Review of M (1931) by Peter H — 30 May 2011

Fritz Lang's M [1931];In the same year director Fritz Lang's colossal and groundbreaking silent masterpiece METROPOLIS hit screens in 1927; Warner Brothers Studio's released the world first sound film THE JAZZ SINGER. Although this new miracle of sound didn't kill silent cinema overnight Silent movie were still being produced until the start of the 1930's. And in the year of 1931 director Fritz Lang finally made his first sound film amongst the turmoil and upheaval the German nation was going through just before the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazism. The subject of Lang's first sound film was based upon the brutal serial child killings of serial killer Peter Kurten in the city of Dusseldorf during the 1920's.

Now 80 years after it was made M stands as an unquestionable masterpiece of cinema and 80 years later M is still one truly and highly disturbing film with a baby-faced Peter Lorre as the movies antagonist Hans Beckert. And much Like that other artistic triumph of Fritz Lang METROPOLIS [1927], M is a marvel of cinema.

The Plot Line: Berlin is in turmoil when the citizens of the city are terrified, shocked and disturbed by a viscous child killer that still the police haven't found yet. As the situation gets worse the police presence upon the street gets to a point where the criminal underground cannot function or operate in the city. So in order to get the police off their backs the criminal underworld take it upon themselves to find the killer by using beggars to find the killer. It isn't before too long that the killer Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre) is captured by the underworld and soon encounters the wrath of the criminals.

With its spearing use of sound, no musical score, uses of powerful static imagery and ultra dark narrative Fritz Lang's masterpiece is just one film that defines what a true crime-thriller could and should be, an edgy masterpiece. My rating for Fritz Lang's M is an easy 100% because anything less just wouldn't do.