Details
Movie Description
In Fritz Lang's startling and exquisite film M, fear stalks the streets of Berlin in the form of a serial child murderer whose grisly accomplishments are so heinous even the criminal minds of the underworld want him dead. Filmed in post-Weimar Germany during the infancy of the Nazi state, this tale of moral depravity serves not just as an allegory for the need of justice for all, but as an ominous foreshadowing of the sort of societal hysteria that leads to cultural witch hunts. Originally titled "Morder Unter Uns" ("Murderers Among Us"), M was one of Peter Lorre's (CASABLANCA) first major film roles. Fritz Lang's expressionistic eye plunges into the dark cityscape of Berlin, as he follows the killer whistling down the street, seducing small children with toys and candy, and eventually fleeing for his life. A city paralyzed by fear, and a vast criminal underground network of blind beggars, thieves and murderers, as well as an unforgettable climax notable for its startling statement about the murderous nature which resides within human beings, are all rendered in Lang's painterly cinematography of sharp angles, dark corners and breakneck pacing.
Synopsis
In Lang's chilling masterpiece about a serial child killer who terrorizes a German town, Lorre gives an unforgettable performance as the modern psychopath, Franz Becker, who attempts to attain the dignity of a tragic hero, despite his uncontrollable urge to kill. Often credited for starting both the serial killer and the police procedural film genres, M is also notable for its startling statement about the murderous nature which resides within human beings.
Film Notes
DVD Features:
Note: This release contains an improved English subtitle translation
Region 1
Keep Case
Full Frame - 1.19
Monaural - German
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Eric Rentschler - German Film Scholar
2. Anton Kaes - Author
Production Interview - 1. CONVERSATION WITH FRITZ LANG - Interview film by William Friedkin
2. Harold Nebenzal - Son of M Producer Seymour Nebenzal
Featurette - 1. Classroom tapes of M editor Paul Falkenberg discussing the film and it's history
2. A physical history of M
Bonus Feature/Short - 1. M LE MAUDIT - Claude Chabrol's
Text/Photo Gallery:
Stills Gallery
Behind The Scenes Photos
Production Sketches by Art Director Emil Hasler
Additional Products:
Booklet
Theatrical release: May 11, 1931.
M was filmed in Berlin in 1931.
This was based on a true story about a killer in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Industry Reviews
"...What a haunting film it is..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (08/03/1997)
"...M is a dazzling film that, seven decades on, remains as innovative as it is unsettling..."
Total Film - Kevin Harley (11/01/2003)
"...The genius of M is that despite the movie's expanded sensorial universe, it's what you don't see or hear that makes this Berlin crime thriller so terrifying..."
Premiere - Premiere Staff (12/01/2003)
"The film itself remains as potent as ever. What's really striking is the eerie pathos of Peter Lorre's performance."
Sight and Sound - Geoffrey Macnab (12/01/2003)
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