A quick word to video renters: AVOID THE VERSIONS FROM BARR ENTERTAINMENT and BUDGET VIDEO! Aside from using the grainiest, scratchiest, and noisiest prints I've ever seen, the subtitles on these tapes are a joke. They only kick in about 40% of the time, and seem to paraphrase the characters' dialogue instead of actually translate it. Even when they do show up, they're often unreadable because the white text blends in with white objects on the screen. If you can get ahold of it, watch the Criterion DVD! You'll be glad you did!
*** MINOR SPOILERS WITHIN! ***
In the world of film, there is certain subject matter that is just too taboo to be explored by mainstream filmmakers. Even now, with Hollywood's shameless predilection for blood, sex, and drugs, some topics are still just too iffy for the Steven Spielbergs and the George Lucases of today. Movies that contain serious portrayals of homosexual romance, scenes of rape, or strong anti-governmental themes are big no-no's in Hollywood; but the biggest way to guarantee a permanent shun from Columbia Pictures or DreamWorks SKG is to make a movie about child murder. Better yet, why not make the child murderer a sympathetic character?
This is exactly what Fritz Lang did in his phenomenal 1931 feature, M. M was truly ahead of its time, and not simply because of its early use of synchronized sound. What amazed me most about M was that it featured a character who, when introduced, is utterly despicable. The audience quickly learns of his unforgivable crimes, and although none of the murders are actually shown, they are talked about in grim detail, with the camera often focusing-almost unbearably-on the reactions of the distraught parents as they speak of their children's demise. As the film progresses, however, our perceptions began to change, and we start to take pity on this man, all the while coming to the realization that the vigilant mob who wants to beat this man to death is no better than the murderer himself. After all, is mercilessly pummeling a defenseless man to death somehow more `civil' than killing a child? To some, the answer may be yes; but to me, murder cannot be divided into degrees of acceptability like that-it is wrong, no matter who does it or who it is done to, period.
But it goes much deeper than that. Aside from just feeling sympathy for the murderer simply because an entire town wants his head on a stick, you can't help but be affected by his genuinely sorrowful personality. After all, he honestly cannot control what he is doing, and he is just as horrified learning about his crimes as the parents of the children he kills-perhaps even more so, since the shock of discovering that you are the one responsible for such evil is a probably an impossible one to recover from. His speech at the end is not only heartfelt and pitiful, but it's thought-provoking as well. As short of a speech as it is, it provides a great deal of insight into the relatively simple mindset most people have regarding issues like these.
Another fascinating quality about M was its constant, almost overwhelming references to angry mobs and vigilante justice. Even before the final chase segment, there are many scenes wherein a dominant force bullies an innocent person or group of people with little or no justification. The scene that sticks out most in my mind is one where a man is beaten down by some nearby pedestrians, simply because he asked a child if she knew the time. The main purpose behind this particular scene is obvious: it serves as a harrowingly realistic portrayal of the dangerous type of hysteria that can infect a highly emotional group of people. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that these types of scenes were probably meant to be sly references to the recent settlement of the Nazi party in Germany. Lang seems to be commenting not only on the steadily growing support of the party, but also his disdain for their violent and often dictatorial methods of government and international relations.
M is a movie that not only forces you to think, but to feel as well. Peter Lorre's portrayal of the murderous antagonist (or is he the protagonist?) is both frightening and heartrending, and Fritz Lang's script and direction are both first rate. M's cinematography is also marvelous, not only helping to tell its story in a fluid, stylish manner, but also causing the film as a whole to give off an ominous, unsettling vibe.
*** MINOR SPOILERS WITHIN! ***
In the world of film, there is certain subject matter that is just too taboo to be explored by mainstream filmmakers. Even now, with Hollywood's shameless predilection for blood, sex, and drugs, some topics are still just too iffy for the Steven Spielbergs and the George Lucases of today. Movies that contain serious portrayals of homosexual romance, scenes of rape, or strong anti-governmental themes are big no-no's in Hollywood; but the biggest way to guarantee a permanent shun from Columbia Pictures or DreamWorks SKG is to make a movie about child murder. Better yet, why not make the child murderer a sympathetic character?
This is exactly what Fritz Lang did in his phenomenal 1931 feature, M. M was truly ahead of its time, and not simply because of its early use of synchronized sound. What amazed me most about M was that it featured a character who, when introduced, is utterly despicable. The audience quickly learns of his unforgivable crimes, and although none of the murders are actually shown, they are talked about in grim detail, with the camera often focusing-almost unbearably-on the reactions of the distraught parents as they speak of their children's demise. As the film progresses, however, our perceptions began to change, and we start to take pity on this man, all the while coming to the realization that the vigilant mob who wants to beat this man to death is no better than the murderer himself. After all, is mercilessly pummeling a defenseless man to death somehow more `civil' than killing a child? To some, the answer may be yes; but to me, murder cannot be divided into degrees of acceptability like that-it is wrong, no matter who does it or who it is done to, period.
But it goes much deeper than that. Aside from just feeling sympathy for the murderer simply because an entire town wants his head on a stick, you can't help but be affected by his genuinely sorrowful personality. After all, he honestly cannot control what he is doing, and he is just as horrified learning about his crimes as the parents of the children he kills-perhaps even more so, since the shock of discovering that you are the one responsible for such evil is a probably an impossible one to recover from. His speech at the end is not only heartfelt and pitiful, but it's thought-provoking as well. As short of a speech as it is, it provides a great deal of insight into the relatively simple mindset most people have regarding issues like these.
Another fascinating quality about M was its constant, almost overwhelming references to angry mobs and vigilante justice. Even before the final chase segment, there are many scenes wherein a dominant force bullies an innocent person or group of people with little or no justification. The scene that sticks out most in my mind is one where a man is beaten down by some nearby pedestrians, simply because he asked a child if she knew the time. The main purpose behind this particular scene is obvious: it serves as a harrowingly realistic portrayal of the dangerous type of hysteria that can infect a highly emotional group of people. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that these types of scenes were probably meant to be sly references to the recent settlement of the Nazi party in Germany. Lang seems to be commenting not only on the steadily growing support of the party, but also his disdain for their violent and often dictatorial methods of government and international relations.
M is a movie that not only forces you to think, but to feel as well. Peter Lorre's portrayal of the murderous antagonist (or is he the protagonist?) is both frightening and heartrending, and Fritz Lang's script and direction are both first rate. M's cinematography is also marvelous, not only helping to tell its story in a fluid, stylish manner, but also causing the film as a whole to give off an ominous, unsettling vibe.