A 1953 Argentinian remake of Fritz Lang's M from director Roman Vinoly Barreto. Following the plotine of the original very closely w/some subtle changes, making the child murderer a English language tutor, who is glimpsed by a nightclub entertainer from her dressing room window after we learn later a murder was committed there. A prosecutor & the police are desperate to catch him going through extreme lengths (catching any & all possible suspects & giving them the third degree) but as the criminals fear their own well being & the populace itself (particularly the homeless) are onto to the Black Vampire, he takes the entertainer's daughter hostage in a desperate bid to survive w/the final reel of him being chased, caught & brought to trial. As worthy as the original & even the 1951 American remake, this south of the border version was done w/such style & taste, you would think this film could be made in different countries & languages w/similar results.
10 Reviews
might have been good in its time, but..
billsoccer14 December 2022
A remake- though not exact - of 'M' has a Peter Lorre-like actor as a pedophile murderer (none of that on-screen fortunately). The cinematography is good - especially the ending scenes in the sewers, 'borrowed' from the Third Man.
A madman is loose in Buenos Aries, kidnapping and murdering young children and in general baffling the police. There is a sub-plot, the prosecutor has an unhealthy interest in the only witness to a childs abduction.
All this may have been cutting edge in the Argentine post-Peron era, but unlike the first few reviewers I see nothing remarkable here. The acting is less than average Hollywood of the same time, the story was told better before and after this. And you have to suffer through sub-titles also😁
A madman is loose in Buenos Aries, kidnapping and murdering young children and in general baffling the police. There is a sub-plot, the prosecutor has an unhealthy interest in the only witness to a childs abduction.
All this may have been cutting edge in the Argentine post-Peron era, but unlike the first few reviewers I see nothing remarkable here. The acting is less than average Hollywood of the same time, the story was told better before and after this. And you have to suffer through sub-titles also😁
A masterpiece
dfranzen7021 October 2014
I saw a stunning movie last night. El Vampiro Negro, an Argintinian film whose title translates as The Black Vampire, is a remake of Fritz Lang's legendary M, starring Peter Lorre as a child killer. But this is no shot-for-shot remake. The acting is astonishing on all fronts, and the plot is tight and fraught with dread. And the look! Although the movie was released in 1953 (and almost never seen in the U.S.A.), a bit past the classic noir era, there's a distinct look of those gritty dramas afoot.
Teodoro Ulber (Nathan Pinzon), known as The Professor, is on trial for murder as the movie begins. After his attorney asks for confinement to a mental institution and the prosecution asks for the death penalty, a flashback reveals how Ulber made it to this point. Outside a dance hall, a short, portly figure drags the body of a little girl from a worn sack and throws it down a sewage shaft. The next day, a homeless man, deep within the sewer tunnels of the city, comes across the body. He alerts the police, who (of course) toss him in jail as a possible suspect, and the manhunt is on.
But Ulber's actions didn't go unseen. Through window in the basement of the dance hall, a young performer named Amalia (Olga Zubarry) spies the wretched little man. But she keeps quiet, at the behest of the club's unscrupulous owner. The owner fears he'd come under too-close scrutiny, and Amalia fears that she'll receive unwanted publicity – for, although she's a dancer of ill repute (!), she does have a sweet young daughter whom she's been able to send to a private school, at her own great sacrifice.
What's more, one of Amalia's coworkers, Cora (Nelly Panizza) is actually acquaintances with Ulber, who awkwardly pitches woo at Cora. Without realizing that Ulber is indeed the Black Vampire, Cora and Amalia aid in his escape from the police (led by prosecutor Bernar, played by Roberto Escalada), which only opens up the possibility of more children being murdered.
This is by no means a gory film. In fact, there's almost no blood at all (and none anywhere near a child). But the harsh camera of Anibal Gonzalez Paz tells a story all on its own: the desperate vulnerability of Ulber, the jaded countenance of Bernar, the shadowy streets and tunnels and back alleys of the city. Gonzalez Paz artfully direct the viewer's attention not to what is present but to what may be coming just around the bend.
The movie premiered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October 1953 but didn't make it over to the States until January 2014. 61 years! 61 years before this masterful work by Roman Vinoly Barreto could be seen (with subtitles) over here, and more's the pity. El Vampiro Negro is a tremendous accomplishment that's not to be missed.
Huge thanks to the Film Noir Foundation and to the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland for making this screening possible!
