lit apartments rather than in street alleys or in shadows. This certainly does not mean that there is none of the usual noir visuals, it is just less pronounced
One of the film’s most effective elements is the way it uses symbolic visuals. For example, early on Wilks orders Bannion to stop going after Duncan as Wilks washes his hands in the bathroom, essentially washing himself from any responsibility. In the following scene a bartender on the take is literally washing out a glass and given Bannion double talk. Another symbolic visual is the portrait of Mike Lagana’s mother. One of the themes is the invasion of crime into the sanctity of the home. Even Mike Lagana, the town’s highest level crime boss, gets annoyed when Bannion questions him about a murder in his mansion which contains a large portrait of Lagana’s late mother. Late in the film Debby enters the home of Mrs. Duncan sarcastically relating to her as the “sisters under the mink” before shooting her to death. The mink coat referencing them both willing to live the high life from the town’s crime
Bannion’s home life in the earlier scenes reminded me a bit of The Untouchables (1987) with the Kevin Costner version of Elliot Ness. The wholesomeness borders on satire in both films (especially with The Untouchables)
Truffaut was a big fan of the movie and noted how this movie fit into a common worldview
of Fritz Lang which was good/moral people struggling against a world that is either directly
evil or at the very least indifferent
At an hour and a half flat there are no unnecessary scenes
Verdict: MP
Clash By Night (1952)
Notes:
Barbara Stanwyck
Marilyn Monroe
Robert Ryan
The film opens with ominous music playing with shots of intense waves crashing along a beach
4:25 shots of seagulls surrounding a boat followed by shots of fish
5:14 overhead tracking shot of fish inside warehouse of fish packaging company in the fishing town of Monterey, California
7:01 Barbara Stanwyck as Mae Doyle D’Amato who returns to her hometown after 10 years on the east coast
15:19 dissolve from Mae to fisher boat
22:07 Mae dates Jerry D’Amato, a good-natured, unsophisticated fisherman with his own boat. 24:56 Mae doesn’t like Jerry’s friend, Earl Pfeiffer, a bitter, dissatisfied film projectionist
36:43 Mae dances with Earl, there is a growing attraction
44:47 dissolve following Mae’s marriage proposal to Jerry to wedding sequence
48:12 Earl walking into dark
48:38 shot of night sky followed by series of dissolves/montage
1:10:02 Jerry acts with anger at the suggestion of Mae and Earl having an affair
1:10:50 low angle shot of Jerry following his rare act of aggression
1:11:42 bar shaped shadows on the wall
1:12:53 high contrast lighting with Jerry walking into the dark room
1:17:18 triangle composition of love triangle with Mae in the middle of Jerry and Earl
1:27:23 Jerry drinking heavily after Mae announces she’s leaving him for Earl
1:31:55 tense sequence with Jerry confronting Earl, changing camera angles
1:34:17 POV shot of Mae seeing empty baby carriage
Thoughts:
Lang with a fairly low key film, it is certainly one of his lesser works. In fact, it is clear cut the weakest film of the Study so far. But even so it still has strong moments. Some nice use of low and high angle two-shots with the shifting characters dynamics. Lang uses some high contrast lighting although to a lesser extent than his other works
Verdict: R (Fring)
Secret Beyond the Door (1947)
Notes:
The film opens with reflection over pond and Joan Bennett’s voice narrating
2:22 semi-circle frame with high angle shot inside Church with high contrast lighting
2:30 camera gliding through Church as Joan Bennett’s voice narrates
3:02 Joan Bennett as a rich heiress named Celia wearing a wedding dress inside the Church on her wedding day
9:41 Michael Redgrave as Mark Lamphere
12:27 dissolve/match cut
14:17 dissolve to wedding night inside the Church
20:05 Celia sitting in front of mirror
21:07 patterned shadows and high contrast lighting
21:42 split frame with Mark on far right covered by shadow and standing in front of bars as he acts strange and suspicious for the first time with a stunned looking Celia in the lit part of frame
