Movies

A simple, haunting phrase whistled off-screen tells us that a young girl will be killed. "Who is the murderer?" pleads a nearby placard as serial killer Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre) closes in on little Elsie Beckmann. In his harrowing masterwork M, Fritz Lang merges trenchant social commentary with chilling suspense, creating a panorama of private madness and public hysteria that to this day remains the blueprint for the psychological thriller.

There are so many cinematic gems from the first half of the 20th century that are hidden under piles of dust. It is unfortunate that many have been largely forgotten. The good news is that I do not foresee the same fate for M. Filmed in 1931, M still entertains and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats generations later. The elaborate steps through which good guys and bad guys alike must keep watch for the man who has already killed 8 children was thoroughly engaging. And the irony of crooks bringing a criminal to justice was beautiful.

I grew up with Peter Lorre being nothing more than an occasional guest spot in a Looney Tunes Cartoon. I had no idea who this man was with these signature puppy-dog eyes and this voice you wouldn't let read to your kids at night. I had no idea he made movies until I was older. I began to see his name associated with certain movies that were well before my time. I heard stories and read snippets about him that praised his body of work. Before M I had seen him support such great leads as Humphrey Bogart and Daffy Duck. It wasn't until M that I experienced first hand how good Peter Lorre was. He spends most of the movie nearly silent. I was nearly confused by why his name was so prominently displayed on the DVD, though he had such a quiet role. And then the movie began to draw to a close and as it did its pace quickened and Peter Lorre came out of his shell.

I really enjoyed M.

| Buy it from Amazon | Discuss it |