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sabotai · 04-26-2009, 09:25 PM

Spione (1928)
English: Spies

Directed by: Fritz Lang
Starring: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Gerda Maurus, Lien Dyers
Length: 178 minutes
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Nation: Germany

Haghi (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) leads a double life. He is both a bank manager and the leader of a spy ring. Here is the plot summery from wikipedia:

"With the help of technology, informers and moles, Haghi leads a secret life as the head of an international spy ring. Haghi is confined to a wheelchair and bank director, a job that apparently makes him richer than Henry Ford, although he "pays significantly less in taxes". Haghi has safes burgled, secret documents stolen, diplomats assassinated and generally has the British Secret Service running around in circles. To counter this, the British assign their best agent, Number 326, to topple the diabolical king from his throne. Haghi is wise to this plan and assigns the beautiful Russian agent Sonja to seduce him. Sonja finds Number 326 so suave that she falls almost immediately in love with him and then things really get complicated. Featuring disappearing ink, bulletproof wallets, hidden microphones and more than one action-packed chase scene, Spies can be considered the granddad of the James Bond films. The heroes finally catch up to Haghi when they infiltrate a circus where he is pretending to be a clown called Nemo and he commits suicide. The circus-goers applaud his hara-kiri; they think it is all a big show."

I found the movie boring. At over 2 1/2 hours, it just drags out. In Metropolis, Lang's previous movie, kept moving at a nice pace with about the same running time. Spione, in between the sparse action, did practically nothing.

Aside from the pace, the movie was ok. It was very interesting to see the 1920's take on the gadgets that spies would use in a spy thriller. Micro- technology must have been really foreighn to the world of 1920 Germany though, since every gadget was massive and...pretty obvious. Still, an ok spy thriller that gets really boring in spots.

My Rating: 5/10
IMDB User Rating: 7.7/10 (621 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (9.3/10 - 6 reviews)

04-26-2009, 09:25 PM	#180
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	Spione (1928) English: Spies Directed by: Fritz Lang Starring: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Gerda Maurus, Lien Dyers Length: 178 minutes Genre: Drama / Thriller Nation: Germany Haghi (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) leads a double life. He is both a bank manager and the leader of a spy ring. Here is the plot summery from wikipedia: "With the help of technology, informers and moles, Haghi leads a secret life as the head of an international spy ring. Haghi is confined to a wheelchair and bank director, a job that apparently makes him richer than Henry Ford, although he "pays significantly less in taxes". Haghi has safes burgled, secret documents stolen, diplomats assassinated and generally has the British Secret Service running around in circles. To counter this, the British assign their best agent, Number 326, to topple the diabolical king from his throne. Haghi is wise to this plan and assigns the beautiful Russian agent Sonja to seduce him. Sonja finds Number 326 so suave that she falls almost immediately in love with him and then things really get complicated. Featuring disappearing ink, bulletproof wallets, hidden microphones and more than one action-packed chase scene, Spies can be considered the granddad of the James Bond films. The heroes finally catch up to Haghi when they infiltrate a circus where he is pretending to be a clown called Nemo and he commits suicide. The circus-goers applaud his hara-kiri; they think it is all a big show." I found the movie boring. At over 2 1/2 hours, it just drags out. In Metropolis, Lang's previous movie, kept moving at a nice pace with about the same running time. Spione, in between the sparse action, did practically nothing. Aside from the pace, the movie was ok. It was very interesting to see the 1920's take on the gadgets that spies would use in a spy thriller. Micro- technology must have been really foreighn to the world of 1920 Germany though, since every gadget was massive and...pretty obvious. Still, an ok spy thriller that gets really boring in spots. My Rating: 5/10 IMDB User Rating: 7.7/10 (621 votes) Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (9.3/10 - 6 reviews) Last edited by sabotai : 04-26-2009 at 09:25 PM.