23:08 Mark acts strange with shadowed bars in background
27:57 Celia arrives in Lavender Falls but is greeted by a woman named Caroline who is revealed to be Mark’s sister
28:57 very high angle shot outside the mansion of Celia and Caroline arriving at night
29:26 doorway to frame shot
29:47 shot of staircase with high contrast lighting as Celia learns Mark has a son named David and that he is a widow
33:33 composition with heavy use of high contrast lighting with shot of corridor in mansion with portrait paintings and candles
34:08 woman lurking in dark mansion is revealed to be Miss Robey, Mark’s secretary
37:24 Celia greets Mark at Lavender Falls Train Station
41:19 Celia meets Mark’s son David
46:38 housewarming party
51:12 disturbing sequence with as Mark gives tour to their party guests of the suite of special rooms he built on a special gated corridor in the mansion. Each of the first six rooms are reproductions of famous murder scenes
54:54 Mark refuses to show off the 7th room which has a locked door
59:58 Mark almost strikes David during an argument
1:00:30 David claims Mark killed his mother to a shocked Celia
1:04:52 dissolve to shot of Celia in long shadowed corridor
1:05:35 Miss Robey is revealed to no longer have a scar and says she did at one point, but it went away, and she feared she would be fired
1:13:50 silhouette image of Celia
1:13:58 cut to Celia POV of secret room which is revealed to be a bedroom
1:17:18 high angle shot of stairs with sinister music playing
1:18:12 high angle shot using window as frame with white fog surrounding Celia who is running away from the mansion
1:18:18 Celia running through the white fog surrounding the mansion property
1:19:04 Celia screams upon observing a figure emerging from the back of the frame followed by a cut to a courtroom trial
1:20:10 the courtroom trial is similar to the one in Scarlet Street (1945) as characters testifying are shown isolated surrounded by blurry negative space. The judge and the jury have shadows over their faces, giving the scene a rather sinister atmosphere
1:22:32 judge with repeatedly strikes his gavel
1:25:47 Celia returned
1:29:11 deep focus shot with Celia in background behind door
1:35:20 silhouette imagery
Thoughts:
Lang with another film noir but shakes things up using a female protagonist. Joan Bennett teams up with Lang for the 4th and final time. She gives a great performance
There are impressive visuals with all the noir staples, high contrast lighting with shadows and silhouette imagery, mirrors in mise en scene. Lang uses these elements consistently throughout the film, there are barely any uncinematic stretches
The film uses baroque gothic visuals, especially related to the mansion. here are shots of shadowy corridors and characters in dimly lit frames
Similar to The Woman in the Window (1944) doors serve as a motif as portals to forbidden, secretive places that have an ominous nature
Film noirs focusing on psychoanalysis was common around this time period with films such as Rebecca (1940), Spellbound (1945), Nightmare Alley (1947), Whirlpool (1950), and even Lang’s own Woman in the Window (1944) amongst others
This film is compared to Hitchcock’s Rebecca (1940) both in terms of the story and the visuals. It also has similarities to the Bluebeard myth which is a French folktale about a wealthy man who murders his wives and the attempts of his current wife to avoid the same fate
Lang uses white fog in a shot when Celia is running away from the mansion. Lang likes using white fog as a motif for related to deception
I don’t know if Lang has any films that do not have at least one shot of a clock aside from# Die Nibelungen (1924) which was set centuries ago
The voiceover narration is used inconsistently, it would have been preferrable to either use consistently or drop. Personally, I would prefer it to be dropped
Verdict: HR
@James Trapp-Quite a run for Joan Bennett here in the 1940’s lasting till The Reckless Moment, Father of the Bride, 2-3 years later.
@Malith – I still need to check those ones out, but I really like everything I have seen her in so far. The Reckless Moment (1949) I am excited to check out, I found a quality version on YouTube.
