T.G321

Fritz Lang was a German-Austrian filmmaker. Amongst his filmography is Metropolis (1927), which was the world’s most expensive silent film at the time of its release, and M (1931), a predecessor to the film noir genre.

 

Lang was labelled as the "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute. His use of low-key lighting to create an feeling of despair could be a direct influence for our sequence, especially the idea of filming outside at night is popular amongst our group. 

 

Alfred Hitchcock said that he was influenced by Fritz Lang's film, Destiny (1921).

 

M is an excellent example of an early psychological thriller; the composition of the shots work in harmony with the soundtrack – Lang's first – to first emphasise the danger posed by the murderer, and then to create the idea that his psychopathic nature could have been prevented.

 

For example, in this shot, the writing tells the audience about the murderer, whilst a girl throws a ball at the wall, representing her disregard and innocence. The murderer's shadow then imposes itself on the poster, symbolising his sudden dominance over the girl's life. Lang utilises the black and white limitations in order to amplify the danger to the public presented by the murderer, especially through the juxtaposition of the dark shadow with the light ball – objects which directly embody the two characters.