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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...

He did it? He did it not?

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956) Director:Fritz Lang Fritz Lang was already an established film-maker in the German movie scene, with his production of the most expensive and successful silent film 'Metropolis' in 1927. When Hitler's Minister of Propaganda, Josef Goebbels tried to rope him to produce anti-Semantic films and the increased hatred towards the Jews, he absconded to France then to the US. Even though his family was a Christian, his mother was born Jewish. This 1956 was Lang's last film. Yet another is hanged for murder. Tom (Dana Andrews), an author and his future father in law, Spencer, a newspaper publisher both opponents of capital punishment, plan out a scheme to prove to the courts that they are sending too man to the electric chair based on circumstantial evidence. When a nightclub is reported killed and the killer is at large, the duo seize their chance. They planted some evidence and led the police to arrest Tom. The scheme was a secret betw...