Scarlet Street (1945)
Notes:
Edward G Robinson
Joan Bennett
Dan Duryea
The film opens with a shot in the dark streets and an organ grinder with a pet monkey that is amusing an attractive woman in a limo
2:25 Edward G Robinson’s Christopher Cross is a dark figure in the foreground with his face away turned away from the camera, this serves as a counterpoint to his boss who faces the camera in the background in a well-lit part of the frame. Cross co workers flank him at a long table
3:25 Chris is rewarded with 25 years as a cashier with a gold watch
4:28 Chris is clearly meek and a bit awkward
5:30 POV as attractive woman shown earlier is Chris boss mistress
6:30 heavy rain at night
6:55 Chris has conversation with co worker that reveals he wants to know what it would be like to be loved by a young girl like this boss, he also mentions that he paints as weekend as a hobby
8:20 POV as Chris sees woman being beat up but a man on a street corner
8:44 great medium close up on a smiling Chris as he stares at the beautiful woman he protected
9:40 figure is framed in between Kitty and officer but is placed in a lower positioned to look especially small and insignificant
12:14 Chris having a drink with Joan Bennett’s character, Kitty. The conversation leads Kitty to mistaking Chris hobby and thinking he’s a wealthy painter and Chris does not correct this as he is hesitant to admit he is only a cashier
15:52 low angle shots of Kitty and high angle shots of Chris showing power difference
16:24 dissolve from a happy looking Chris walking home to painting the flower in his bathroom that Kitty gave to him which meant little to Kitty much clearly much to Chris
17:04 Chris wife is a nagging shrew
18:12 low angle shot of painting of Adele’s former husband who died a hero cop
21:36 Kitty is involved with a low life small time hustler named Johnny, played by the great Dan Duryea who plays these sleazeball types as well as anyone
27:00 spectacular crane shot during sunny day to show Chris and Kitty at an outdoor café where Chris is clearly feeling alive and happy as he spontaneously whistles at birds
28:18 the score is overly sentimental almost mocking Chris idealistic nature
31:01 cut to close up on Chris hands taking large bills in dark lit frame as the score goes from breezy sentimental to much darker as Chris contemplates stealing money for Kitty
32:27 triangle composition with the large portrait of Homer between Chris and his wife who constantly berates him for not making more money, clearly a miserable and loveless marriage
33:27 Chris wife cruelly threatens to throw out all Chris paintings
34:27 Chris verbally beat down puts head into his palm
35:10 Chris steals money from his wife’s drawer when she leaves
42:58 Chris visits Kitty looking as happy as can be
44:32 Chris admits he is happy for the first time ever and just wants to be around Kitty all the time, he even tries to ask about marriage if he could get out of current marriage
46:31 Chris is so in love he does not notice the look of disgust on Kitty’s face when he kisses her
47:00 Chris kisses Kitty goodbye looking happier than ever with a huge smile across his face
49:38 dissolve of Kitty and Johnny kissing to high angle shot of Chris in his Cashier’s Cage with Chris positioned in the frame where Johnny was in the previous frame
49:47 camera glides through building and into Chris office with tense score as he steals $1,000 from his employer
50:21 there is an exaggerated low angle shot of Chris boss who looks terrifying in the moment as Chris believes he’s been caught and a reaction shot of a terrified Chris
51:02 excellent framing as “CASHIER” is on glass exterior of the cashier cage just above where Chris is standing as he hands his boss cash
59:24 a well known art critic named Janeway, and an art studio owner named Delarowe speak to Johnny and Kitty about one of Chris’ paintings and a misunderstanding about the situation results in Johnny claiming that Kitty is actually the artist
1:01:13 sentimental music plays in humorous scene where Kitty repeats the passionate words of Chris talking about art earlier in the film, to Janeway
1:04:04 Chris is increasingly suspicious and jealous toward Johnny who always seems to be hanging around Kitty leading to an argument between Chris and Kitty
1:07:17 Chris wife Adele sees Chris paintings credited to “Katherine March” aka Kitty
1:07:50 Chris cutting meat in the kitchen wearing a flowery apron is a symbolic image of his lack of masculinity that is frankly quite amusing
1:09:12 Chris has a look of murderous rage in his eyes while holding a knife, that only lasts for a few seconds but shows how Adeles non-stop insults and complaints is getting to him
1:11:14 Chris confronts Kitty about paintings and learns she is selling his paintings and claiming as her own yet Chris, the sucker, is so happy his work is being appreciated he does not mind Kitty getting the credit and money so long as he gets to be a part of her life
