The Tiger of Bengal

1959

1 hr. 41 min.

Drama

List

88%

8 Reviews

Tomatometer

60%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

An evil maharajah desires the attention of an exotic dancer who only has eyes for a German architect.

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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

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andrey k

A very colorful and and action-packed movie this is, the first part of a dilogy; very entertaining and visually stunning with Lang's trademark penchant for mysteries which are abound in Indian culture and so he utilizes them to the fullest.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Fritz Lang does a B-movie.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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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

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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

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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

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Fritz Lang

Director

Debra Paget

Seetha

Paul Hubschmid

Harald Berger

Claus Holm

Dr. Walter Rhode

Walter Reyer

Prince Chandra

René Deltgen

Prince Ramigani

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John DeFore

Hollywood Reporter

A colorful... break from the stark B&W dramas for which Lang is revered.

Sep 26, 2019

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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

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Lang's most open-aired use of color, and wonderful, late-period entertainment.

Feb 24, 2012

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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

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Work of great imagination.

Rated: A-

Dec 18, 2008

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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

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Synopsis

An evil maharajah desires the attention of an exotic dancer who only has eyes for a German architect.

Director: Fritz Lang
Screenwriter: Fritz Lang, Werner Jörg Lüddecke
Genre: Drama
Original Language: German
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 17, 2019

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