Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 8-February-04
Spoiler Rating: High

M (1931)

Last year, I disapproved of "Capturing the Friedmans" because it provoked an unpleasant sense of desperation, an inability to find clear-cut answers or moral certainties in the real-life story of a pedophile, his family, and the community in which he lived. I was reminded of this during my most recent viewing of Fritz Lang's early classic "M," which addresses similar issues and brings up similar questions, but in a way I find more digestible. Of course, it's a bit unfair to compare a documentary with a fictionalized drama, but the comparison does attest to the challenges Lang faced (and overcame) while examining a disturbing subject in a serious and thoughtful, yet stylish and entertaining fashion.

"M" grabs you from the get-go, as you witness the disappearance of a child largely from the perspective of her poor but affectionate mother. The subsequent discovery of little Elsie Beckmann's body inflames an already frightened German city, for she is the latest in a series of children killed by a monster who has left almost no clues. Who is the murderer? is the question on everybody's lips, and dangerous suspicion runs rampant. The cops work night and day, foregoing sleep, and their constant vigilance and frequent raids on gin joints and flop houses seriously cuts into the profits of underworld enterprises. In response, the city's crime bosses hold a meeting at which they decide to capture the child-killer themselves. Enlisting the help of the "beggars union," they install an inconspicuous man on every corner in town, so that no kid can walk the streets unwatched and unprotected. In this way, they discover the murderer before the cops do, branding him with an "M" for easy identification. The criminals then close the net around their prey just as the police begin to zero in on him, until they all come together for a truly unforgettable ending (and a questionable administration of justice).

Lang applies all the elements of a great movie to this potentially harrowing story --- arresting cinematography, fabulous acting, intelligent writing, clever editing --- keeping them perfectly attuned and expertly controlled. Although there are no cut-and-dried heroes, the script (which he co-wrote with his wife, Thea von Harbou) invites the viewer to admire both the policemen and the hoods, the former for striving in a difficult situation, and the latter for displaying a high level of organization and an unexpected brand of righteousness. Both factions have interesting players as well, such as the burly homicide investigator Lohmann (Otto Wernicke) and the mysterious international fugitive Schraenker (Gustaf Grundgens). But the movie's most amazing coup de grace (in addition to its occasional bursts of humor) is the temptation it offers to feel sympathy for the murderer himself. This derives not only from the way in which he is beset on all sides, but from a top-notch performance by Peter Lorre (in his first starring role, predating his entry into American cinema). In the pathetic but passionate finale, he pleads his case to a crowd just two steps away from tearing him to pieces, and though you can easily understand their impulses, you cannot deny that he is a victim of evil along with the many lives he has ruined.

The bulk of "M," consisting of the cat-and-mouse (or cats-and-mouse) chase, plays like a really good detective thriller (the shadows, the police dossiers, the smoke-filled rooms), but the beginning and end address the difficult problems that plague an entire community in cases of criminal compulsion and the destruction of innocents. The film doesn't provide any simple conclusions, for there are none. But it does, quite miraculously, weave a very engaging tale from its knotty theme, leaving the viewer pensive and a bit on edge, but satisfied nevertheless.

("M" is in German but available with English subtitles.)

Copyright © 2004 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.