Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • Thank You
    • 4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
    • 3999. The Pianist (2002)
    • 3998. Philadelphia (1993)
    • 3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
    • 3996. The Green Mile (1999)
    • 3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
    • 3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»3602. Ministry Of Fear (1944)

    3602. Ministry Of Fear (1944)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on January 2, 2022 1944, 6 - 7.9, 80-89 mins, Crime, Drama, Jan 22, Movies Of 2022, Review, Thriller, United States
    6.3 Never gets off the mark
    • Acting 6.5
    • Directing 6.4
    • Story 6.1
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Ray Milland, Marjorie Reynolds, Carl Esmond

    Director: Fritz Lang

    Running Time: 87 mins


    Ministry Of Fear is an American film about a man, recently released from a mental asylum, who accidentally finds himself at the centre of a conflict of spies and Nazis after receiving a mysterious item.

    I wasn’t a big fan of Ministry Of Fear. A film that has all the ingredients of a cagey, unsettling WW2-era thriller, bolstered by direction from the legendary Fritz Lang and a charismatic lead turn from Ray Milland, Ministry Of Fear just never seems to get off the mark, building up to crescendos that are far more underwhelming when they eventually come along.

    I’ll admit that, despite his acclaim through history, I’ve never been entirely enamoured by Fritz Lang’s films. His brand of slow pacing and unsettling tension isn’t as gripping as the likes of Alfred Hitchcock or David Lean, although Lang’s films do often deliver visually captivating thrills and spills on every occasion.

    Ministry Of Fear is no different, and if there’s one thing that really stands out about this movie, it’s the way it looks. With the odd Dutch angle – a staple of 1940s thrillers – and an almost constant use of murky, ominous shadows, there’s no denying exactly what Lang is trying to achieve with Ministry Of Fear, and he certainly manages to create a sense of unease on the surface.

    Beyond that, however, this film is never a particularly thrilling watch. It’s fine as a simple crime mystery, but Ministry Of Fear is playing with a lot more than generic thriller tropes. With psychological instability surrounding our main character, and the context of the Second World War pervading throughout, there’s more to this film than first meets the eye, but it never capitalises on those additional themes and ideas.

    As a result, Ministry Of Fear struggled to captivate me at any point. Again, it’s not a tedious watch, and there are a few moments of good tension, as well as some intriguing themes that run through the film. However, it can’t hold a candle to the greatest thrillers of the 1940s, and that’s why I’m giving it a 6.3 overall.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. From January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2022, he watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    8.2

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    8.2
    December 25, 2022

    3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

    5.6
    December 10, 2022

    3969. Falling For Christmas (2022)

    6.9
    December 4, 2022

    3956. The People We Hate At The Wedding (2022)

    5.4
    December 3, 2022

    3954. Disenchanted (2022)

    7.4
    December 3, 2022

    3953. Meet Cute (2022)

    7.6
    November 23, 2022

    3934. Do Revenge (2022)

    7.0
    November 18, 2022

    3929. The Wonder (2022)

    6.7
    November 13, 2022

    3924. See How They Run (2022)

    Recommended Movies
    9.5
    Review
    September 25, 20140

    700. Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

    8.2
    Review
    May 10, 20160

    1346. The Fugitive (1993)

    8.1
    Review
    April 6, 20130

    113. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

    9.1
    Review
    January 10, 20180

    2012. I, Tonya (2017)

    8.7
    Review
    October 25, 20220

    3903. Judgment At Nuremberg (1961)

    Popular Posts
    December 31, 2022

    Thank You

    8.2
    December 31, 2022

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8
    December 30, 2022

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2
    December 29, 2022

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    7.5
    December 28, 2022

    3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

    9.1
    December 27, 2022

    3996. The Green Mile (1999)

    7.6
    December 26, 2022

    3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.