This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Boring, over-political, tech fuzed mess

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

When the police in a German city are unable to catch a child-murderer, other criminals join in the manhunt. The story for this film sounded very promsing and just so good but unfortunately ended up being a boring film where people talk to each other for hours and not alot of things do happen in general in the end. The acting was not that good but shouldn't i be expecting it by now? As for the pacing? the movie unfortunately dragged alot and in the end this film titled 'M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder' was just an overrated failure of a picture. (0/10)

The film is about a child murderer that roams the streets of Paris, avoiding the police at every turn. What i love most about this film is that while the killer is just a faceless monster at the start of the film, but he becomes a very nuanced, complicated character with a passionate speech by the end. And it makes you really think about the nature of what it means to be an evil person. Are we evil because we choose to be? Or is evil something that can be thrust upon us, that takes us over, and forces us to do terrible things? These are questions that the film looks at, and to see such a sympathetic portrayal of a killer in 1931 is mind blowing to me. This is something that captivated audiences in 1991's The Silence of the Lambs because of how fresh, and original it was. And then to see the same thing done 60 years before is nothing short of spectacular.Many people have pointed out how Lorre's overacting is one the biggest strength's of the movie, and i'm inclined to agree. Every time the camera zones in on his face as we see an expression of delight, horror, or fear, it really shows the emotion of the scene without the need for dialogue.I do like the juxtaposition of the police and criminal characters throughout and the different paths they choose to pursue through the film.I don't know if i would consider this a masterpiece though. While i find the pacing and characters are very good, I feel like it runs on a little bit too long, and kinda meanders in certain spots. The story is good, and has a lot of smart moments, but it's nothing so wholly original that I feel the need to rave about it.Overall i would say that this is a great movie for it's time, from a great director, that definitely deserves to be talked about.

With 1931's "M" now being 86 years old - Believe me - I really did try to look beyond it flaws (etc.) and cut it some slack .But, I have to be honest with my opinion here and say that (at 110 minutes) this German production about a pedophile serial-killer seriously cried out for some major editing. It really did.Of course - It certainly didn't help matters much that (though actor Peter Lorre certainly did look the part of "M") his hammy, bug-eyed, scenery-chewing performance in his final scenes was so agonizingly over-the-top that it became downright laughable to watch, in the long run.The one real plus about this b&w picture was the impressive clarity of the print. "M's" flawless restoration was truly remarkable.Anyway - If you happen to be a true film-buff of vintage cinema, then Fritz Lang's "M" may appeal to you more than it did me.

There is really nothing that can be said about this groundbreaking film that has not already been said, so just a few impressions on watching this after a gap of several years. This film is almost 90 years old and as the Blu-ray release has reinstated, if that is the word, the silent sequences it is well worth a re-watch. Made at the beginning of sound, this was not made with sound throughout, mainly for financial reasons. These silent passages are difficult for present day audiences but strangely effecting too, especially with such startling images. Overhead shots of streets and people scurrying. Peter Lorre lurking, eyes almost bursting. It is an amazing creation that impresses now, goodness knows what affect it had upon audiences of the time. Even without the nazi connotations, this is scary and worrying stuff. Beggars as detectives, criminals as jurors, it is mind boggling. And for a finale as the 'proper' police bumble about we go underground in the most amazing cave like structure packed with those who will decide the child killers fate, looking far too much like the very people that would drag Germany into oblivion.