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From Amazon.co.uk
Fritz Lang's first sound movie, the serial-killer film M, has often been voted the best German film of all time, but, until now, most of us have never seen it properly. What we have seen is a heavily cut 1950s re-edit with extra sound and music patched in, where Lang was deliberately economical with the new technology. This new "Ultimate Edition" is dominated by a marvellous restoration which is true to his intentions and oft-voiced complaints about what had been done to his best film.
The young Peter Lorre is terrifyingly ordinary as the child-murderer whom police and criminals hunt down in what is still one of the best forensic police procedurals ever made, while Gustaf Grundgens has effortless charisma as the chief gangster. Lorre's Hollywood exile and decay, and Grundgens' betrayal of old friends and principles under the Nazis, merely add a layer of irony to all this. Lang's ironic cuts--a gangster's gesture is completed by his police equivalent--and dark, studio-bound cinematography make this one of the great precursors of American film noir. Simply, seen without cracks and pops and lines running down the screen, M is revealed as a true classic--a film that shames everything made in its genre since.
On the DVD: M on disc has a great deal of documentary material featuring scholars and technicians telling us just how clever they have been in preparing this splendid restoration. The film also comes with a detailed commentary into which has been spliced interview material with Lang talking in English about specific sequences. There is a German-language film interview with Lang in which he talks through his career and re-enacts the interview with Goebbels that led to his exile; an audio interview with Peter Bogdanovich; and an intelligent video critical essay by film historian R Dixon Smith. The restored film is shown in its correct, unusual visual aspect ratio of 1.90:1 and has vivid cleaned-up digital mono sound: the murderer's whistling of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" has never sounded so chilling. --Roz Kaveney
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
M, 1931, 2003 Eureka video 2 disk edition - Disturbing yet compelling viewing
21 Sep 2009
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Fritz Lang, probably better known for the masterful `Metropolis', is responsible for this rather disturbing and thought provoking study of a serial child killer in mid war Germany. The story has been compellingly constructed by a master craftsman. From the earliest scenes of a mother waiting for her child to come home, through the police hunt for the killer, then the trial at the end, with Peter Lorre's defence, this is gripping stuff.
The story centres around Peter Lorre as the disturbed and disturbing killer. I was more familiar with his later, more comedic roles in America, and was totally blown away by this incredible performance. His performance is perfectly nuanced, playing the frightened man to a tee.
The story is shown in a series of set pieces. The film starts with images of a child playing in a street, and her mother waiting for her to come home. The child never arrives, and the scenes of Mother waiting in her flat with dinner on the table, and eventually receiving the news are emotionally charged. There is hysteria in Berlin, and a police search for the killer. The police procedures are shown in amazing forensic detail, and are totally gripping. The action shifts to the criminal underworld, who are being hurt by the police intrusion into their activities during their hunt for the killer. They decide to take their own action, tracking down the killer in a series of totally gripping scenes, then comes the films masterstroke - the criminals put Lorre on trial and he is forced to defend himself in front of the `court'. His defence is brilliant, his explanation for his crimes utterly disturbing - we are left feeling that we have been given insight into the mind of a real murderer.... Read more ›
The story centres around Peter Lorre as the disturbed and disturbing killer. I was more familiar with his later, more comedic roles in America, and was totally blown away by this incredible performance. His performance is perfectly nuanced, playing the frightened man to a tee.
The story is shown in a series of set pieces. The film starts with images of a child playing in a street, and her mother waiting for her to come home. The child never arrives, and the scenes of Mother waiting in her flat with dinner on the table, and eventually receiving the news are emotionally charged. There is hysteria in Berlin, and a police search for the killer. The police procedures are shown in amazing forensic detail, and are totally gripping. The action shifts to the criminal underworld, who are being hurt by the police intrusion into their activities during their hunt for the killer. They decide to take their own action, tracking down the killer in a series of totally gripping scenes, then comes the films masterstroke - the criminals put Lorre on trial and he is forced to defend himself in front of the `court'. His defence is brilliant, his explanation for his crimes utterly disturbing - we are left feeling that we have been given insight into the mind of a real murderer.... Read more ›
40 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
Blu-ray Specifications:
Case Type - Slimmer U.S type case.
Disc - AVC, BD50, Region B locked.
Video - 1.19:1 aspect ratio in a 16:9 frame (black bars appear at the left and right of the screen). 1080p/24fps. Black and White.