1:18:55 contrived sequence where Adele’s former husband Homer is revealed to still be alive and is not the heroic man, he’s believed to be but a thief who faked his death to avoid an investigation
1:19:24 high angle shot of Homer standing next to streetlamp at night
1:20:50 Chris manages to successfully trick Homer and end his terrible marriage
1:21:07 Chris watches Johnny and Kitty in a passionate embrace with Kitty saying “jeepers I love you Johnny” shattering his allusions about Kitty loving him
1:22:35 “Jeepers I love you Johnny” Chris hears voices while drinking alone at a bar
1:24:55 Kitty laughs hysterically when Chris explains situation, Chris initially interrupts as Kitty crying because she feels guilty for kissing Johnny
1:25:10 Kitty’s reflection is visible in the scene so two images of Kitty’s face in scene where she finally drops her façade
1:25:22 Edward G Robinson is incredible in this sequence as he brutally murders Kitty with an icepick the sadly walks out of the apartment
1:26:52 Lang uses silhouette and shadows in sequence where Chris leaves and Johnny enters
1:27:50 high angle shot with Chris stern boss ordering him into his office
1:29:13 Chris confronted and fired for stealing from his employer who chooses not to press charges and shows some compassion as a defeated and ashamed Chris walks out
1:31:00 an economical depicting of Johnny’s murder trial
1:34:18 frame in frames using doorways and shadow as Johnny is led to his awaiting death via electric chair
1:35:52 Chris hears Kitty’s voice in dim one room apartment with flickering light
1:37:17 Chris talks to the voices of Kitty and Johnny with flickering lights as Chris looks panicked and places face in palms similar to earlier in the film
1:38:19 shadow of Chris hanging from fan but is saved by neighbors at the last second
1:38:48 Chris breaks down crying followed by a dissolve skipping 6 of 7 years later where Chris is homeless
1:40:20 POV shot of Kitty’s famous painting carried away and now worth $10,000 while Chris is broke and has no way of claiming his work
1:41:15 all the people on the street dissolve away with only a haunted Chris walking down an empty street still hearing the voices of Kitty and Johnny in his head
Thoughts:
Lang with his first film noir masterpiece. While he made several excellent films since leaving Germany at this point in his career, this one stands above the others although I am very excited to revisit The Big Heat (1953) soon
The Woman in the Window (1944) was an excellent noir even with the somewhat unfortunate ending. Lang brings back the three principal performers of Edward G Robinson, Joan Bennett, and Dan Duryea and makes a film that is superior
I have written about this film several times before, both the film and specifically Edward G Robinson’s incredible performance as the pathetic sucker Christopher Cross. He is really one of the most pitiful characters in all of noir and Robinson is magnificent. Chris is an expressive character and Robinson’s emotional range is incredible as Chris communicates so much with his facial expressions. You can probably track the emotional journey of the character through these facial expressions alone
There is great camera movements with two significant crane shots, one during an outside lunch with Kitty and another when Chris steals $1,000 cash from his employer to give to Kitty
Lang uses dissolves in transitioning scenes where the dissolved image is of Johnny to Chris or Chris to Johnny
The use of sharp contrast lighting and shadows is especially impressive in the scene that follows Johnny’s death sentence. Chris is lying on his bed inside his depressing one room apartment when Kitty and Johnny’s voices start to haunt him beyond the grave; Chris realizes that in helping the state to execute Johnny he actually reunited the couple in the afterlife. One debated element of the film is whether or not Chris feels guilty for his crimes. I think he might, but I do not believe that is what haunts him. I think what really torments him is the fact that Kitty did not love him after all
Lang’s use of framing is one of the most impressive Cinematic elements. Lang uses low and high angle shots to demonstrate power dynamics with Chris often placed using high angle shots showing his inferior position to other characters. The scene where Kitty reveals her true nature, her reflection is visible in the mirror indicating how she is two-faced in cruelly dismissing Chris
Lang conveys information effectively in the framing, for example there is a shot at 51:02 when Chris has almost been caught stealing by his boss and there is “CASHIER” visible on glass exterior of the cashier cage just above where Chris is standing as he hands his boss cash. Chris has just stolen cash here and is almost caught by his boss. Chris acts overly obsequious to his boss who is taking out cash, presumably for his mistress and he can do this openly whereas Chris has to steal. This frame communicates so much about power dynamics of these characters
