Phau Testament tus cov Dr. Mabuse (1933)

Director Fritz Lang siv cov duab tuaj thiab kab abstracted ntawm lub mis-siv cov-scene los tsim tau lub ntsiab lus ntawm nws cov Nazi los tiv thaiv zaj duab xis cov phau qub uas Dr. Mabuse (Das phau qub tej kev Dr. Mabuse, 1933). I analyzed four shots from the film to illustrate their composition.

Nyob rau hauv lub qhov txhaj tshuaj thawj zaug, Hofmeister, portrayed los ntawm Karl Meixner, xov tooj pauv Lohmann, portrayed los Otto Wernicke. Lwm lub Lohmann Muller, portrayed los ntawm Claus Pohl, teb xov tooj. Lohmann refuses to speak with Hofmeister and directs Muller to hang up on him. Xwb, Muller tells Hofmeister that Lohmann has left, uas prompts Lohmann mus txeeb lub xov tooj ntawm Muller. Lohman tells Hofmeister to go to the blazes, Thaum glowering nyob Muller, leej twg tau backed ntawm lub qhov rais.

Lang Txoj Kex yog rau cov tab nyob hauv no tua vim nws siv cov qhov rais kom xwm tus scene. Lang nyuam qhov rais nyob nruab nrab ntawm cov ncej, uas ua ib qho tsis zoo txaus rau tog uas nws. Lang directs Muller nyob ntawm txoj kab ntsug ntawm lub qhov rais. Thaum Lohmann nkag tau txhaj tshuaj tag, Muller backs mus rau hauv lub qhov rai, while staying within the vertical lines. Lohmann yuav siv ib txoj hauj lwm ntawm txoj kab ntsug ntawm lub qhov rais kom zoo. Txoj kab ntsug feem ntau cov qhov siab qhov txawv ntawm Lohmann thiab Muller, tus tuav kom disparity qhov ntawm cov hwjchim ntawm lub cim ob clues uas. Lang pib tsim cov duab ntawm Lohmann ua ib formidable uas muaj nyob hauv no thaum ntxov scene. Lohmann intimidates phooj ywg thiab cov tsiaj tsis xwm yeem.

Thaum txhaj ob, Thomas Kent, portrayed los Gustav Diessl, Yog hais lus nrog lwm operative, uncredited, hais txog kev sib tham nrog cov Dr. Mabuse. Kent sits rau ib lub quav, thaum lub operative hais lus nrog nws txog lub rooj sab laj. Kent rises from the stool and paces the office showing his trepidation at attending the meeting. Lub sij hawm nws dhau lub rooj sablaj nrog Kent, Dr. Mabuse kom nws ntshiab uas nws expects Kent tua li Dr. Lub Mabuse txiav txim. Kent tua nws tus poj niam thiab ib tug phooj ywg zoo tshaj plaws rau yav tag los, uas ua rau nws tsis kam mus tua dua.

Lang tsim muaj pes tsawg leeg rau ntawm txoj kab pheeb ces kaum siv lub teeb thiab koob yees duab lub. The camera investigates the brick room from a door centered in the frame. Qhov rai uas nyob rau ntawm ob sab ntawm lub qhov rooj thiab. Lub teeb designer qaij rau saum phab ntsa façade los ua ib cov nyhuv kab pheeb ces kaum. Nws tsim cov façade no vim hais tias cov phau qub uas Dr. Mabuse yog ib zaj duab xis German Expressionist. “German Expressionism nyob hnyav ncawv rau mis-siv cov-scene. Daim distorted thiab exaggerated unrealistically raws los kuj muaj.” (Bordwell, 407) The set design clues the viewer to important development in the story.

Thaum txhaj koob tshuaj tivthaiv no, the unnamed operative stays within the frame of the doorway. Nws lectures Kent tej yam phem txog rau thaum nws cov Dr. Mabuse, portrayed los Rudolf Klein-Rogge. Thaum pib txhaj, Kent yog zaum hauv qhov num ntawm cov ntug qhov rooj los. Thaum twg tus operative relays cov lus qhia txog cov seem pawg tuaj koom lub rooj sab laj, Kent ntawm lub nce los ntawm lub rooj zaum. Kent tsiv mus rau lub qhov rais thiab nyob rau sab laug ntawm lub qhov rooj ncej thiab yuav tau tsiv mus nyob rau hauv cov qhov rai thiab rau sab xis. Tus Kent es clue tus tuav kom nws cog sib cais los ntawm cov dej num thiab views ntawm Mabuse lub koomhaum.

