M, BFI Southbank

Until October 7, a restored version of Fritz Lang’s M will be showing at the BFI Southbank.

Today, Fritz Lang is best remembered for Metropolis, arguably the originator of the dystopian science fiction genre. However, it is M , his first departure from silent film, which he personally considered to be his finest work. Luckily for British audiences, a restored version of the film will be showing at the BFI Southbank until October 7.

M tells the story of a child murderer, and the attempt by both police and an organised crime gang to bring him to justice. It is a brave and unflinching film, determined to explore the depths of human depravity. As it does so, it never resorts to shock tactics, but instead retains a fierce moral intelligence, asking questions about justice and responsibility with impressive rigour. 

Peter Lorre (Casablanca, Maltese Falcon) stars as the murderer, and the final scene remains one of his career highlights: a performance of terrifying intensity. Equally impressive is the direction and cinematography; Lang and co. create an atmosphere of threat and paranoia that unnerves and unsettles. Silent passages are also interwoven into the film, and it is a testament to its quality that these feel neither obtrusive nor contrived.

The film has been widely heralded as one of the most influential of its generation, a tense and complex work of cinema which has stood the test of time. It is showing throughout September and into early October at the BFI Southbank.