M
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
M is a 1931 thriller film directed by Fritz Lang, starring Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, Inge Landgut. It drew a wide audience and shaped its genre.
Plot
M is a 1931 German mystery thriller film directed by Fritz Lang and starring Peter Lorre as Hans Beckert, a serial killer who targets children, in his third screen role. Both Lang's first sound film and an early example of a procedural drama, M centres on the efforts of both a city's police force and its criminal syndicates to apprehend a serial child-murderer.
The film's screenplay was written by Lang and his wife Thea von Harbou. It features many cinematic innovations, including the use of long tracking shots and a musical leitmotif in the form of "In the Hall of the Mountain King", which is repeatedly whistled by Lorre's character.
Production
Written by Thea von Harbou and Fritz Lang, the film was produced by Nero-Film AG. Fritz Arno Wagner handled the cinematography. The film runs 110 minutes. The crew and editing refined every shot.
Reception
After release and wide distribution, the audience response was warm; a festival screening and an award cemented its standing.
Legacy
The film's influence spread across the century; its narrative and tone echo in much later cinema.
See also
References
- "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time". topfilms100. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- Ebert, Roger. The Great Movies. Broadway Books.
This article incorporates text from Wikipedia, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.