![]() | This article has an unclear citation style. (October 2023) |
M | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Fritz Lang |
Written by | Fritz Lang Thea von Harbou |
Produced by | Seymour Nebenzal |
Starring | Peter Lorre Otto Wernicke Gustaf Gründgens |
Cinematography | Fritz Arno Wagner |
Edited by | Paul Falkenberg |
Production company | Nero-Film A.G. |
Distributed by | Vereinigte Star-Film GmbH |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes[1] |
Country | Germany |
Language | German |
M is a 1931 German mystery thriller film directed by Fritz Lang and starring Peter Lorre in his third screen role as Hans Beckert, a serial killer who targets children. Both Lang's first sound film and an early example of a procedural drama,[2] M centers on the manhunt for Beckert conducted by both the police and organized crime.[3]
The film's screenplay was written by Lang and his wife Thea von Harbou. It features many cinematic innovations, including the use of long tracking shots and a musical leitmotif in the form of "In the Hall of the Mountain King", which is repeatedly whistled by Lorre. Lang regarded the film as his magnum opus,[4] and it is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time and an indispensable influence on modern crime and thriller fiction.[5][6][7]
An American remake under the same title, directed by Joseph Losey, was released in 1951.