Even though you do not actually see the graphic details, the murder sequence is one of the most shocking in all of film noir because of what it depicts and the manner it is carried out. On a first viewing it might seem somewhat implausible that Chris would commit a murder given his extremely meek nature. However, the murder is actually foreshadowed in an earlier sequence when Chris drops the knife after his wife insults him. Chris brutally stabs Kitty with an ice pick that happened to be on the table next to him when Kitty goes on a rant that completely belittles and humiliates Chris. Yet, I believe the murder was a long time coming as Chris had built up years of suppressed anger and frustration due to a litany of reasons; being trapped in a loveless marriage, working a dull job that he hates, not pursuing his dream of painting beyond doing it as a hobby, and never knowing what it is like to have a beautiful young woman love him. Chris realizing that Kitty deceived him was the final straw as it shattered his idealized fantasy of her as someone who loved and respected him. Finding out Kitty was merely using him and that she loved Johnny all along is just too much for poor Chris whose years of repressed rage simmer to the surface and result in a vicious act of violence
The film is a mediation on masculinity, and really this is true of the entire Film Noir genre. Chris perceived lack of masculinity comes up numerous times including a scene where Chris does the dishes for his nagging wife while wearing a flower covered apron. Kitty mocks Chris masculinity right before he murders her as she taunts him about how Johnny would “break every bone in your body”. His wife complains about Chris measly salary and how he cannot even afford to buy her a radio which is an insult to his role as the provider. Even the portrait of her former husband mocks Chris as Homer is a heroic police officer (though this proves to be false)
Despite having many dark elements there is also lighter moments. In fact, the basic premise alone almost sounds like a screwball comedy; you have a series of misunderstandings and false assumptions leading to humorous scenarios. The banter between Johnny and other characters is another example of lighter moments as Johnny’s sycophantic nature would make a used car salesman blush
This is an extremely underrated film. It is simply one of the absolute best film noirs with incredible performances as well as all the noir staples. For the thematic elements you have a weak male protagonist, femme fatale, deceptive characters, and tragic ending. Additionally, you have all the noir visual elements including high contrast lighting, shadows, and silhouette, and an overall fatalistic pessimism in the film’s mood and atmosphere
Verdict: MP
@James – I love this film. I think Scarlet Street and The Big Heat are sizeable Lang masterpieces.
@Harry – same here, I have come to realize the sheer amount of great film noirs and this is near the top. In fact, it is a top 10 Noir of the main Film Noir era of 1941 to 1958
Maltese Falcon (1941)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Detour (1945)
Scarlet Street (1945)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Out of the Past (1947)
The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
In a Lonely Place (1950)
Touch of Evil (1958)
The Woman in the Window (1944)
Notes:
Edward G Robinson
Joan Bennett
Dan Duryean
The film opens with Edward G Robinson as a college professor named Richard Wanley, speaking in front of a class on homicide, there are venetian blind shadows on the wall
2:28 Wanley’s loving wife and kids are going away for the weekend
3:28 Wanley stares at a painting of a woman in the window, the woman played by Joan Bennett
4:50 Wanley at his social club with his two close buddies, Dr. Michael Barkstane played by Edmund Breon, and a District Attorney named Frank Lalor, who is played by Raymond Massey
10:18 Wanley stares again at the painting in the window and notices a superimposed image next to the painting which turns out to be the Joan Bennett character, Alice Reed
10:45 triangle composition with the painting of Alice Reed in between the actual Alice Reed and Wanley
12:25 Wanley and Alice Reed have a drink out at a restaurant
13:27 dissolve from Alice to her going up to her apartment with Wanley
14:38 frame in frame with glass windows inside apartment
14:50 mirrors along apartment interiors as Wanley admires the surroundings
15:41 heavy rain outside apartment
16:32 Claude, a jealous acquaintance of Alice attacks her and Wanley who ends up killing him with scissors in self defense
24:04 deep focus
30:24 dialogue focuses on how to get rid of all the evidence
31:40 frame in frame with glass window to front of apartment
33:14 silhouette imagery
33:29 great frame with splitting frame, frame in frames via windows and doors, and deep focus with Wanley in deep background of frame on left
35:13 two-shot of Wanley and Alice as they meet for what is supposed to be the final time as Wanley drives off with the body in his vehicle
