M (1931)

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writers:

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

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:

Public Domain | Mirror | Chalk | Children's Song | Window Dressing

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
Karl Platen	...	Damowitz, night watchman
Rosa Valetti	...	Elisabeth Winkler, Beckert's landlady
Hertha von Walther	...	Prostitute
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Behal Carrell	...	(uncredited)
Josef Dahmen	...	(uncredited)
J.A. Eckhoff	...	(uncredited)
Else Ehser	...	Woman (uncredited)
Karl Elzer	...	(uncredited)
Ilse Fürstenberg	...	(uncredited)
Anna Goltz	...	Woman (uncredited)
Heinrich Gotho	...	(uncredited)
Heinrich Gretler	...	Man (uncredited)
Günther Hadank	...	(uncredited)
Albert Hoermann	...	(uncredited)
Ellen Isenta	...	Woman (uncredited)
Karl Junge-Swinburne	...	Man (uncredited)
Albert Karchow	...	(uncredited)
Werner Kepich	...	(uncredited)
Hermann Krehan	...	(uncredited)
Kurth Leeser	...	(uncredited)
Rose Lichtenstein	...	(uncredited)
Lotte Loebinger	...	Woman (uncredited)
Sigurd Lohde	...	(uncredited)
Alfred Loretto	...	Man (uncredited)
Paul Mederow	...	(uncredited)
Margarete Melzer	...	(uncredited)
Hanna Meron	...	Girl in circle at the beginning (uncredited)
Trude Moos	...	(uncredited)
Hadrian Maria Netto	...	(uncredited)
Günter Neumann	...	Man (uncredited)
Neumann-Schüler	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Maya Norden	...	(uncredited)
Fred Nurney	...	Man (uncredited)
Edgar Pauly	...	Man (uncredited)
Klaus Pohl	...	Witness / one-eyed man (uncredited)
Franz Poland	...	(uncredited)
Paul Rehkopf	...	(uncredited)
Hans Ritter	...	(uncredited)
Agnes Schulz-Lichterfeld	...	(uncredited)
Leonard Steckel	...	Man (uncredited)
Wolf Trutz	...	(uncredited)
Otto Waldis	...	(uncredited)
Borwin Walth	...	(uncredited)
Rolf Wanka	...	Man (uncredited)
Bruno Ziener	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Fritz Lang

Writing credits
Egon Jacobson		(article) uncredited
Thea von Harbou		(script) and
Fritz Lang		(script)

Produced by
Seymour Nebenzal	....	producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Fritz Arno Wagner

Film Editing by
Paul Falkenberg

Art Direction by
Emil Hasler
Karl Vollbrecht

Production Management
Gustav Rathje	....	production manager (uncredited)

Art Department
Edgar G. Ulmer	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Adolf Jansen	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Erwin Hillier	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Karl Vash	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Nero-Film AG

Distributors

• Vereinigte Star-Film GmbH (1931) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1933) (USA) (theatrical) (English dubbed)
• Foremco Pictures Corp. (1933) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Goodwill Productions (194?) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Aquarius TV (2005) (Greece) (DVD)
• BFI Films (1998) (video)
• Barr Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Better Television Distribution (2006) (worldwide) (TV)
• Budget Video (video)
• Criterion Collection, The (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Crown Video (video)
• Divisa Home Video (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (video)
• Eureka Video (1999) (DVD)
• Eureka Video (1999) (VHS)
• F.J. Lucas (Brazil) (VHS)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2004) (Netherlands)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Janus Films (1997) (USA) (TV)
• Kartes Video (video)
• Kino International Films (1997) (USA) (restored 117-minute version)
• Kinokuniya (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• LS Video (video)
• New Cinema Enterprises (1983) (Canada) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Nostalgia Video (video)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1972) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• UFA Video (1996) (video)

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-16 (1960) | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Germany:(Banned) (1933-1945) | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | Finland:K-12 (1995) | Germany:12 (re-rating 2006) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (original rating) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Finland:(Banned) (1933) | Germany:16 (bw) (nf) | 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 use of voiceover narration was a groundbreaking new technique at the time.

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 Children of Wax (2005)

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