Essential 1931
Fritz Lang film starring
Peter Lorre (in his first major role) as a child
murderer. Instead of concentrating on the killer or the crimes, Lang concentrates on the
underworld's search for the demented murderer, as the enhanced police presence is bad for their
business. This early
talkie's minimal and dramatic use of
sound, as well as its rather dark
plot, put it way ahead of its time (not unlike his earlier film, the magnificent
Metropolis). Lang's vision of a
diseased world reminds us that the killer too is a
victim, a somewhat
controversial idea for such an early film.
Favorite scene: After Lorre buys a child a balloon, Lang shows us the child's mother calling the child for dinner. As her voice echoes among the empty streets, the camera cuts to a view of the balloon, tangled in the power lines.
Trivia: the Red Hot Chili Peppers' video for Otherside seems to be largely inspired by the images in this film, as well as in Metropolis.
"Who knows what it's like to be me?" -M