The missing link between Expressionism and Film Noir

Fritz Lang's 'M' is one of the most powerful yet frightening films ever made. The plot, focusing around a community's attempts to capture a child murderer, is a strong metaphor which allows Lang to indulge in morbid social satire. All the while he creates dark scenes steeped in realism, which go hand in hand with the unsettling sounds of a divided society.

The sinister whistling of the murderer, as well as his ever-present shadow, follows a society unable to work together. The civilians, for a start, become possessed by paranoia and suspicion. The police are also useless, and the criminal underworld only want to get their hands on the killer to protect their own interests. The only man able to identify 'M' is ironically the least powerful: he is an elderly, blind balloon seller.

The final set-piece, which was cut from the original version, is a masterful trial in which a courtroom of criminals is confronted with a disturbing insight into the mind of a social outcast. Brimming with beautiful photography which led the jagged madness of German expressionism into the shady world of crime cinema, 'M' is a cinematic masterpiece.