Review of Ministry of Fear (1944) by Daniel K — 19 Mar 2013

Seen by most as a lesser work, Fritz Lang's Ministry of Fear, in many ways, gives Alfred Hitchcock's paranoiac thrillers a run for their money. The story of a man caught up in a Nazi conspiracy, the film keeps you guessing and leaves a trail of questions all the way up until the end.

Despite the film containing too many plot elements and sometimes a mix of tones, I found myself compelled by it, particularly in the second and third acts. The film takes a little bit of time to get going, but after seeing it all the way through, you find yourself re-evaluating the first half of the film.

The film features a great performance from Ray Milland, who is one of my favorite actors of the era. His noir-ish touch on the film is just what it is needed for us to get in on this conspiracy. The other actors in the film do good work too and Lang's visual storytelling is on fine display.

The film may not garner the amount of attention that some of Lang's other work does, but it's certainly not to be overlooked.