Audio - Original German language. 2.0 dual mono DTS-HD Master Audio.
Subtitles - Optional English subtitles.
Supplements -
Commentary with German film scholars Anton Kaes and Eric Rentschler.
Commentary with film restoration expert Martin Koerber, filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich, historian Torsten Kaiser and excerpts from Bogdanovich's 1965 audio interviews with Fritz Lang.
20 minute interview with Fritz Lang (box says documentary, but its more of an interview).
Shorter 1932 U.K theatrical release version (in English language and upscaled to 1080p) - features alternate takes, and different actors.
48 page booklet.
Censorship? - No censorship or cuts have been made to the film on this disc. The BBFC have given the film a PG Certficate. The film contains disturbing subject matter and infrequent mild bad language. This is the longest version of the film (110 minutes) that has been available since the films premiere.
'M' is a superb thriller, and possibly Fritz Lang's finest film. Considering the time it was made it is quite disturbing, and i can imagine audiences in the early thirties were shocked when they saw this film in the cinema. Peter Lorre is excellent as the child killer and the films final moments are extremely powerful. The picture quality is easily one the best i've seen for a film this old. Plenty of grain and no digital tinkering as far as i know.... Read more ›
Case Type - Slimmer U.S type case.
Disc - AVC, BD50, Region B locked.
Video - 1.19:1 aspect ratio in a 16:9 frame (black bars appear at the left and right of the screen). 1080p/24fps. Black and White.
Audio - Original German language. 2.0 dual mono DTS-HD Master Audio.
Subtitles - Optional English subtitles.
Supplements -
Commentary with German film scholars Anton Kaes and Eric Rentschler.
Commentary with film restoration expert Martin Koerber, filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich, historian Torsten Kaiser and excerpts from Bogdanovich's 1965 audio interviews with Fritz Lang.
20 minute interview with Fritz Lang (box says documentary, but its more of an interview).
Shorter 1932 U.K theatrical release version (in English language and upscaled to 1080p) - features alternate takes, and different actors.
48 page booklet.
Censorship? - No censorship or cuts have been made to the film on this disc. The BBFC have given the film a PG Certficate. The film contains disturbing subject matter and infrequent mild bad language. This is the longest version of the film (110 minutes) that has been available since the films premiere.
'M' is a superb thriller, and possibly Fritz Lang's finest film. Considering the time it was made it is quite disturbing, and i can imagine audiences in the early thirties were shocked when they saw this film in the cinema. Peter Lorre is excellent as the child killer and the films final moments are extremely powerful. The picture quality is easily one the best i've seen for a film this old. Plenty of grain and no digital tinkering as far as i know.... Read more ›
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
M is Fritz Lang's true masterpiece, even outshining the more famous METROPOLIS. Finally a DVD has come along that does it considerably more justice than Peter Lorre, starring as Hans Beckert, seems to be getting in the films famous climactic scenes.
Inge Landgut, as Elsie Beckmann, Beckerts victim at the start of the film is an excellent young actress, who portrays the naivety of youth superbly, and the way in which Lang "shows" her murder is handled with an understated style that makes it far more frightening than later, more explicit horror films.
The package put together by Eureka is spot on, the remastered film shining through in awesome quality, the cover grabbing you, making you want to see the film, and the documentaries and extras being of a remarkably consistent standard throughout.
A great film far ahead of it's time, and always worth watching.
Inge Landgut, as Elsie Beckmann, Beckerts victim at the start of the film is an excellent young actress, who portrays the naivety of youth superbly, and the way in which Lang "shows" her murder is handled with an understated style that makes it far more frightening than later, more explicit horror films.
The package put together by Eureka is spot on, the remastered film shining through in awesome quality, the cover grabbing you, making you want to see the film, and the documentaries and extras being of a remarkably consistent standard throughout.
A great film far ahead of it's time, and always worth watching.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
"As long as we can hear them singing, at least we know they are still there."
2 Jun 2011
Format:Blu-ray
NB - As is Amazon's wont, they have bundled together the reviews for various editions of this film (the Criterion and Masters of Cinema DVD and Blu-ray releases all have different extras). This review refers to the Eureka Blu-ray.