Nyob rau hauv peb txhaj, Mabuse mus xyuas hauv Baum tus nyob nraim yeej ncuab. Baum, portrayed los Oscar Beregi Sr., qhia tias lub cev rau tus thawj coj ntawm Lohmann. Lohmann mus rau cov nyob nraim yeej ncuab vim nws ntseeg Mabuse tej zaum yuav muaj lawm yog nws txhaum cai faj tim teb chaws rov. Lang films the scene using an eye-level shot. Lang siv hloov maj mam hloov rau txoj hauj lwm ua cim hloov muaj pes tsawg leeg txoj triangulation.

Chiv, Lang films Mabuse dag rau ib gurney. Baum and Lohmann stand on either side of the gurney around the waist area of Mabuse. Baum thiab Lohmann saib Mabuse thaum pib txhaj. Lang txaus qhia Mabuse nyob rau hauv qhov chaw ntawm tus ncej tas nws ua cim kom muaj qhov chaw ntawm dominance momentarily. Mabuse’s influence affects both Baum and Lohmann. Nyob rau hauv ib lub xeev hypnotic, Baum directs Mabuse cov lag luam txhaum cai. Lohmann kom cov lag luam no desires. Siv cov costuming thiab cov ua cim zog, Lohmann yuav siv sij hawm hauv txoj hauj lwm hom ntawm Mabuse.

Lang dresses Lohmann in dark clothing, Thaum Baum thiab Mabuse hnav khaub ncaws lub teeb. Lohmann puv ntawm cov koob yees duab, removes a cigar case from his pocket and continues questioning Baum about Mabuse. Baum thiab Mabuse tam sim no txav me ntsis rau tus ua Lohmann sawv keeb kwm yav dhau. Lang directs Lohmann to try cigars before settling on one. Txheej txheem no yuav koj saib txog Lohmann thiab nws ua. Lang clues Lohmann pom ib qhov zoo sib xws ntawm Baum thiab Mabuse tus tuav.

Nyob rau thaum kawg txhaj, Lohmann lus nug tus operative ntawm cov Dr. Mabuse lub koomhaum txhaum cai. Cov nqe lus nug raug txim teb, Txawm Lohmann mus taug kev nyob ib ncig ntawm nws chaw ua hauj lwm. Lohmann disinterested nyob hauv lub interrogation los Muller tshwm. Lohmann keyboards ntawm ib lub teeb rau nws daim ntawv qhia lub zos thiab cov stands pem lub taub hau nws. Lub teeb tus illuminates hauv daim ntawv qhia ib nti pom kev yeej. Langs tsim lub yeej muaj pes tsawg leeg emphasizing lub Lohmann roundness. Lang emphasizes his roundness for three reasons.

Ua ntej, Lohmann’s physique is more rotund than muscular, but the criminals truly fear him. Tus criminals ntshai nws txoj kev ntse tsis nws tooj. Thib ob, Lang rightly ntseeg Nazi tog yog ua kev hem thawj rau lub ntiaj teb no. Teeb yeej tsim lub ntiaj teb no tej yam me me nyob rau hauv daim ntawv qhia los taws rau yav tom ntej tsis txojkev civilization niaj hnub. Thaum kawg, Lang chaw Lohmann nyob hauv qhov pom kev clue tus tuav kom Lohmann yuav ntes Dr. Baum sai.

Miskas audiences struggled to taub cov phau qub uas Dr. Mabuse vim nws German Expressionist style, tus xav nyeem subtitles, uas yuav cuam tshuam los ntawm koj ceeb peb siv qhov muag saib, thiab tus qhov txawv kawg nkaus. German audiences yuav muaj teeb meem tsawg vim lawv paub cov lus siv nrog cov neeg sab nrauv hais Nazi tab sis naam nyob banned teb chaws Yelemees mus txog rau tom qab 1945. Lang made the following statement about why the film was banned. “Kuv muab tso rau txhua tus Nazi slogans mus rau hauv lub qhov ncauj ntawm ntawm lub txim txhaum dab…’The belief of the normal citizen in the powers he has chosen must be destroyed. Thiab thaum txhua yam yog puas no peb yuav muaj lub realm ntawm qhov kev ua txhaum.’ Nws yog ib qho raws nraim qhov Nazis hais dab tsi.” (Bogdanovich, 180) Thea von Harbou, Lang tus poj niam, sib nrauj nws thiab keeb tog Nazi tsocai tom qab Lang nyob lub teb chaws Yelemees. Phau Testament tus cov Dr. Mabuse yog ib zaj duab xis ua qhov kev ua txhaum thiab heev tshaj ntawd.

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