Overly long and melodramatic, what truly saves this is Lang's smart pacing and direction. Yeah "smart pacing" and "overly long" seems like a contradiction in terms, but that's why I threw in "smart." Lang's fast cutting with up close and personal shot selections hold the audience's attention.

#933

"This is the Fritz Lang method: pose a question, then answer it, though never in any sort of predictable rhythm." - Keith Uhlich

A fantastic spy thriller full of intrigue, romance, and crazy elaborate shit happening. Several reviews call this convoluted, and it is, but I never found it hard to follow. It all fits together quite well and the ending is great. Good times.

Kind of a prototype for the 007 films, it's got almost everything you could ask for in a spy movie: double agents, secret rooms, hidden microphones, clever subterfuge, international romance, train crashes, clowns, and seppuku. It's all done with a lot of style, pretty exciting stuff with some wonderful expressionistic touches. The plot does get a little confusing, but that's fairly typical for the genre. It all pretty much makes sense in the end. Lots of fun.

940

# 965

925

Powerful, but the plot is elaborate and often baffling.

The consistently great visuals cannot save this from its tedious, convoluted plot. I don't have a lot to say except that I was just bored stiff.