Teodoro Ulber (Nathan Pinzon), known as The Professor, is on trial for murder as the movie begins. After his attorney asks for confinement to a mental institution and the prosecution asks for the death penalty, a flashback reveals how Ulber made it to this point. Outside a dance hall, a short, portly figure drags the body of a little girl from a worn sack and throws it down a sewage shaft. The next day, a homeless man, deep within the sewer tunnels of the city, comes across the body. He alerts the police, who (of course) toss him in jail as a possible suspect, and the manhunt is on.
But Ulber's actions didn't go unseen. Through window in the basement of the dance hall, a young performer named Amalia (Olga Zubarry) spies the wretched little man. But she keeps quiet, at the behest of the club's unscrupulous owner. The owner fears he'd come under too-close scrutiny, and Amalia fears that she'll receive unwanted publicity – for, although she's a dancer of ill repute (!), she does have a sweet young daughter whom she's been able to send to a private school, at her own great sacrifice.
What's more, one of Amalia's coworkers, Cora (Nelly Panizza) is actually acquaintances with Ulber, who awkwardly pitches woo at Cora. Without realizing that Ulber is indeed the Black Vampire, Cora and Amalia aid in his escape from the police (led by prosecutor Bernar, played by Roberto Escalada), which only opens up the possibility of more children being murdered.
This is by no means a gory film. In fact, there's almost no blood at all (and none anywhere near a child). But the harsh camera of Anibal Gonzalez Paz tells a story all on its own: the desperate vulnerability of Ulber, the jaded countenance of Bernar, the shadowy streets and tunnels and back alleys of the city. Gonzalez Paz artfully direct the viewer's attention not to what is present but to what may be coming just around the bend.
The movie premiered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October 1953 but didn't make it over to the States until January 2014. 61 years! 61 years before this masterful work by Roman Vinoly Barreto could be seen (with subtitles) over here, and more's the pity. El Vampiro Negro is a tremendous accomplishment that's not to be missed.
Huge thanks to the Film Noir Foundation and to the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland for making this screening possible!
Dark Argentine noir
fwdixon30 December 2021
Here is an Argentine noir film (English subtitles) that is a take-off of Fritz Lang's masterpiece "M" with Peter Lorre, though not a scene-by-scene remake like the US version with David Wayne. Well worth viewing when you have an hour and a half to kill.
Excellent, expressive cinematography, good acting and the pacing of the film is perfect.
Highly recommend.
Excellent, expressive cinematography, good acting and the pacing of the film is perfect.
Highly recommend.
An amazing movie and a long-kist classic
mgconlan-131 October 2022
When I first saw this film on Turner Classic Movies' schedule for October 29, two days before Hallowe'en, I wondered, "Why are they showing one of those cheap, terrible Mexican horror movies in Eddie Muller's time slot?" I was wrong on all countsL the film turned out to be more noir than horror, a clever reworking of Fritz Lang's "M," and a film or real quality and power in its own right. Also it's from Argentina, not Mexico. Eddie Muller stressed the feminist aspects of the tale, particularly the appearance of strong women characters (ironically, Lang's "M" contains virtually no women even though a woman, Thea von Harbou, wrote it). Writer-director Román Vinoly Barreto manages to work in references not only to "M" but other classic films like "The Man Who Knew Too Much," "The Third Man," and even "Casablanca" (early on, when they're just starting the search for the child-killer, the police say, "Round up all the usual suspects"), but Barreto ably fuses those movies into his plot so he seems like a director with a true love of his predecessors instead of some kid saying, "Look at how many movies I've seen!" A truly great film, blessedly rediscovered (thank you, Hollywood Foreign Press Association - the much-maligned group that hosted the Golden Globes - for funding its restoration) and ready to take its place as one of the classics of the film noir era.
An Argentine version of "M".
planktonrules2 November 2022
"El Vampiro Negro" ("The Black Vampire") is a film with a very unfortunate title. The film is NOT a monster movie and has no vampires! Instead, it's an Argentinian reworking of the German film, "M"....and 'vampire' is a word they use to describe a child molester who murders children. Unlike "M", the film focuses less on the murderer and more on the people around him, such as parents, suspects, the prosecutor and his wife as well as the police.
Both "M" and "El Vampiro Negro" are at their best when it comes to cinematography. In many ways, the lighting and camera angles look like film noir. And, the opening scene of the steps is a work of art...framed and lit so perfectly.
