Nihilism and the conservative revolution: from <i>Play</i> to <i>Testament</i> in Fritz Lang’s Weimar Mabuse films

This intervention offers a renewed interpretation of Fritz Lang’s first two Mabuse films along the lines of war trauma, violence, madness, legitimacy and the law, and the fight for the fragmented souls of the Weimar Republic. First, in its emphasis on characters and scenes that are overlooked or mostly neglected in other analyses. But also, in the focus on the transition between the two depictions of Mabuse in the context of the historicity of power within the Weimar Republic. This is framed by the trajectory from reactive nihilism to a conservative revolution. The former operates within the legible framework of the reality principle, the latter presents an antinomy (conservation/revolution) that is situated, though never resolved, through the claim of sovereign exceptionalism – the genius/madness of Mabuse. Finally, as a critical model this essay suggests that the films offer a potent analogue to today’s reinvigoration of revanchist and reactionary politics.