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
In Berlin, a group of children are playing an elimination game in the courtyard of an apartment building using a macabre chant about a child-killer. Frau Beckmann sets the table for lunch, waiting for her daughter Elsie to come home from school. A wanted poster warns of a serial killer preying on children, as anxious parents wait outside a school. Elsie leaves school, bouncing a ball on her way home. She is approached by Hans Beckert, who is whistling "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg.
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.