There also are some wonderfully powerful scenes in the film, such as when the blind man recognizes that the killer is near due to the tune he's whistling. How that is handled is pretty amazing. Additionally, occasionally the movie is brutal...surprisingly brutal for its time. I think this makes for a much more powerful and emotional picture.
Overall, a very good film. The only quibble is the same one I have about "M", as the films want you to take pity on the killer....as if he's not responsible for his actions. As a trained therapist who has worked quite a bit with such individuals, I would beg to differ about feeling any sort of pity for these perpetrators. Fortunately, the ending of this South American movie IS tougher and offers a tough final scene in which the killer IS held accountable...something not provided in "M".
By the way, in this film there is no reference to the killer molesting the kids. It wouldn't make any sense if he didn't...but I assume Argentine sensibilities at the time wouldn't allow them to talk about the sexual aspects of the killings.
Both "M" and "El Vampiro Negro" are at their best when it comes to cinematography. In many ways, the lighting and camera angles look like film noir. And, the opening scene of the steps is a work of art...framed and lit so perfectly.
There also are some wonderfully powerful scenes in the film, such as when the blind man recognizes that the killer is near due to the tune he's whistling. How that is handled is pretty amazing. Additionally, occasionally the movie is brutal...surprisingly brutal for its time. I think this makes for a much more powerful and emotional picture.
Overall, a very good film. The only quibble is the same one I have about "M", as the films want you to take pity on the killer....as if he's not responsible for his actions. As a trained therapist who has worked quite a bit with such individuals, I would beg to differ about feeling any sort of pity for these perpetrators. Fortunately, the ending of this South American movie IS tougher and offers a tough final scene in which the killer IS held accountable...something not provided in "M".
By the way, in this film there is no reference to the killer molesting the kids. It wouldn't make any sense if he didn't...but I assume Argentine sensibilities at the time wouldn't allow them to talk about the sexual aspects of the killings.
Remake of M.
aronaamora24 June 2012
I came across this film on You Tube yesterday and was surprised to find that it was a remake of Fritz Lang's M (1931) shot in South America.
The title translate as THE BLACK VAMPIRE. M was released in South America as THE VAMPIRE OF DUSSELDORF so the title makes sense there even tho there is no vampire. This is not a scene by scene remake like the remake made in the United States in 1951.
The film has a dark moody black and white atmosphere like an older movie would have. The actor playing the killer is pretty good. In one scene he takes the daughter of a friend to the carnival and has to fight his urge to kill her.
The title translate as THE BLACK VAMPIRE. M was released in South America as THE VAMPIRE OF DUSSELDORF so the title makes sense there even tho there is no vampire. This is not a scene by scene remake like the remake made in the United States in 1951.
The film has a dark moody black and white atmosphere like an older movie would have. The actor playing the killer is pretty good. In one scene he takes the daughter of a friend to the carnival and has to fight his urge to kill her.
4-5 stars gem from Argentina
figueroafernando7 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Gem of 4 stars of Argentine cinema that qualifies with equal anxiety the paradox of men alike, the just and the unjust: that of Mr. Ulmer, a sick man incapable of fighting his Ego and avoiding his weakness for children, and the of a tax inspector, Dr. Bernard, no less weak than the one to prejudge the needy and beggars who are detained during the investigations, and even less to hide their emotional need for their condition of having an invalid wife and without children and trying to sexually abuse with Amalia Keite aka Rita! Viñoly Barreto proposed a very well cared version. The scene in the amusement park is enough where the Black Vampire rides Rita's daughter on the roller coaster, and suffers the abominable weight of her illness, perhaps experimenting with the criminal (what a performance that easily competes with Peter Lorre) falling apart in the feverish anguish to repress that pedophile instinct; to dive into this tape to receive the full electric charge of shame and helplessness from the murderer in Düsseldorf. The saying goes that the devil is in the details: comic, tragic, ironic and all three at the same time it was then that a blind man in the street, a simple homeless, who stopped before the detail of the whistle of the black Vampire. A Vampire who suffers the humiliations of his childhood and raptured by Edvard Grieg's "In the hall of the mountain king", commits his atrocities by whistling joyfully the chorus of Peer Gynt.
