Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (German: Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler) is the first film in the Dr. Mabuse series about the character Doctor Mabuse who featured in the novels of Norbert Jacques. It was directed by Fritz Lang and released in 1922. The film is silent and would be followed by the sound sequels The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) and The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (1960). It is four and a half hours long and divided into two parts, originally released a month apart. The title, Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler, makes use of three meanings of the German Der Spieler which can mean gambler, puppeteer, or actor. The character Dr. Mabuse, who disguises himself, manipulates people, and is a notorious gambler, embodies all senses of the word. Therefore, the Player might be a more appropriate translation of the title. The film is included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, being the first of five Lang films to be entered.
A cunning mastermind, Dr. Mabuse, seeks to amass wealth and dominate Berlin, but a determined detective, Wenk, is hot on his heels, intent on exposing his nefarious plans and bringing him to justice.
In 1960s Germany, a master thief named Dr. Mabuse uses his intelligence and mind control abilities to plan a daring robbery. He takes advantage of unsuspecting individuals and infiltrates a hotel's security system to steal highly classified nuclear information from an American businessman.
A brilliant doctor wields mind control to carry out his nefarious plans, but a determined team of German investigators, backed by a seasoned FBI specialist, must act swiftly to capture him.
A renowned scholar's existence is dramatically altered when a malevolent being takes possession of his body, unleashing a torrent of destruction and anarchy upon the city.
