How had I never seen... "M" (1931)?
Monday, September 23, 2019 at 8:58PM Series Debut! As a kind of dark mirror to our "Over & Over" column, we've invited Team Experience to fill in some of their most shameful film history gaps and tell us about their experience. We all have gaps in our viewing with over a century of film history behind us! To kick things off here's a 'Lang-delayed' encounter for Mark. - Editor
by Mark Brinkerhoff
I first became aware of M, Fritz Lang’s seminal 1931 German thriller, while flipping through Vanity Fair’s Hollywood, a weighty, sumptuous 2000 coffee table book. Therein, opposite a cuckoo photo of Doris Day with half a dozen dyed poodles, is a haunting photo of actor Peter Lorre with the following caption...
Born—rather promisingly—in Transylvania, he looked as guilty as sin even when he was innocent, which wasn’t all that often. (He was guilty as charged in Fritz Lang’s M and here, as Raskolnikov, in Crime and Punishment.)
Who is Peter Lorre?, I thought. And what is M?
As a devotee of the sci-fi classic, Metropolis, a groundbreaking 1927 silent film, I was a (minor) fan of Lang’s work. But even after seeing his later noirs with Gloria Grahame, The Big Heat and Human Desire, M somehow eluded me. Who knows why.
The legendary director’s first “talkie,” M revolves around the hunt for a child serial killer, both judicial and extrajudicial (i.e. mob justice). It’s essentially a proto procedural, a pre-Code Law & Order, toggling between the interactions of villagers, law enforcement and the criminal underworld. This partly may be what makes M both timeless and, at times, a bit tedious for modern audiences. Inventively shot and deliberately paced, it makes for an interesting morality tale, but what exactly is the moral of this story?
From the opening shot of children playing a game of elimination to a chilling zoom-in on a chilling wanted poster, the stage is for what certainly must have been an unusual kind of film for that era. Another child soon goes missing. The town’s panic level grows. A prime suspect creepily emerges. Purportedly based on a notorious 1920s murderer, Peter Kürten , the so-called “Vampire of Düsseldorf,” M plays out a slow descent into chaos. There’s a chase, a capture, a kangaroo court, a raid, a revelation—all way to the abrupt closing shot, mothers wailing, which is as haunting as it is seemingly hasty.
Boy, Lorre sure gets to (over)play a fair share of scenes. He comes off as shifty and suspect, but there’s also surprisingly ambiguity in his acting — at least till M’s climactic court scene. He’s well matched by Otto Wernicke as the police inspector, pursuing his suspect methodically. You definitely can sense the influence that this film may have had on latter filmmakers, from Preminger to Demme. There’s gorgeous mise-en-scène throughout.
That Lang considered M to be his favorite of the films he directed is understandable. There’s plenty of meaty psychological and social analysis, a hallmark of German Expressionism. (Naturally the incoming Third Reich shamelessly lifted a “trial” scene for out-of-context use in a 1940 Nazi propaganda film.) I’m glad to have (finally) checked this one off my list. (Thank you, Criterion Channel!) It is, all in all, an effective thriller that thankfully remains readily available via Amazon, iTunes, YouTube, etc.
For those of you who have long since seen it, what say you? (And for those who have yet to watch it, carve out the time.)
Reader Comments (20)
When I was a kid, I remember seeing Peter Lorre in a Bugs Bunny cartoon, where Bugs was in Hollywood or something. As an adult, watching Casablanca for the first time, I recognized Lorre instantly!
I'd love to see M.
Stephen M -- i remember that Bugs Bunny cartoon! His face is crazy memorable and already cartoonish.
Mark -- Love M. it's really the ur serial killer film.
@StephenM: I always thought that Ren & Stimpy were cartoon animal versions of Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet.
@Brevity - I wonder?!
M is fantastic-Lorre’s best hour as an actor and one of the best performances of the 30’s.
And this is a cool series idea! Nathaniel-does this mean you’ll finally see Godfather 2?
Saw for the first time this year and... this film is all they say and much more. And Fritz Lang is one of the greatest. Not only the storyteller also the creator of images. Director and film have influenced everybody who came after, from Polanski to Spielberg. M is unashamedly evil - the character and the film. It's like if Hitchcock didn't have to deal with censors and could do the movie the way he wondered. Peter Lorre gives one of the best performances in a movie - he's repulse but in the end... you feel he was wronged(?!). Is He vilain or anti hero? M doesn't give you answers, makes you a lot of questions. You can surprise yourself wishing he can scape. A great character study and also an amazing thriller. And I still hope Elsie's mother can find her - that nothing have happened to her, that was all a mistake.
What A Clockwork Orange did for Singin’ in the Rain — or Full Metal Jacket did for the Mickey Mouse song — M did for In the Hall of the Mountain King, decades before. Something about taking a beloved song and turning it into a villainous theme song is truly sinister. Chilling movie to this day.
Love the idea for this series as well!
Wonderful film with a masterful performance by Lorre. It contains so many of Lang's signature touches and is both fascinating and frightening.
There was a Hollywood remake in the 50's also called M starring David Wayne. On its own terms its an okay film, unremarkable but passable, however compared to this it's definitely a weak effort.
Love the idea of the series and am looking forward to seeing what blind spots everyone finally fills in .
One of those films you see as a young cinephile that just changes your perception of cinema forever.
Well, for me! Still a Top 10-er, although I haven't seen it in a while.
I am anxious for nathaniel's take on the godfather part 2
M is a classic. Lorre was one of the great early character actors.
Lorre delivers a tremendous performance. When at the end explains what's driving him... "I see the ghosts of all those children, they're always ALWAYS there... except when I do it. Then I remember nothing".
And "Who is Peter Lorre?" means you've never seen Casablanca or The Maltese Falcon?
Half the pleasure of this feature will be seeing which title pops up. What a fantastic series idea!
Wimsey -- well this was 20 years ago for Mark when he asked that question so I'm sure he's seen those by now;)
Yes, at the time my engagement with classic films really only went back 50 years (to All About Eve and Sunset Boulevard). Which is inexcusable since my grandparents owned a video store! Anyway, rest assured that I've seen Casablanca (and The Maltese Falcon), even though inexplicable blindspots still do linger. ;-)
Sorry Mark, I misread your text. Peter Lorre is one of these character actors, like Claude Raines and Thelma Ritter, that you always know they will do something interesting. And his Joel Cairo... still amazed the censors let the scene with the cane pass.
A classic thriller and a must see
Saw this film in Intro to Film Class in college and was blown away by it. Loving the idea of this series!
Nathaniel tackles Godfather 2, Yass!
Odd... I also saw it for the first time, this year. Me, the big cinephile (sarcasm inserted gratuitously).
A brilliant masterpiece. Lorre is absolutely outstanding and should walk away with Supporting Actor (or Lead, pending on your judgement) effortlessly, if M would have been promoted for the Oscars.
An essential viewing, fascinating in structure, and a surprise if you didn't know about it. And yes, a film that deals with themes that never get old.