M (1931)

Overview: In this classic German thriller Hans Beckert a serial killer who preys on children becomes the focus of a massive Berlin police manhunt. Beckert's heinous crimes are so repellant and disruptive to city life that he is even targeted by others in the seedy underworld network. With both cops and criminals in pursuit the murderer soon realizes that people are on his trail sending him into a tense panicked attempt to escape justice.

Director: Fritz Lang

Cast: Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, Inge Landgut, Otto Wernicke, Theodor Loos

Original Language: DE

Original Title: M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder

Budget: N/A

Revenue: $35,274

MPAA Rating: PG

Keywords: berlin, germany, germany, psychopath, detective inspector, child murder, investigation, organized crime, serial killer, black and white, criminal, pre-code, psycho, expressionism, criterion, german expressionism, crime

Wiccaburr (October 7, 2020)

The movie is classic and yet this is my first time watching this. Peter Lorre alone is worth seeing this movie as he always played such the great villain. No music keeps your focus on the image and dialogue throughout the movie. Camera work looks pretty awesome especially when they start doing the manhunt. This movie clocks in at almost two hours so there will be a lot of pacing and dialogue to go through. It will feel a bit dragging when Lorre isn't on the screen but it is well worth going through the film to see how it all plays out.

badelf (May 31, 2023)

So you say you want to enroll in film school? Don't bother. Just watch Fritz Lang's M and Metropolis.

James (October 20, 2023)

Random person: Nobody knows him (The murderer). Woman who lives with the murderer: Am I a joke to you?

James (October 20, 2023)

Stone cold classic. Certainly one of the best time films about orange peels being littered.

Filipe Manuel Neto (October 28, 2023)

**One of the masterpieces of classic German cinema.** There isn't much that can be said about this film that almost everyone hasn't already said or written. It is one of the great films of German cinema, one of the best productions that were made before the Second World War and one of the best films in the career of the renowned director Fritz Lang, who shortly afterward would leave Germany due to the rise of Nazism, refusing to deal with that political regime. The film is inspired by real events, namely the murderous path of Peter Kürten, the “Vampire of Düsseldorf”, who terrorized people at the same time and also had young teenagers as his victims. The film manages to capture very well the feeling of fear that existed among the people of the city and the attempts that the police made to find this merciless killer. The cinematography, in black and white, still shows signs of the influence of German expressionism without, however, giving up the realism that the entire film demanded. In fact, I can't say whether the film was inspired by “noir” or came to inspire “noir” later, but I could see the aesthetic and style similarities. Peter Lorre is the only actor who stands out: he brought the main role to life and shines without almost having to say anything. It's an excellent work by the actor and has undoubtedly opened many doors for him.