Superb film about a German city's hunt for a child murderer; Fritz Lang's first talkie establishes the police procedural and the psycho killer thriller genres in one swoop. The movie tracks the police's detailed search for the killer, the impact of this search on the criminal community, and their pragmatic decision to institute their own investigation in order to return life to normalcy as soon as possible.
Both efforts are given equal time, as the story cuts from one to the other often in mid-sentence; both investigations are exciting and advance with believable developments. The film provides a fascinating view into pre-Nazi German life; it's odd to think that we're only 70 years away from an era with beggars guilds and washer women.
Technically the film is a marvel; Lang used sound so well it makes many current efforts look cheap in comparison. The cinematography is eery, but always on the right side of realistic, never stylized.
The murderer is played by Peter Lorre in his first major film role and one that still ranks high in the pantheon of brilliant portrayals of a deviant. Only 26, Lorre's work is still timely, and his riveting final speech is as persuasive as it is repellant. The other performances are solid, if not particularly notable.
The story, co-written by Lang and his Nazi wife Thea von Harbou, is far more complex than I expected. I was astonished to realize that we might have outgrown beggars and washerwomen, but we still have exactly the same issues about crime, punishment, and mental illness, and they show an admirable reluctance to present easy solutions or simple heroes. It is also worth remembering that Lang left the country and divorced his wife within two years of making this film; it is impossible to believe the film wasn't also intended as an indictment of Nazism, although no overt attack is made.
Don't miss this, but make sure you get the restored version.
