Ministry of Fear--a Fritz Lang classic worth watching

[Ovation]

A quick note (time for bed). Lang's Ministry of Fear is a wartime film (1944) that features a story that, on the surface, resembles many films from the era--innocent man caught up in potential Nazi spying incident. However, as ever with Lang, not all is as it seems. It's not really a mystery thriller or an overt propaganda film, but rather (as the Criterion essay that accompanies the Blu-ray suggests) a kind of "nightmare film". Not considered a major Lang effort, but as I've often said of Hitchcock (and as a Lang film historian says in the supplements), "a minor Lang effort is a major accomplishment".

Ray Milland is quite good in the lead role and Batman's butler, Alfred, makes a showing in a minor but important role (that's Adam West's Batman, in case anyone was wondering). The Criterion release looks very good.

[George Bellefontaine]

Quite awhile since I saw it but as I recall, I wasn't impressed. Now that I am older, and hopefully wiser, perhaps I should try to rent it and give it a second look.