Spione (1928)

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writers:

Fritz Lang (writer)
Thea von Harbou (novel)

Release Date:

10 March 1929 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

The mastermind behind a ubiquitous spy operation learns of a dangerous romance between a Russian lady in his employ and a dashing agent from the government's secret service.

Plot Keywords:

Spy | Suicide | Dance | Dancing | Peace Treaty

Cast

Rudolf Klein-Rogge	...	Haghi
Gerda Maurus	...	Sonya Baranilkowa
Lien Deyers	...	Kitty
Louis Ralph	...	Hans Morrier (Hans Morriera, English version)
Craighall Sherry	...	Burton Jason / Miles Jason
Willy Fritsch	...	No. 326 (Det. Donald Tremaine, English version)
Paul Hörbiger	...	Franz - The Chauffeur
Hertha von Walther	...	Lady Leslane
Lupu Pick	...	Doctor Masimoto (Matsumoto, English version)
Fritz Rasp	...	Colonel Jellusic (Ivan Stepanov, English version)

Also Known As:

Spies (USA)
The Spy (USA)
Espías (Argentina) [es]
Espiões (Portugal) [pt]
L'inafferrabile (Italy) [it]
Les espions (France) [fr]
Os Espiões (Brazil) [pt]
Vakoilija (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

Germany:178 min (16 fps) | USA:90 min | Spain:144 min (DVD edition) | Argentina:150 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Spain:T | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-12 (1966) | USA:Unrated

Company:

Fritz Lang-Film

Trivia:

UFA insisted on the film being very cheap in the making as Fritz Lang's previous film Metropolis (1927) had brought the studio to near bankruptcy. Lang therefore choose to do most of the shots in narrow settings with lots of close ups, as no big sets had to be built up for that way of filming. Fortunately "Spione" became a huge success.

Quotes:

Haghi: Curtain!

Movie Connections:

References Metropolis (1927)

Great escapist entertainment--who cares that it's silent?

"Spies" is much more entertaining than you would expect an old German silent movie to be, and at first, it's hard to say why. The character types are familiar from hundreds of other spy movies: a villain who is bent on world domination and has multiple secret identities, a beautiful blonde who works as a spy for the villain, a dashing enemy agent who falls in love with the female spy. The plot is fairly ludicrous, though it moves along briskly and provides for some great set-pieces, such as an exhilarating chase scene. But despite all the clichés found in "Spies," the movie still feels fresh and vital. You get drawn into the world of the film and accept the clichés, rather than becoming distracted by them.

I'm sure most of the credit for this has to go to the director, Fritz Lang. His films ("Metropolis," "M") often have a very dark world view, but the overall tone of "Spies" is escapist adventure-fantasy. It aims to provoke thrills, not shock or outrage. Lang creates some stunning visual compositions and proves to be a very detail-oriented director—he delights in close-ups of spy gadgetry! His innovative use of montages, dramatic lighting, camera movement, and other techniques gives the film an interesting stylization.

I'm writing this review after watching the 90-minute American version of "Spies". But I had such a good time that I may have to seek out the 146-minute version!