Spione (1928) – F. Lang
Fritz Lang’s
follow-up to Metropolis (1927) is a dazzling tale of spies confronting a master
criminal (Haghi; Rudolf Klein-Rogge), operating a network of criminals behind
his front as a bank executive. The plot is as convoluted as they get, focusing
on a Russian female agent (Gerda Maurus) who is blackmailed to work for Haghi
after falling in love with Agent 326 (Willy Fritsch) who is trying to foil
Haghi’s plans to steal a treaty between Japan and the UK that would stop the
impending war. The Japanese security chief sends three messengers, only one
carrying the real treaty, in an attempt to fool Haghi but he himself is fooled
when Haghi sends a nubile young spy (Lien Deyers) to seduce him. Add to
this a number of well-paced action sequences (train crash, shoot-out) and a mad
scramble to find Haghi’s secret hideout – and then Haghi himself (leading to a
notorious ending). Full of angular and geometric sets and shots, a Lang specialty,
and co-written with his wife Thea von Harbou, he made only one more silent
feature in Germany before fleeing to Hollywood.
I watched the restored 2 ½ hour version.
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