Movie #57 – M (1931) - 117 min, cert PG.
A German city is being prowled by a serial killer. He preys on children by luring them to a quiet spot with sweets and balloons, then killing them. We discover his identity early in the film – he is Franz Becker (Peter Lorre). The population is in uproar because their children are not safe. The police are throwing all their men into hunting for the killer. In the process, there seem to be police on every corner, while the vice dens and illegal drinking clubs get raided on a seemingly nightly basis. The criminal organisations are finding it impossible to operate under such a crackdown, so they too are putting all their resources into finding the killer. With the odds stacked so overwhelmingly against him, it is only a matter of time before Becker is caught, but who will catch him first – the police or the criminals? If the police get him, he will go to prison, or more likely, an asylum, but if the underworld takes him first, he will surely be lynched by the angry mob.
I actually quite liked this film. A fact which is surprising for a film of this age. Most of it is concerned with Becker trying to evade capture by the criminal mob that has identified him. He hides in a factory overnight, and the gang break in and literally tear the place apart looking for him. Peter Lorre is superb in this role of the serial killer, unable to control his homicidal urges. His speech in front of the kangaroo court at the end of the movie is unforgettable.
Score – 8/10. Still holds up surprisingly well for a film for its age.
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