Wissenswertes

Banned by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels in 1933 for its subversive nature and the possibility that it might "incite people to anti-social behavior and terrorism against the State".

The Dark Knight (2008) features a version of The Joker inspired by Mabuse. Throughout the film, the character recites monologues promoting chaos and disorder which borrow heavily from Mabuse's testament. Director Christopher Nolan has stated: "I think I made Jonah (Nolan's brother, Jonathan Nolan) watch Fritz Lang's Dr. Mabuse prior to writing the Joker.

This movie was banned by the Nazi Regime in 1933. According to Fritz Lang, Joseph Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda, invited him for a meeting. Goebbels said himself and Hitler counted Lang's earlier movies as their favourites, notably Die Nibelungen: Siegfrieds Tod (1924), Die Nibelungen: Kriemhilds Rache (1924) and Metropolis (1927). However, they did not like his latest movies that much. The reasons are simple: M: Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder (1931) and Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse (1933) could be interpreted as metaphors of the rising Nazi ideology. The former depicts an underground evil organisation replacing the police and the latter shows an insane leader of organised crime using Nazi slogans. Despite this, because of his reputation and skills, Goebbels offered Lang to be an official movie director of the Nazi regime. Lang said he would think about it. Lang later stated that he fled that same evening for Paris without being able to withdraw his money from the bank. Actually, he did leave, but later on after organising his trip. And as we know he eventually left France for the USA. One anecdote was mentioned by Lang, but it is impossible to know if it is true or not. After Goebbels made his proposal, Lang replied: "But you must know my mother was Jewish", to which Goebbels replied: "We decide who is Jewish or not!"

Fritz Lang, who was fluent in French, simultaneously shot a French-language version under the title "Le Testament du Docteur Mabuse." The German cast members who were not fluent in French were replaced with French-speaking actors. Rudolf Klein-Rogge had his dialog replaced with an early form of dubbing.

As Fritz Lang made this film before the Nazis came to power, it might be considered as the first anti-Nazi propaganda film. As soon as they did come to power, the film was banned, and Lang felt it prudent to leave Germany shortly afterwards.