Surprisingly rarely revived on television or event cinematheques these days, making it the kind of film you have to seek out and buy if you want to see these days, M comes with such a legendary reputation that it just seems to invite disappointment. Yet more than eight decades since it revived Fritz Lang's failing career after the twin failures of Metropolis and Woman in the Moon and making Peter Lorre's name as the pathetic child murderer hunted by an entire city, it's still both a remarkably gripping and powerful movie that leaves a lasting impression and a surprisingly exhilarating and at times breathless thriller that never lets its dark subject matter batter the film down or turn it into a sermon.
With the remarkable visual sense that Lang's American films were never really able to duplicate as his work became gradually smoothed away into polished studio system product, it's a surprisingly energetic film as it crams a whole city into its 110-minute running time (it was originally 117 minutes, but seven - dealing with attention-seekers confessing to the murder - are still missing). There's a fascinating use of both sound and sequences of uncomfortable and prolonged total silence that's even uncannily devoid of the usual `room noise,' creating a unique atmosphere that's surprisingly disorientating (the music and effects that were added for these mute scenes for later reissues have been removed for the Blu-ray).... Read more ›
Surprisingly rarely revived on television or event cinematheques these days, making it the kind of film you have to seek out and buy if you want to see these days, M comes with such a legendary reputation that it just seems to invite disappointment. Yet more than eight decades since it revived Fritz Lang's failing career after the twin failures of Metropolis and Woman in the Moon and making Peter Lorre's name as the pathetic child murderer hunted by an entire city, it's still both a remarkably gripping and powerful movie that leaves a lasting impression and a surprisingly exhilarating and at times breathless thriller that never lets its dark subject matter batter the film down or turn it into a sermon.
With the remarkable visual sense that Lang's American films were never really able to duplicate as his work became gradually smoothed away into polished studio system product, it's a surprisingly energetic film as it crams a whole city into its 110-minute running time (it was originally 117 minutes, but seven - dealing with attention-seekers confessing to the murder - are still missing). There's a fascinating use of both sound and sequences of uncomfortable and prolonged total silence that's even uncannily devoid of the usual `room noise,' creating a unique atmosphere that's surprisingly disorientating (the music and effects that were added for these mute scenes for later reissues have been removed for the Blu-ray).... Read more ›
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4.6 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Into the Hall of the Mountain King
No introductions needed surely for M, Fritz Lang's most celebrated masterpiece. Made in 1931, it seems as modern today as it must have been the day it was released and remains a... Read more
Published 17 days ago by Film Buff
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lorre Carries the Picture
Fascinating precursor or rather archetype of all the 'tightening noose' procedurals that have followed right down to Prime Suspect and other less watchable and even more morally... Read more
Published 19 days ago by Mario
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very chilling portrayal of a killer
Although very old, this is a chilling portrayal of a killer that is acheived without showing any violence. The atmosphere is gripping.
Published 2 months ago by book lover
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
This is more boring than gripping with very little of Peter Lorre. Too much time is wasted on various 'committee' meetings discussing the problem and some scenes are silent which... Read more
Published 4 months ago by A. Morgan
4.0 out of 5 stars
Redemption 'M'
I purchased this through the Amazon outlets as a VHS cassette, I had seen it some years back along with other 'foreign' films at a weekend of cinematic enlightenment. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Inquisio
4.0 out of 5 stars
M masters of cinema dvd
disturbing yet fascinating,Peter Lorre is on top form the extras feature an excellent documentary about the film and a commentary track. Read more
Published 7 months ago by gerrard
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Don't want to, but must! And then a voice screams!..."
This creepy, German expressionist film by Fritz Lang is everything the critics say it is. A serial killer of young girls is the subject of a huge manhunt by the police. Read more
Published 8 months ago by C. O. DeRiemer
5.0 out of 5 stars
TRULY FRIGHTENING...
Peter Lorre at his most chilling as the child murderer in Fritz Lang's dark classic.Made before Lorre became famous in Hollywood this is one of the must see before you die films.
Published 13 months ago by deadkat77
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quite disturbing for an early B&W film
There are two versions of the same film, one in German with English subtitles and the other is English made sometime later. Read more
Published 17 months ago by B. T. Aris
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great film, excellent edition
This is a great film. I bought it because it was mentioned in my 'Film Form' class as the epitome of 'Kammerspiel' German Expressionism. Read more
Published on 6 May 2011 by ErasmusBee
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