Man Hunt

Despite his work in Hollywood after leaving Germany in 1939, my favourite Fritz Lang films are those in his native land in the silent and early sound eras such as the Mabuse series of films, M and Metropolis. Man Hunt was one of his many films that I hadn't seen and was unaware until its DVD release was announced. Based on the book Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household in which an unnamed man wants to see if he could get close enough to assassinate the dictator of a fascistic European country. Lang's film, written by Dudley Nichols, makes the names and locations much more specific because it was made for release in 1941 so was designed to be seen by people who considered Adolf Hitler to be evil personified.

The first scene in the film is one of the most suspenseful Lang has ever made with a big game hunter hiking in the Bavarian woods and then lying face down on a ledge. This is no ordinary area as the ledge overlooks the Eagle's Nest in Berchtesgaden and the man takes out a high velocity rifle, adjusts the range and aims it at a man on the balcony: Adolf Hitler. When he pulls the trigger, there is no bullet in the chamber and he salutes his 'prey' before putting a bullet in the chamber and again taking aim.

The next thing he knows is that a German soldier has seen him and he is arrested and brought before Major Quive-Smith, the head of the Gestapo who offers the man, Capt Alan Thorndike, a deal: sign a confession saying that he tried to assassinate the German Führer on the orders of the British government or be executed. Thorndike explains that he doesn't hunt to kill as the thrill is in the chase and Hitler was just a 'sporting star'. Despite being beaten and tortured, Thorndike refuses to sign because that would be a lie and so he is taken into the woods, badly beaten and left for dead.

Using all his resources and survival skills, Thorndike survives the fall down the mountainside and finds his way to a Danish ship bound for London where a young boy helps him out and ensures he gets back home. Unbeknownst to Thorndike, a group of German spies are on his tail, one with Thorndike's passport and, this time, he is the 'sporting star'. Whilst in London, he inadvertently teams up with a cockney seamstress (actually a prostitute but the Hays Office took objection to that role for the female lead so a sewing machine was placed in her apartment) and the two strike up an unlikely relationship.


I hadn't read the press release prior to watching the film so I thought that the lead actor was Gregory Peck until the camera moved closer in on the would-be assassin only to reveal it was Walter Pidgeon. The supporting cast are full of wonderful actors from George Sanders (Shere Khan himself) as the Gestapo officer to John Carradine as the incredibly gaunt German spy and Joan Bennett whose Jerry is a proper Cock-er-nee girl who you know has feelings for Thorndike that can't be reciprocated. They are all terrific actors with Sanders being particularly villainous and Bennett as suitably adorable despite the rather unconvincing Cockney accent.

Fritz Lang told several stories about why he left Germany, and when. The most popular was that he was offered the job of leading the film section in the Ministry of Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda by Joseph Goebbels and was so afraid that he immediately went home, packed whatever he could fit in a suitcase and left Germany that evening. Apparently his passport and working records tell a different story as they show that he was a frequent visitor to Germany where he saw his wife and co-writer, Thea von Harbou right until war broke out. In any case, his opinions about Hitler come to the fore at the end of the film when Thorndike delivers a blistering attack on the Führer to Quive-Smith.


This is one of those stories that reminds me a little of Hitchcock's 'innocent man on the run' films with Thorndike desperately trying to avoid the Nazi spies in London and there is a terrific sequence in the London Underground culminating in a section in one of the tunnels which is remarkable for its claustrophobia and tension.

Man Hunt is an extremely well made film that changes tone effortlessly throughout. It begins as a caper but moves into much darker and more sinister territory as it progresses, the mood and tension imperceptibly shifting so you don't notice the tonal shifts until after they have happened. Lang is such a great director that even small scenes are beautifully composed and shot, showing his grasp of mise en scène. This may be no masterpiece right up there with Metropolis, M or Dr Mabuse: The Gambler but it is a quality film that is very much a piece of history -- imagine you're in the cinema in 1941 when the end section plays.


The Disc

Extra Features
The solitary feature on the disc is the original theatrical trailer and I much preferred how they marketed movies back then.

The Picture
The image quality is extremely pleasing with very little evidence of scratches, white spots or print damage and the picture is generally crisp with excellent contrast levels. Lang uses the location shooting and studio sets to tremendous effect taking you from the Bavarian forests to the London Underground without ever leaving the capital.


I was amazed to read that one of the scenes set on a London Bridge was made in the early hours of the morning with only the three actors, Lang, cinematographer Arthur Miller and Lang's unit manager, Benny Silvi, who constructed the bridge out of one railing, another that Lang bought for $40 and some lightbulbs to give the illusion of depth in the foggy environment!

The Sound
The Dolby Digital 2.0 mono soundtrack isn't the most demanding or impressive you will ever come across with no explosions, very little gunfire and nothing else you would really associate with a war film. The dialogue comes across extremely clearly and the tension is heightened by Alfred Newman's terrific score.


Final Thoughts
Man Hunt has never been released on DVD in the UK before so this is extremely welcome and I imagine fans of Fritz Lang's work and those who like wartime espionage films would find this a title they would like to have in their DVD collection. It may not be packed to the rafters with extra features but it is a quality film and one well worth at least a rental, if not a purchase.