A Brilliant Conflict

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Whilst reading up about Robert Siodmak's wenn der Teufel kam (which I've not seen yet!),I found out that a fellow IMDber had kindly sent me a DVD of Robert Hossein's take on the real life Dusseldorf serial killer,which led to me getting ready to unmask the "Vampire of Düsseldorf."The plot-1930-Germany:With Hitler on the rise, labourer Peter Kuerten decides to go to the city of Düsseldorf and pretend to be a member of the "elite." Along with being taken by the performances of nightclub singer Anna,Kuerten notices that a number of women are on their own in the city,which leads to Kuerten deciding to become a serial killer.As Kuerten's killing spree begins,the police find themselves struggling to get any clues to who "The Vampire of Düsseldorf " is,whilst Anna begins to notice a man who attends all her performances. View on the film:Opening with "3D" credits,co-writer/(along with Claude Desailly/Georges Tabet/ André & Georges Tabet) lead actor/director Robert Hossein and cinematographer Alain Levent slice the true life events with a peculiar, mischievous edge,where Hossein and Levent break the 4th wall via having characters turn Hossein's dad André wonderful score off/on radio and record players.Keeping the strange vibes brewing,Hossein transforms the Film Noir chills into an operatic Gothic Horror final,as the "monster/vampire" gets the girl,and their world comes burning down.Casting the horrifying burning of books across the screen,Hossein grips the grim Film Noir in an atmosphere reeking of anxiety,where each stalk & slash murder is displayed in unflinching wide-shots.Avoiding the risk of just making the movie a series of set-piece killings,the writers explore the rotting landscape where Kuerten and Hitler lurk, from the nightclubs being filled with self-centred Femme Fatales and Film Noir loners,to the police desperately trying to make themselves look busy,as Kuerten's reign overwhelms them.Skipping over making her pure and innocent,the writers give Anna a real spiky side that Kuerten finds irresistible.Performing some chosen "old standards" in alluring outfits,the stunning Marie-France Pisier gives a great performance as Anna,with Pisier grinning a femme fatale smile as Anna stabs Kuerten with abrasive one-liners which reveal that looks can be deceiving. Creeping around the city looking for his next victim, Hossein gives a superb performance as Kuerten,thanks to Hossein tearing up Kuerten's buttoned-up shine to reveal the Film Noir monster desperate for blood,as the Vampire of Düsseldorf steps out of the shadows.

Skilled direction by the star, Robert Hossein, although the story was full of unsurprises. Hossein's portrayal of real life Weimar-era serial killer Peter Kurten was a little too detached, almost bored. Superb camera work and lighting, although the music grated at times. This movie was unknown to me until I found it online. It appears to have been released the same year as The Night of the Generals, a movie set in Nazi occupied Poland a decade later. With both films featuring Teutonic serial killers, I guess one of them had to step aside. Here there were no subtitles, but the dialogue spoken so clearly and free of argot I missed only a little. The people probably spoke non-colloquial French because they were supposed to be Germans, and everyone knows Germans in the 1930's spoke without argot. Marie-France Pisier was good as the chanteuse of a subterranean boite called El Dorado.

A brutal murderer was widely known in the 1920's in Germany, nicknamed The Vampire of Düsseldorf (hence the title). He got captured and he appeared to be Peter Kürten. In this version of events we follow Peter committing his crimes. A laborer who pretends he's from high society. There's much attention for the unstable political situation in the days of the Weimar republic. There are fascist everywhere, burning books, beating people up, etcetera.Watching a serial killer doing his thing is a actually quite weird type of film to watch. But it exists for decades and keeps on fascinating people, until this day (for example Henry, Portrait of a serial killer, or series like The Fall and Dexter). Le vampire de Düsseldorf is an early example from 1965. But a film about (supposedly, director Fritz Lang denied it) the same killer, M., is even older, even from the same year as when Kürten was executed (1931).The subject isn't very original. As many others already have mentioned, M. by Fritz Lang is a much better film. It's not so much about the killings, rather about psychology, fear and sentiments. As others also have mentioned, there's not much German about this film, not even an attempt to. This film lacks in original storytelling and in realism.However, the good thing is: I found this film surprisingly stylish. Robert Hossein (who wrote and directed the film, and played the lead) was by then already an experienced film noir director, who knew how to capture the attention with silence, as he did in La Mort d'un Tueur. The street scenes at night are quite marvelous. The camera movements are lovely to see. Many pretty shots, as for example the distant shot of the bar Eldorado, the shot with Anna and all her mirrors, or the following through the streets. Those are absolutely worthy of the predicate film noir. I rate this 7/10, mostly for style.Unrelated to the review, but I also like the idea of a bar with phones in which, for example, table 14 could call table 8. Apparently a common thing in the 20's. A funny concept that a smart person perhaps can revive again.

A major discovery, for me, this one, written, directed and starring, Robert Hossein. Evidently a highly esteemed French actor who played many a romantic lead with the likes of Bardot and Loren, he also played less frivolous parts including thrillers such as Riffifi. Not as prolific at directing, he nevertheless seems to have made several interesting sounding titles that I shall have to look out for. His leading lady here is Marie France Pisier, who also was a very popular artiste in France and amongst other things was in Celine and Julie Go boating and a couple of Bunuel's. Here she plays a very cool and attractive cabaret singer, complete with top hat and whip. Her scenes in the nightclub are most effective as is the whole film. Based on a true story of a Dusseldorf serial killer, the sleazy back streets here are actually Madrid and the b/w cinematography throughout is a joy. Extremely well performed by all concerned and very competently directed, this is a highly recommended film.