Director: Fritz Lang
Year: 1931
Source: Criterion Channel Streaming
Wikipedia
Analysis from One Hundred Years of Cinema
Roger Ebert's Review
Notable For: This is Lang's first sound film and one that he would later call his magnum opus. The depiction of a serial killer is surprisingly nuanced for the era. The film is frank about the terror his actions cause but at least tries to understand his compulsions, and directly questions the audience on whether it's right to kill someone who can't control himself. There are a number of classic scenes here - certainly Lang's editing and use of montage were in top form here.
Verdict: Although it doesn't displace Metropolis in my mind, it's definitely a masterpiece. In addition to everything laid out previously, I find it effective as an attempt at greater realism in crime fiction, in comparison to Fantomas or even Lang's earlier film Spies (although the more outlandish depiction of organized crime contradicts that somewhat). The film does do its best to depict how the police in this era would attempt to track such a criminal - it was based on a real serial killer. And despite the Dateline-style attempts to scare parents into keeping closer watch on their kids, the scene that obliquely suggests Elsie's abduction and murder are extremely chilling. This isn't really a film that fits easily with our modern tastes, but I liked it a great deal nonetheless.
Year: 1931
Source: Criterion Channel Streaming
Wikipedia
Analysis from One Hundred Years of Cinema
Roger Ebert's Review
Notable For: This is Lang's first sound film and one that he would later call his magnum opus. The depiction of a serial killer is surprisingly nuanced for the era. The film is frank about the terror his actions cause but at least tries to understand his compulsions, and directly questions the audience on whether it's right to kill someone who can't control himself. There are a number of classic scenes here - certainly Lang's editing and use of montage were in top form here.
Verdict: Although it doesn't displace Metropolis in my mind, it's definitely a masterpiece. In addition to everything laid out previously, I find it effective as an attempt at greater realism in crime fiction, in comparison to Fantomas or even Lang's earlier film Spies (although the more outlandish depiction of organized crime contradicts that somewhat). The film does do its best to depict how the police in this era would attempt to track such a criminal - it was based on a real serial killer. And despite the Dateline-style attempts to scare parents into keeping closer watch on their kids, the scene that obliquely suggests Elsie's abduction and murder are extremely chilling. This isn't really a film that fits easily with our modern tastes, but I liked it a great deal nonetheless.
Comments
Post a Comment