Fritz Lang’s M: A thrilling dive into criminal Berlin

When I first heard of Fritz Lang’s 1931 thriller, M, it was in the most exceptional circumstances. I was sitting in my second year History module on German history when the lecturer mentioned the film in passing. But it just so happened that for one of my assignments, I was writing something closely related to the film, and my seminar tutor recommended that I watch it to gain some context for my assignment.

Not being the biggest film fan around, I was very unfamiliar with what to expect from 1930s filmmaking. I assumed it would be silent, in black-and-white, and very dull. To my surprise – though it was in black-and-white – the film was far from silent and boring.

Lang’s movie highlights … contemporary issues in a hard-hitting film with a strong message: parents should keep a closer watch over their children

Filmed against the backdrop of a crime epidemic in Berlin, where parents are especially paranoid about their children being kidnapped and the police are criticised for their lack of crime-solving skills, Lang’s movie highlights these contemporary issues in a hard-hitting film with a strong message: parents should keep a closer watch over their children.

The film’s concept of crime fighting crime is an especially novel idea. Lang presents the Ringvereine (a gang of organised criminals) as respectable men who are abhorred by the child snatcher’s actions. However, the film’s truthfulness regarding the Ringvereine’s respectability should be questioned, as it is strongly rumoured that Lang was heavily influenced by the gangs to portray them in a good light! Furthermore, gangs only became involved with the hunt for the child snatcher after the nightly police raids were ruining their business.

The first scenes are gut wrenching as young Elsie fails to come home from school and Lang expertly portrays the mother getting increasingly worried as time passes by. The child snatcher ominously whistles the tune of ‘In The Hall of the Mountain King’ as he lures young Elsie away from her usual route home. ‘In The Hall of the Mountain King’ recurs in the film, eventually underscoring the child snatcher’s downfall. An excellent way of making a circular plot.

The standout for me is Peter Lorre, who plays Hans Beckert, the child snatcher. His ability to appear simultaneously as a conniving criminal and a mentally complex individual, especially considering the era in which the film was released. The way the killer cracks when interrogated by the gangs and the public in a mock trial, claiming that snatching children is an unchangeable part of who he is, is Lang’s expert way of experimenting with this new form of criminal – the sociopath – a man forced to kill.

This deep insight into the criminal networks in Berlin, delivered through a rather entertaining medium, was wonderful

What I most vividly remember from the film are the classic scenes where the criminal gangs are hunting the child snatcher. The gangs use an intricate network of beggars to find the man and corner him in a building. What is really eye-opening in scenes like this is the close look we get into the workings of the Ringvereine. I have always been fascinated by the history of crime and this deep insight into the criminal networks in Berlin, delivered through a rather entertaining medium, was wonderful.

Overall, I would say this film is a must-watch for those interested in classic film. There are so many novel techniques used here, and it is a staple of the early film noir scene. And, if you are a fan of this area of history, then this film cannot be missed!

★★★★★