M

PG-13

1/1/19401h 51m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ Who is the murderer? ~

Overview:

In this classic German thriller, Hans Beckert, a serial killer who preys on children, becomes the focus of a massive Berlin police manhunt. Beckert's heinous crimes are so repellant and disruptive to city life that he is even targeted by others in the seedy underworld network. With both cops and criminals in pursuit, the murderer soon realizes that people are on his trail, sending him into a tense, panicked attempt to escape justice.

Director:

Fritz Lang

Status:

Released

Language:

German

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$35,274.00

Key words:

berlin, germany
germany
psychopath
detective inspector
child murder
investigation
organized crime
serial killer
black and white
criminal
pre-code
psycho
expressionism
german expressionism
crime

Cast

Peter Lorre

~ as ~

Hans Beckert

Ellen Widmann

~ as ~

Frau Beckmann

Inge Landgut

~ as ~

Elsie Beckmann

Otto Wernicke

~ as ~

Inspector Karl Lohmann

Theodor Loos

~ as ~

Inspector Groeber

Gustaf Gründgens

~ as ~

Schränker

Friedrich Gnaß

~ as ~

Franz

Fritz Odemar

~ as ~

The Cheater

Paul Kemp

~ as ~

Pickpocket with Six Watches

Theo Lingen

~ as ~

Bauernfänger

View full cast & crew

Reviews (5)

Wiccaburr
Written 4 year(s) ago
8
The movie is classic and yet this is my first time watching this.

Peter Lorre alone is worth seeing this movie as he always played such the great villain. No music keeps your focus on the image and dialogue throughout the movie. Camera work looks pretty awesome especially when they start doing the manhunt.

This movie clocks in at almost two hours so there will be a lot of pacing and dialogue to go through. It will feel a bit dragging when Lorre isn't on the screen but it is well worth going through the film to see how it all plays out.
b
badelf
Written 2 year(s) ago
10
So you say you want to enroll in film school? Don't bother. Just watch Fritz Lang's M and Metropolis.
James
Written 1 year(s) ago
7
Random person: Nobody knows him (The murderer). Woman who lives with the murderer: Am I a joke to you?
James
Written 1 year(s) ago
7
Stone cold classic. Certainly one of the best time films about orange peels being littered.
Filipe Manuel Neto
Written 1 year(s) ago
9
One of the masterpieces of classic German cinema.

There isn't much that can be said about this film that almost everyone hasn't already said or written. It is one of the great films of German cinema, one of the best productions that were made before the Second World War and one of the best films in the career of the renowned director Fritz Lang, who shortly afterward would leave Germany due to the rise of Nazism, refusing to deal with that political regime.

The film is inspired by real events, namely the murderous path of Peter Kürten, the “Vampire of Düsseldorf”, who terrorized people at the same time and also had young teenagers as his victims. The film manages to capture very well the feeling of fear that existed among the people of the city and the attempts that the police made to find this merciless killer.

The cinematography, in black and white, still shows signs of the influence of German expressionism without, however, giving up the realism that the entire film demanded. In fact, I can't say whether the film was inspired by “noir” or came to inspire “noir” later, but I could see the aesthetic and style similarities. Peter Lorre is the only actor who stands out: he brought the main role to life and shines without almost having to say anything. It's an excellent work by the actor and has undoubtedly opened many doors for him.