M (1931)
Fritz Lang’s M is one of the defining works of early cinema. It was Lang’s first sound film, and an important predecessor to the film noir genre. But besides holding a spot in cinema history and leaving a legacy which is easily evident today, the film by itself is still a very engaging and thought-provoking work of cinema.
Made in the turbulent times of early 1930s Germany, M tells the story of the hunt for a psychopathic killer which preys upon pre-teen girls. Because the killer has no motive except pure compulsion, the police is struggling to find any clues and takes a heavy-handed approach towards all criminal activity. This in turn drives the underworld to start hunting for the killer, which forms the bulk of the narrative.
M provides a valuable snapshot of social life in Germany before the rise of Hitler. And the psychopath Hans Beckert, vividly portrayed by Peter Lorre, can certainly secure a place along Norman Bates (the defining role for Anthony Perkins) and Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) as one of the most horrifying villains ever on screen.
Peter Lorre in M, photo from Britannica.com
In the climactic finale, Peter Lorre stands before a mob jury of the underworld and pleads his case. His defense is a simple one – he doesn’t wish to commit such heinous crimes, and he hates himself for it, but he is driven by an inner demon and is simply compelled to do so. Only after each crime does his mind go blank and let him at ease, offering brief escape from the horrors of his acts. Perhaps an analogy would be drug addiction – the act itself offers brief refuge, but the process also sinks in and makes the habit stronger.
Wikipedia notes that Lorre’s mesmerizing performance would ironically offer the Nazis “proof” of the evils of the Jewish population (Lorre is Jewish). It is indeed sad that an actor’s talent would be used against him in such a way – and perhaps comforting to know with the benefit of hindsight that Lorre would escape Nazi Germany and go on to a illustrious career in Hollywood.
M is an excellent film – although by today’s industrialized studio production standards the film seems rough at the edges, it features engaging performances and a tight storyline that generates real tension and suspense. It is in every sense of the word a classic.
8/10