Review of M (1931) by Matt P — 22 Aug 2011

"M," directed by Fritz Lang (Metropolis) became famous for it's brutal and serious depiction of crime in a German city, and how word can stretch and fear can spread. Filmed with a rich black and white palette, "M" was the one psychological thriller film that started them all. Movies like Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" might not have existed had it not been for the menacing tone and craft Lang put into this film to make it what it was.

Based in a small town in Germany, the story tells a tale of a child murderer who's out to smuggle away kids, terrorizing the parents. We horrifically witness the disappearance of one innocent woman's daughter as she awaits her eager return from school. Alas, she never comes. The only remnants of her that remain are an iconic balloon the killer seemed to have bought her before her disappearance. This, accompanied by an eerie whistled version of "In the hall of the mountain King" by the killer himself make "M" one of the most well-syncopated yet hard to watch films to date.

The reaction the townspeople give is genuine--anyone caught affiliating with a child is suddenly accused of being the murderer. Additionally, even the city's most infamous criminals (such as a mob led by Gustaf Grundgens) come to grips to find and take down the killer. In that sense, it's a film brilliantly showcasing how a city can come together, but at the same time the moral given by the killer himself (Peter Lorre) is not only completely true but almost sad.

At the core of "M" there is a distinctive heart, and justice beneath all the cold going through the screen and into our souls as we watch it. I say "heart" in the sense that by the end, we sort of learn the killer may not be the big tough evil bad-guy we all hoped to see executed, but more of a feeble and disturbingly realistic runt, we can only hope will be locked up for years. Lorre does a great job being frantic and (for lack of a better word) creepy. Mix in some creative shots and smooth transitions by Lang, and you've got a sure fire thriller that's sure to send chills down your spine (like I would say modern day films like "Se7en" or "Taxi Driver" did).