Although "Gods of the Plague" is described as a sequel to "Love Is Colder Than Death,"… it makes an appropriate companion piece to "The American Soldier," a comically dead-panned contemplation of American gangster films of the 30's and 40's. Where "The American Soldier" comes close to parody, though, "Gods of the Plague" is absolutely straight, which is not to say that it's realistic or that its narrative is important for itself….

"Gods of the Plague" is the quintessential American gangster film if the quintessential American gangster film had been adapted and updated to accommodate a bunch of small-time Munich hoods for whom the holdup of a rather ordinary suburban supermarket is "the big job." If "The American Soldier" is about movies, "Gods of the Plague" is one of the movies it's about….

[Franz's] joylessness is profound, and it's consistent with his vision of a world in which everyone...