Spies (1928)

This was it: the last 1920s movie on my Netflix queue or list and thus probably the last silent. If it would become my last silent viewing ever, I was wise to choose one from a proven director, Fritz Lang.

Bank director Haghi (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) also leads a vast spy ring that meddles in international government affairs, seemingly just for the sake of wielding power. Knowing that one Agent 326 (Willy Fritsch, whose character name is never revealed) seeks to bring him down, he sends an agent of his own, Sonja (Gerda Maurus), to seduce and betray 326. The plan backfires when she falls for him for real. Of course, catching a mastermind still isn't easy....

Once again, very different runtimes are listed in different places. IMDb says 90 minutes, Wikipedia says 178 minutes, and the Netflix jacket correctly says 143 minutes. Guess it depends on the level of restoration.

One thing's for sure: It's not for a lazy mind. I got a little lost at several points, which rarely happens when I can read intertitles. Maybe some key information was in the missing 25 minutes.

Frankly, I'm surprised it was ever allowed to run that long when the studio had set a strict budget in light of the red ink of Metropolis. The main sign of financial restraint is in mostly close shots. Of course, there's less need of big sets without worldbuilding, but it might still qualify as sci-fi in the same way that many spy flicks do, with technology that goes beyond the likely state of the art for the time. In this case, only Haghi is so spoiled.

On that note, Haghi reaffirms my sense that Lang had the best non-horror villains of the silent era. He orchestrates violence and chaos efficiently while rarely getting his own hands dirty. Wouldn't you know that Klein-Rogge also played Dr. Mabuse in his eponymous series and Dr. Rotwang in Metropolis. Haghi's certainly saner and more credible than them, but that won't stop me from remembering him too.

I'm afraid there was a bit of a villain in Lang himself. I'd read before that his enforcement of method acting could go too far for comfort, as when Peter Lorre got repeatedly kicked in M. In Spies, a shooting scene involves real bullets that could very well have killed one of the actors if the aim were off. I realize that Maurus, who had never appeared on screen before, might have needed some help, but the practice sure wouldn't fly here and now.

Another factor that wouldn't fly here and now is the casting of a German, Lulu Pick, as a Japanese envoy in numerous scenes. The filmmakers seem to regard the character with respect, but it isn't important to the plot that he be any manner of Asian. The music included on this DVD always signals his nationality in his presence, too.

It took me a while to decide how to feel about the gestalt. Ultimately, I rather like it, if only for the exciting portions. I just don't recommend it to more casual viewers.