The Power of "M": A Look at a Classic Film

In the year 1931 the director Fritz Lang had already established himsel as one of the finest directors of the time with his silent film sci-fi classic "Metropolis." He was a man known for being ahead of his time. The special effects in that movie were right out of something that you would normally see from today and it was all done with miniatures and split screens and things that were brand new then. Then came the advent of sound and he was right there, doing movies that were ahead of their time and adding sound.

Many people think the serial killer movie is a relatively new thing. Most people think maye of Norman Bates in "Psycho" and there are probably some very sad people who think about "Silence of the Lambs" without realizing that there have been serial killers for a lot longer than that. So, with the movie "M" Fritz Lang tackled this topic and not only had his main characte be a serial killer, but a child serial killer to boot. What you have is a movie of profound power, tension and dazzling acting that seems well ahead of its time.

At the center of the movie is the actor Peter Lorre. You may not know the name but I guarantee that you know his face and you know his voice. He is the man wit the dark hair, short stature and amazing bug-eyes. He is the slimy-looking guy in "The Maltese Falcon" and "Casablanca." He is the guy often imitated when someone hunches over and says, "YEeess, master" even though, as far as I can tell, he never played any version of Igor.

Lorre plays Hans Beckert, a man who has an irresistable compulsion to commit murder against children. We see him in action, but much of what happes takes place off screen. We neve see him commit an actual murder, but watch how Fritz Lang cuts the films, shows the balloon he bought for the child, shows it entangled in a tree, and uses the creepy whistling of the killer to let us know what is happening. Lang himself did the whistling when Lorre proved incapable of listening.

The child murderer has the entire city in chaos. Not only are parents terrified, but the cops are flummoxed and unable to draw any leads or find any clues or suspects. So, they start tearing about the criminal organizations. They capture and detain the safecrackes, the gangs, the beggars and the prostitutes. Once the criminal organizations realize that this is happening, they realize they need to track down this killer themselves. They have to bring him to justice because they have to get their businesses up and running again.

Thus begins the chase, told from to sides. There are the relentless police detectives, tracking down clues and hunting down criminals on one side. Then, on the other side, are the criminals themselves. They begin to tap into their vast network, hunting down their own leads, tracking their own suspects, and carrying the messages to each other through their secret code.

There is no music in the movie. Notice how there is also very little Foley work, which means there are no footsteps during a chase scene on a street outside an office building and the beggars mark Hans with an M in chalk on his back. They chase him into the building and then the criminals use all of their resources and talents to search the building. Notice Lorre's eyes used to dramatic effect here as he hids in a storage room in the shadows.

This then leads to the big climax of the movie and the sheer raw power of Lorre's performance is staggering. He is dragged before every criminal in the city in the basement of an abandoned brewery. He is put on trial,in a kind of kangaroo court, complete with a defense lawyer. The scene where he slowly pans across the crowds of criminals packed into the basement is a great scene, done in absolute silence, every eye trained upon him and each eye wanting only to kill him, to exact revenge.

Now comes one of the best performances you are ever likely to see. Lorre begins to plead for his life. He laughs at the other criminals and does not see himself as one. He has an irresistable compulsion, he says. He cannot help himself. He is overcome with the urge to kill and the only thing that can stop it is when he is committing the heinous act. He is tortured, unable to help himself, he cannot be held responsible. Watch Lorre as he sits on his knees, his hands out in front of him, his fingers curled to the ceiling, his eyes wide, sweat dripping from his forehead as he pleads and begs.

The movie is in German and subtitled, but his speech is powerful:

"It's there all the time, driving me out to wander the streets, following me, silently, but I can feel it there. It's me, pursuing myself! I want to escape, to escape from myself! But it's impossible. I can't escape, I have to obey it. I have to run, run... endless streets. I want to escape, to get away! And I'm pursued by ghosts. Ghosts of mothers and of those children... they never leave me. They are always there... always, always, always!, except when I do it, when I... Then I can't remember anything. And afterwards I see those posters and read what I've done, and read, and read... did I do that? But I can't remember anything about it! But who will believe me? Who knows what it's like to be me? How I'm forced to act... how I must, must... don't want to, must! Don't want to, but must! And then a voice screams! I can't bear to hear it! I can't go on! I can't... I can't..."

It manages to bring about something you wouldn't expect: sympathy. You can't help but feel sorry for this monster. It is a truly powerful piece of acting, directing and filmmaking.

When the lists of the all-time greatest movies come out from time to time you see other Lorre movies on them. You see "Casablanca" and you see "The Maltese Falcon." These are both great movies, no doubt. You see "Citizen Kane" at the top of the list more often than not. For me, though, one of the greatest as to be Fritz Lang's "M."

You can find "M" on DVD and it is worth seeking. In fact, any fan of films should have this firmly and proudly in their collection. It is a movie that will shake you, make you tense, and leave you wondering about people in general. The fact is is in black and white, subtitled and older than many modern serial killer movies will make no difference once you find yourself caught up in the spell of "M."