M (1931)

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

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writers:

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

Stars:

Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, Inge Landgut

Top 250 #52 | 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Someone is murdering children in Berlin. The Police search is so intense, it is disturbing the 'normal' criminals, and the local hoods decide to help find the murderer as quickly as possible.

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Plot Keywords:

police | criminal | murder | killer | beggar | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

31 August 1931 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Murderers Among Us

Filming Locations:

Staaken, Spandau, Berlin, Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$6,123 (USA) (15 March 2013)

Gross:

$26,648 (USA) (12 April 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nero-Film AG

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min 110 min (2004 Criterion DVD edition) 105 min (2000 restored) 108 min (re-release)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Premiere voted this movie as one of "The 25 Most Dangerous Movies".

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Quotes

Inspector Karl Lohmann: Good God! The window sill!

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Crazy Credits

All of the original credits appear only in the beginning with no music.

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Connections

Spin-off Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse (1933)
Otto Wernicke as Kriminalkomissar Lohmann appears in both.

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Soundtracks

"Le Halle du Roi de la Montagne"
in "Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46" (1876)
Written by Edvard Grieg

User Reviews

60 years old, and still uber-suspenseful

The opening scene of this movie is the first clue to its near perfection – A mother preparing dinner for her child, waiting anxiously for her to return from school. Her hope, and then distress as she hears people pass outside her door. While down in the streets of Berlin, her daughter is receiving a balloon from a strange man in a long black coat. We know what's going to happen, but it's still horrific to watch.

Fritz Lang, you cinematic god! A simple story of the underworld, the police, and a single man holding an entire city hostage, and done with such precision and pre-noir darkness that is oozes creepy suspense from beginning to end.

But this movie is not so simple as the police inspectors trying to catch a devious murderer – it's about the mob, employing its network of beggars and petty thieves also trying to bring the killer to their own brand of justice. Apparently, the police crackdown caused by the murders is bad for business – so the mob begins to track him down as well.

It's not only a great crime story, and perhaps the first physiological thriller (the murderer is schizophrenic) but there's comments to be made here about the nature of justice, and who should best dispense it.

In all, not only a trail-blazing classic, but THE trail-blazing classic.