M (The Criterion Collection)

M (The Criterion Collection)
by Fritz Lang

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DVD Reviews of M (The Criterion Collection)

DVD Review: Great movie, questionable transfer...
Summary: 4 Stars

Criterion compounds this problem with their notable lack of extras. No commentary or audio essay, no production notes, no publicity stills, no biographies or anything else. A poor effort from Criterion.

On the other hand, the film is presented in the original 1.17:1 format, and not at 1.33:1 as another reviewer has stated. Criterion confuses this by stating that it is presented at a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, but in reality there are black bars at the sides of the screen. I suppose that this is nominally a 4:3 aspect ratio (as opposed to 16:9 enhanced) with reverse letterboxing being applied, if that makes any sense.

As for the film itself, I was quite impressed with it. It is a movie which is as relevant today as it was in the days it was made, a movie where the string of crimes would terrorize as many people today as it did then, and a criminal whom we are as unsure how to treat as they were then. In this respect we may regard M as being vastly superior to current fare, as it actually raises the sticky questions of responsibility versus compulsion instead of emptily condemning that which cannot be condoned.

Sure, it may strike us as being unrealistic that the police and the underworld are both trying to capture the same man (and for the same reason), but it's a conceit we are willing to believe in "Silence of the Lambs," not to mention "Cradle 2 the Grave," which was a straight up M remake.

One of the surprising elements of the film is how well it uses sound, considering that it is Fritz Lang's initial foray into the medium. In this sense it is an innovative work (like citizen Kane), as Lang has integrated sound in a way few directors today manage to do. We actually hear the murderer whistling before we see him, and you'll never listen to that little Grieg tune the same way ever again. It's interesting to observe the way sound is used at other stages of the film, as in some points there is no sound whatsoever, to the extent you might even start checking to see if there is something wrong with your speakers or DVD player. I don't know if it was the novelty of sound or what, but it seems like a lot of early directors were much more innovative in their use of sound (think of Eisenstein in Alexander Nevsky) and took advantage of it in ways modern directors don't think of. Sure, there are directors to whom sound is obviously important and who use it well (David Lynch and Wong Kar-Wai are a couple), but for most it seems like something of an afterthought.
At any rate I feel that this film holds up quite well, certainly more than other vintage films like Grand Illusion or Citizen Kane. The plot is largely as relevant today as it was when it was made (though thankfully we do not appreciate the commentary it offers on the nascent Nazi party or fascism) and the commentary on human nature is as true as ever. It is not best appreciated solely as a historic document or technical yardstick (which is how I regard the highly lauded Citizen Kane) but as a commentary on humanity and, above all, entertainment.

I was actually familiar with Peter Lorre before watching this movie, mostly from his extensive appearances on radio programs. That being said, I must say I found his performance rather tiresome, as he uses the same histrionics and tics (only this time they are in German, and not in the English I was used to hearing). Of course this isn't really fair to him, as he was no doubt being type-cast in his later American works, having made much of his reputation with this film. If you aren't familiar with his other work then you may find his performance really quite fine.

Description of M (The Criterion Collection)