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An early talkie

M (1931, German)
Director: Fritz Lang
The year is 1931, Germany. Malaysia was still a colony with its subjects still oblivious of self governance and politics. The first Malayan political party, Malayan Communist Party was only established in 1932. Germany, under many capable and creative filmmakers were already making moving talkies.
M is Lang's first talking movie and definitely one of early gems of the industry.
Symbolism - Balloon trapped denoting 
child trapped by murderer
It tells about the a serial child murderer, Beckhert, (Peter Lorre who is seen in many of Hitchcock's films later). It is told in a very smooth way elaborating many police procedural techniques which were quite alien at that time. Even in the 30s, one can see the meticulous manner of the German in solving problems.
M for Mörder  
The frequent police ambushes into pubs interfere with many businesses. The mob bosses and the police go against each other to lay their hands on the child murderer. The mobs use an ingenious way involving beggars to sniff out Beckhert.
The mobs succeed in apprehending the perpetrator to bring him to a kangaroo court, presided by the mob boss and juried by the public. In a non-typical fashion, for a movie at that time, when characters are either good or bad, here we are shown the other side of the wrong doer. He pleads for acquittal when he describes his sickness and inability to control his inner desires.
Peter Lorre A comedian turn villain 
As the era of silent movies were just being phased out, the style of acting (or overacting, over-expressiveness)  still continues. There are a few original ideas of film taking seen here, like the use of mirrors to tell stories and non conventional angles of camera like the ones often seen in Orson Welles' movies.
A true classic!


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