Mann gegen Mann (1928) Review - Harry Piel is a Madman

If you're looking for a deep story that makes you rethink your life choices, you're in the wrong place. Mann gegen Mann is basically a playground for Harry Piel to show off.

Is it worth watching today? Only if you really love the energy of silent cinema when it's trying to be a blockbuster. It's perfect for people who like Jackie Chan or Tom Cruise and want to see where that 'do it for real' spirit came from.

Most people will probably find it way too frantic and the plot is... well, it's barely there. If you hate movies where logic takes a backseat to a guy jumping off a moving vehicle, stay away. 🏃‍♂️

I watched this late on a Tuesday and honestly, I was surprised by how much the camera moves. Harry Piel directed this too, and you can tell he just wanted to capture himself from the best angles.

There is this one scene near the middle where he's dangling—I think it was a balcony or a rope—and you can see the grain of the film getting all fuzzy. It feels dangerous.

The print I saw was a bit beat up, which actually helped the vibe. It felt like finding a lost relic in a basement.

The way the characters talk in the title cards is so extra. Everyone is always 'determined' or 'betrayed' with a capital B.

I kept thinking about Poker Faces while watching this, mostly because of how much physical comedy is baked into the drama. But where that movie feels like a tight joke, this feels like a series of dares.

Charly Berger is in this too, looking very serious. He has this one look he gives where his eyes just sort of bug out. It made me laugh, probably more than it was supposed to. 🤨

The pacing is high-speed. It doesn't breathe.

You get the sense that Harry Piel didn't really care about the 'why' of the story. He just cared about the 'how fast.'

There's a bit with a dog later on that feels totally out of place. It's like they had a trained dog for one day and decided to shove it into three different scenes.

It reminds me of the weird randomness you find in The Isle of Lost Ships. Just stuff happening because it looks cool on a poster.

The lighting is actually kind of terrible in the indoor scenes. It’s all flat and gray, but then they go outside and the sun hits Harry’s hair and suddenly it’s a masterpiece.

I noticed a guy in the background of a street scene who was clearly just a regular person wondering why a movie was being filmed. He stares right at the lens for like four seconds.

The 'Man against Man' title is a bit of a lie. It's more like 'One Man against a bunch of stunts.'

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Mann gegen Mann (1928) through its definitive frames.

Hertha von Walther is fine, but the movie doesn't give her much to do besides look worried. It’s a shame because she has a great presence.

The editing is choppy. Sometimes a guy is standing by a door and then in the next shot he's across the room.

It’s not as polished as something like Das Grand Hotel Babylon. That movie felt like it had a budget for actual sets. This feels like they just ran around Berlin and hoped for the best.

I loved the hats. Everyone had such great hats back then.

There's a fight scene near the end that goes on way too long. They keep falling over the same piece of furniture.

By the third time the table flipped, I was checking my phone. But then Harry did a backflip or something and I was back in.

It’s a very loud silent movie, if that makes sense. You can hear the imaginary punches. 👊

If you've seen other Harry Piel stuff, you know the drill. He’s the hero, he’s indestructible, and he probably did his own laundry between takes.

The whole thing feels like a fever dream of 1920s masculinity. Lots of chest-puffing and pointing.

I think the writers, Nossen and Liebmann, probably wrote the script on a napkin. 'Scene 1: Harry runs. Scene 2: Harry jumps. Scene 3: Harry wins.'

It’s not art, but it’s cinema. There’s a difference, I think.

The movie gets noticeably better when it stops trying to explain the jewelry theft or whatever the plot was about. Just let the man climb the building.

One reaction shot of Harry lasts so long it becomes funny. He’s just staring into the distance like he forgot his stove was on.

I’d say give it a watch if you can find a decent version. It’s a bit of a slog in the talky parts, but the action is genuinely wild for 1928.

It's definitely better than some of the drier stuff from that era like The Rights of Man. At least this has someone falling off a roof.

Final thought: Harry Piel was probably a nightmare to insure.

Anyway, it’s a fun relic. Don’t overthink it. Just watch the man jump. 🎬