M (1931)

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writers:

Thea von Harbou (script) and
Fritz Lang (script)

Release Date:

31 August 1931 (Sweden)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

Plot:

When the police in a German city are unable to catch a child-murderer, other criminals join in the manhunt.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Criminal | Killer | Investigation | Beggar

Cast

Peter Lorre	...	Hans Beckert
Ellen Widmann	...	Frau Beckmann
Inge Landgut	...	Elsie Beckmann
Otto Wernicke	...	Inspector Karl Lohmann
Theodor Loos	...	Inspector Groeber
Gustaf Gründgens	...	Schränker
Friedrich Gnaß	...	Franz, the burglar
Fritz Odemar	...	The cheater
Paul Kemp	...	Pickpocket with six watches
Theo Lingen	...	Bauernfänger
Rudolf Blümner	...	Beckert's defender
Georg John	...	Blind panhandler
Franz Stein	...	Minister
Ernst Stahl-Nachbaur	...	Police chief
Gerhard Bienert	...	Criminal secretary

Also Known As:

Fritz Lang's M (Australia)
M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder (Germany)
M - Mörder unter uns (Germany) (working title)
Murderers Among Us

Runtime:

117 min | 110 min (2004 Criterion DVD edition) | France:118 min | Germany:105 min (2000 restored version) | Germany:108 min (re-release) | USA:99 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 (1995) | Finland:K-16 (1960) | Germany:(Banned) (1933-1945) | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | Germany:12 (re-rating 2006) | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | West Germany:16 (bw) (nf) | Germany:16 (video rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (original rating) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Finland:(Banned) (1933) | Portugal:17 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Not Rated | Norway:15 (1995) | Portugal:M/12 (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Staaken, Spandau, Berlin, Germany

Company:

Nero-Film AG

Trivia:

The Tegel Penitentiary in Berlin is Germany's largest prison with about 1,700 inmates (as of 2007).

Quotes:

Elisabeth Winkler, Beckert's landlady: Could you speak louder please, I'm a bit hard of hearing.
Policeman: As if I couldn't tell.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Embrace (2007)

Soundtrack:

Le Halle du Roi de la Montagne

German Expressionism at its cinematic best

Being a huge fan of German Expressionist art, I'm naturally drawn to the films of Fritz Lang. I recently was able to see the restored version of "Metropolis" on the big screen, and was delighted to see "M" on the Sundance channel - especially since it was the uncut version. M follows the trail of a child killer (Peter Lorre), sought both by the police and the members of the underworld whose businesses are being effected by the investigation.

This film is ground-breaking for many reasons: It is Fritz Lang's first talking picture, it is one of the first in the serial killer genre and it was overtly anti-Nazi. This film was banned in Germany shortly after it premiered, and Fritz Lang and Peter Lorre, both Jews, soon fled the country. It has superb acting (most notably, Peter Lorre's trial scene in the catacombs) and very stark yet at times gritty cinematography. The story is indeed suspenseful and at times, very creepy (what whistling child killer isn't?). The entire movie, however is extremely thought-provoking and challenging, much like the German Expressionist movement itself.

This is not a movie for everyone; some may find it boring, some may find it too abstract. It also has one of the most bizarre shots I've ever seen in film - essentially it's a 30 second shot of the police inspector talking on the phone, but you're under his desk and looking up his pants leg. It actually kind of baffled me and made me chuckle for a second, but it was avant garde if anything.

To those who appreciate early cinema that truly makes you think, both about the film and the subtext with which it was written and filmed, it is a must-see.

--Shelly