M

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Directed by Fritz Lang
Written by Thea von Harbou and Fritz Lang
1931/Germany
Nero Film Ag
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/Criterion Channel
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

Beggar’s Union Member: Stop snoring! You’ll wake up the lice.

Masterpiece. Full stop.

Odd little man Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre) blends easily into a crowd.  This is how he has managed to terrorize a city with a series of child murders.  He lures little girls into his powers by offering them sweets and gifts.  Mothers all over the city are terrified to allow their children to walk the streets alone.  The police are baffled.

Because they have no better ideas, the police repeatedly raid criminal enterprises throughout the town and round up the usual suspects.  This is putting quite a damper on business and the criminals decide to pursue the killer themselves, using inconspicuous members of the Beggar’s Union as spies.

Finally the criminals manage to corner Hans in an office building storage unit and drag him to their hide out for a trial.  Hans would rather be caught by the police, thank you very much.

This more than stands the test of time and people will probably still be watching with equal awe 100 years from now. Everything works: the script, the pre-noir cinematography, the social commentary.  Peter Lorre leaves an indelible impression in surprisingly little screen time. The definition of a movie you must see before you die.