37:27 car ride with body in the back is tense with POV shots from Wanley perspective
40:17 camera holds over image of tire marks from Wanley’s vehicle
42:12 camera holds on medium close up on Wanley looking slightly uncomfortable though his friends don’t seem to notice. This because his buddy Frank is talking about a missing person case that so happens to be about the man Wanley killed in self defense
51:45 low angle shot of District Attorney Frank Lalor making him feel more intimidating
52:08 theory from DA is very similar to what Robinson’s character in Double Indemnity (1944) talks about
53:55 close up on face of Wanley as he frowns upon learning there is more information than he initially realized
57:03 Wanley continues to show knowledge of information he should not have, creating false suspicion
1:04:38 Dan Duryea as Heidt/Ted enters the film playing a low life, his specialty
1:09:47 deep focus reflection via mirror with Alice in background of frame
1:13:21 Alice and Wanley talk about her being blackmailed with bars in foreground resembling prison bars
1:16:44 meeting with Alice and Wanley in lobby of building to discuss plan
1:20:00 Contrast with Duryea’s character in black clothes with Alice in white
1:21:56 Alice fixes drink for Heidt and subtly spikes it with poison
1:24:17 cut to Wanley in his home looking panicked next to photos of his family
1:26:26 Alice’s plan with the drink backfires
1:27:50 another mirror shot with frame in frame
1:28:50 Heidt demands another $5,000
1:31:28 multiple doorway frame in frames with a defeated looking Wanley in background
1:32:16 Heidt shot by police
1:36:00 the phone rings non-stop with camera holding on Wanley’s face before he wakes up and it was revealed to be a dream
The film ends with a shot of the painting
Thoughts:
Lang had quite a strong year in 1944 with this and Ministry of Fear. Lang would team up with Edward G Robinson, Joan Bennett, and Dan Duryea for an even stronger film the following year, but this is an excellent film on its own right
Edward G Robinson plays Richard Wanley, a respected college professor with a stable home life consisting of a loving wife and children. He has a few close friends and belongs to a posh social club where he smokes cigars and sticks to a 2 drink maximum while engaging with his friends. Despite this outward respectability, he feels like his life has become too routine and craves some excitement which he gets and then some
Lang uses a police procedural angle effectively by directly placing Wanley in the middle the investigation as he keeps accidentally giving off clues to his possible guilt by unintentionally revealing knowledge of the case that an innocent person would not have. Of course, to his DA buddy Frank the idea that the respectable professor would be involved in a murder seems preposterous
The film builds tension well with expert pacing that provides enough character building to get the viewer invested in the fate of the central characters. There are some great low angle shots of Frank who despite his affable nature is becoming increasingly threatening to Wanley the more he reveals information that suggests the police know more than Wanley initially believed. Lang uses medium close up shots of a scared looking Wanley as the pressure mounts
Lang makes great use of windows and doorways to create frame in frames. There is a real standout at 33:29 where lang splits the frame and creates additional frame in frames using doorways but also adds deep focus with Wanley in the deep background
Windows and doorways serve as a key motif which represents gateways or portals to different worlds. In the film Wanley speaks about life, daily life becoming routine and predictable. The break away from his routine and into a new world so to speak begins in a scene where he is staring into the store window with Alice Reed (Joan Bennett) and he sees a superimposed image of her reflection
Mirrors are another key motif as they are often associated with deception or themes related to identity. The structure of Alice Reed’s apartment is crucial as it has mirrors along the walls creating doubles of characters
There are other noir staples including silhouette imagery, shots of streets on rainy nights, superimposed images, etc.
The films ending is famous for the “everything was a dream” which is viewed as a cop out. While I agree it defuses all the well built up tension in a way that does feel rather fraudulent. On the other hand, certain elements of the plot seem quite unbelievable when looking back on it. The very fact that the young and attractive Alice Reed is immediately interested in Edward G Robinson’s Professor Wanley and brings him back to her place seems unlikely. Same with the DA inviting his buddy along and revealing evidence so casually. Either way the ending does not ruin the film by any means although I certainly can understand why some will find it in poor taste
Verdict: MS