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The Tiger of Bengal

Play trailer The Tiger of Bengal 1959 1h 41m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
An evil maharajah desires the attention of an exotic dancer who only has eyes for a German architect.

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The Tiger of Bengal

Critics Reviews

View All (8) Critics Reviews
John DeFore The Hollywood Reporter A colorful... break from the stark B&W dramas for which Lang is revered. Sep 26, 2019 Full Review David Bax Battleship Pretension European exceptionalism is the rule here, with whites being unquestionably good and Indians with European blood or with European educations blatantly portrayed as more civilized. Sep 27, 2019 Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid Lang's most open-aired use of color, and wonderful, late-period entertainment. Feb 24, 2012 Full Review Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) A strikingly beautiful film that takes itself so seriously that we almost manage it ourselves. Rated: 4/5 Aug 19, 2009 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Work of great imagination. Rated: A- Dec 18, 2008 Full Review Tim Brayton Antagony & Ecstasy What elevates the films to the status of art-in-genre-clothing, is Lang's taste for lurid color and perfect compositions. Rated: 9/10 May 25, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (18) audience reviews
Tony S Narratively bland but visually engaging indian epic. Staring hilariously tacky but cute puppet of a tiger. The main entertainment value is admiring Debra Paget's costumes and her horrible lip-sync. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/27/21 Full Review Audience Member Fritz Lang does a B-movie. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member The first of two films by Fritz Lang that tells the story of a European architect named Harold Berger who is summoned by the local Indian king Maharaja Chandra to build schools and hospitals. Chandra is obsessed about the beautiful dancer Seetha, who becomes attached to Berger on their journey to Eschnapur because Berger saves her from a tiger. What I appreciated most was the exuberant visuals; the sets, locations, costumes, props, etc. showcasing a stereotypical view of India. Originally supposed to be in German, I had a English dubbing which was quite off as the voices didn't perfectly go along with the lips. Almost every actor in the film is non-Indian, disguised by black paint. It was a bit awkward for me to see every "Indian" speak in perfect English, but I went along with it. The main reason it's a disappointment is that it's a very feeble adventure. Lang fails in building great suspense and action; we see specific situations build up, but they're never really explored such as secret passageways or the tiger hunts, we only get a glimpse of what could have been. The story is acceptable as a triangular romance, but again it doesn't seem like Lang put that much effort in developing it. I can't deny it being a unique experience though. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member At the end of his career, Fritz Lang returned to Germany and made this two-part film that harkens back to the serials of yore. A Canadian architect visits Indian to help out a Maharajah who wishes to build hospitals and schools but is suffering political problems because he has fallen in love with a dancer and his brother wants to usurp his throne. Of course, the architect also falls for the dancer and this causes trouble. Shot in color with some striking sets, but badly dubbed and badly acted. The story feels stretched...I looked at the clock and realized that the plot would continue....in The Indian Tomb. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member It has some beautiful color and seems a clear forerunner to Temple of Doom. However, it's also quite draggy for some pretty long stretches. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member What you'll take home from it: -India is secretly filled with Irish people, or leprechauns. -Every temple has its hidden treasures, and lepers. -American architects can outwit a pack of tigers better than anyone trained in any profession, including zoology. -If your lost in a desert and dying of fatigue and dehydration, you should give your horse (who will die much sooner than you) a portion of the canteen of water your carrying so that you can feel better about its misfortune before you shoot and kill it. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Tiger of Bengal

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Movie Info

Synopsis An evil maharajah desires the attention of an exotic dancer who only has eyes for a German architect.
Director
Fritz Lang
Producer
Artur Brauner
Screenwriter
Fritz Lang, Werner Jörg Lüddecke
Genre
Drama
Original Language
German
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 17, 2019
Runtime
1h 41m
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