The Spiders: Part 2 - The Diamond Ship (1920)

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Originally, Fritz Lang, writer and director here, planned 4 Spiders movies, but the 95-year-old "Das Brillantenschiff" ("The Diamond Ship") turned out to be the last installment to the series of Kay Hoog going against the infamous criminal organization. I am okay with that as I certainly enjoyed the first film more than this one. The references about his lost love are not enough in here and, in general, in terms of story and emotion it does not really deliver in my opinion. At times, it feels like a weaker version of the first film, at other times, it felt like Hoog wasn't even the main character anymore. This second film went a bit longer than the first, namely 80 minutes for the version I watched. These numbers may differ though as, as usual with these very old films, all these restored version have different runtimes and the original was probably even longer as some of the parts were lost today. As a whole, this is among the weaker films I have seen by Fritz Lang. Sorry to see this did not reach the level of the first or fulfill its potential as a worthy sequel to the film from a year earlier. Not recommended.

This is the second part of a planned quartet of films, which renowned director Fritz Lang chose to make in preference to the better-known Cabinet of Dr Caligari. Since his first two films are lost, these adventure flicks (which he also wrote) are the earliest glimpses we can see of his budding style. Please refer also to my comment on part one of The Spiders for more information and analysis.The first part of The Spiders had a plot that was flimsy and flexible enough to make any excuse for the next action set piece. Part two slows things down to a more realistic pace, and yet the plot is equally thin and literally holey. Whereas part one more or less continuously followed the exploits of hero Kay Hoog, part two is filled with digressions and minor characters, and is occasionally hard to follow. There are also some inexplicable gaps where a title card replaces action – for example when Hoog is captured in the underground city, we are told this rather than shown it. Missing footage perhaps, although there is nothing to suggest this is the case. As in part one, there is a great variety of locations, and Lang's imagination is constantly throwing up new ideas, but unlike the first part the action sequences are few and far between.Turning now from story to technical style, part two is largely set in interiors, which is all the better for Lang to get the angles right. You can see evidence of that angular, impersonal approach to shot composition that is there in all his pictures, even the B-movies he made in the 50s. Often, the arrangements appear to be simply for aesthetic taste, but here and there is method and meaning to it. Lang likes to show off the height or depth of an interior set, making his characters appear small. In many scenes the environment seems to be hemming the actors in and dictating their movements. Towards the end he shows the spider gang in small rooms with not much space between the camera and the back wall, emphasising their trapped position.But Lang's growing confidence with space is not enough to save The Diamond Ship. The first picture, in spite of its flaws, had a certain charm in its innocent and pure adventure. The sequel has all of the flaws and none of the charm.

In San Francisco, the sportsman Kay Hoog (Carl de Vogt) follows Lio Sha (Ressel Orla) in a subterranean Chinatown and discloses that her organization is seeking a Buddha-head diamond that will release Asia from tyranny. He is captured, but he escapes and chases The Spiders, embarking as a stowaway in the Storm Bird. The ship heads to London, with the criminals trying to find the diamond in the mansion of the millionaire Terry Landon (Rudolph Lettinger). They do not succeed and abduct Terry's daughter Ellen (Thea Zander) asking the diamond as ransom. However, Terry does not have the stone, and Kay Hoog discovers that it is in the Malvinas Island. He goes to the island, where he faces The Spiders.The sequel of "Die Spinnen, 1, Teil - Der Goldene See" is also a flawed movie, with a messy and silly screenplay. The great merit of this film is the hero Kay Hoof, certainly the source of inspiration of Indiana Jones. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "As Aranhas Parte 2 – O Navio dos Diamantes" ("The Spiders Part 2 – The Ship of the Diamonds")

Die Spinnen 2.Teil:Das Brillantenschiff/Spiders part 2:The Diamond Ship(1920) is an entertaining sequel with much intrigue, suspense, and cliff hangers. I enjoyed this movie more than Part One because of the climatic confrontation between the hero of the film and Lio Sha. Lio Sha is a villain much like the famous Irma Vep of Les Vampires. Fritz Lang was still developing his style when he directed Spider Part(1920) so the genius of Lang is not evident yet. Another film that is a collector's item for fans of Fritz Lang and old silent pictures. Precusor to the director's Dr. Mabuse films and his World War 2 themed features.