Fritz Lang: Argentina style
nickenchuggets20 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Even though I don't really have a definitive favorite film, the classic 1930s thriller "M" by Fritz Lang is definitely one contender. The movie was really dark and disturbing for its time, as it focused on a child killer who is so hated he's being tracked down not only by the police, but by the criminal underworld too. This rarely seen film from Argentina entangles portions of M's plot with the shadows and mystique of film noir to create something truly compelling, and it might even be on par with the original movie. If you haven't noticed, M didn't really have almost any female characters in it, as the movie is squarely focused on Peter Lorre's horrific acts, the cops, and the criminals trying to hunt him. El Vampiro Negro moves M's storyline into noir territory because it has quite a few women in it as central characters, even if they don't end up causing a man to suffer because of them. The movie's main character is Amalia (Olga Zubarry). Also known as Rita at her place of employment, she works as a nightclub singer and has a young daughter. One night while getting dressed, she sees a silhouette of a man drop the corpse of what appears to be a child into a sewer outside. Even though she doesn't realize it yet, Rita has just witnessed the Black Vampire; a lunatic who kills young girls and is on the run from a large manhunt. Upon seeing the horrible act, Rita screams and alerts someone to what she just saw. Soon, a prosecutor named Bernard (Roberto Escalada) shows up in order to question Rita about the supposed killing, but she lies and says nothing bad happened because her daughter might be taken from her if Bernard discovers her somewhat trashy profession at a nightclub. Sometime after, we see a nerdy looking professor named Teodoro Ulber (Nathan Pinzon) stalk two children as they walk down the street. One of the girls says bye to her friend and then enters an apartment building. Ulber waits here and kills her while she's in a stairwell. Although people find out about the despicable act almost instantly, Ulber is nowhere to be seen. For the time being, he spends time at the apartment of a girl named Cora, who is one of Rita's nightclub friends. Bernard interrogates Rita a second time, and she confesses that she withheld information from him because she doesn't want to lose custody of her daughter. The club Rita works at is raided by cops and the owner, Gaston, is shot dead. In the ensuing chaos, Rita helps Ulber escape. Rita makes no effort to look for a new job so soon, so she takes her daughter to Cora's place and leaves her in her care while she tries to go somewhere. The fact that Ulber knows Cora as a friend comes back to haunt Rita, since quite by chance, he shows up at her door while Rita's daughter is there. Cora doesn't realize he's the murderer, so she advises him to leave and take Rita's daughter to a carnival. Surprisingly, he doesn't end up killing her, but Ulber is recognized as the murderer by a blind man selling things on the street since he whistles In the Hall of the Mountain King. This same tune was whistled by Ulber as he purchased something from the vendor while accompanied by a young girl (who he later murdered). The blind man yells to everyone around him that the black vampire is going to kill the girl he's with, which prompts Ulber to take off, but he still holds on to Rita's daughter. As the two of them make it to the docks and sit down, Ulber pulls out a knife and it appears he's going to kill her, but her kindness towards him makes him hesitate. Once Rita finds out Ulber took her daughter, she confronts him, but he doesn't want to give her up because she's the only person who's nice to him. Ulber beats Rita and leaves. The cops later close in on Ulber. Rita manages to convince him the cops won't hurt him if he gives Rita her daughter back, so he complies and escapes into the sewers. While down there, Ulber is surrounded by vagabonds who know all about what he's done. He's eventually brought to sentencing and told he's to be hanged. Although remakes are never as good as the original, El Vampiro Negro comes close. Aside from the excellent use of shadows (which was present in Lang's original as well), El Vampiro Negro does a great job at showing how sometimes the most unlikely person will be a complete maniac. Ulber is akin to somebody like Clark Kent, since he hides who he really is with the brilliant disguise of a wimpy demeanor. Nobody would think to look at this guy and assume he's evil. Another detail (that doesn't apply to Lang's version) is how we actually see the antagonist get punished, since Ulber is going to be executed. Overall, El Vampiro Negro might be a remake of M, but is distinct from it in many ways and is definitely worth seeing if you're into foreign movies. It is frustrating when you realize that there are countless great films that are made in other countries and are never heard of in America until years (even decades) later.
el vampiro negro
mossgrymk30 November 2022
Pleased to join my six IMDB colleagues below in praise of this very fine Argentinian remake of "M"...with a generous portion of "Third Man" and a dash of "Freaks" thrown in for good measure in that darkly magnificent, climactic scene. Is it better than Lang's original, as Eddie Muller intimated in his intro? Not sure, since it has been many a moonlit and moonless night since I have seen the German masterpiece and I would hesitate to place anyone above Peter Lorre in the tortured, oleaginous category (though Nathan Pinzon comes awfully close). But I will opine that the loss of this film's director, Ramon Vinoly Barretto, in his mid fifties was, in my opinion, quite tragic. Give it an A minus.
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