Filmmaking / Directing : Fritz Lang’s ‘Der Müde Tod’ by Geoff Hall

One of my favorite Fritz Lang films is M, with Peter Lorre. Great film. I wrote a modern day reboot of it, but unfortunately it was lost in a crashed hard drive with other screenplays.

I have not seen that, will have to check it out.

Antonio M. I too love ‘M’. Peter Lorre’s performance is amazing. I’m sorry to hear about that crashed hard drive. I hope you have a backup routine now. I use Dropbox, because it has live backup.

Xochi Blymyer What amazes me about this film is that it was released in 1921 and yet the narrative is so deep and textured. It’s well worth a watch.

Geoff Hall I’ll definitely check out Der Mude Tod. I’ve been caught up in a lot of black and whites studying their dialogues and I get so lost into it. I just love the way most of them are written and how well the actors deliver their lines.

Some of my new favorites are Marty, My Man Godfrey (great film!), The Little Foxes and The Invisible Man.

Metropolis

Metropolis is amazing. Rewatched M recently.

I have a book about Fritz Lang films. I'll finish it one day, read it in small doses as it's small print and fairly detailed narrative.

Antonio M. it will be well worth it, Antonio. I was really knocked out by it.

Mark Giacomin hi Mark, Metropolis is amazing and Brigitte Helm’s performance of both the Marias, is fascinating to watch. I also came across a film in which she stars called, ‘Alraune’ (1928), where she plays a manipulative and crazed woman. It’s quite a performance.

What is the title of the Lang Book, please? I have one called The Haunted Screen which looks at German Expressionist film, by Lotte Eisner. It is wonderful, but like your Lang book, I read it in small doses.

Metropolis is epic, but M is the one that astonished me with its story structure and acting. I've been meaning to watch the Dr. Mabuse films, some of which are online for free.

Mike Boas yes, Peter Lorre’s performance peaks, for me, in the ‘court’ case scene. Total desperation, a man fighting for his life. It makes me feel that in moving to the US, his talent weren’t fully utilised.

Dr Mabuse. Yes, I have those films too. Der Spieler is mesmeric. And here we are in Germany in the early 20s (wow, a hundred years ago) and the narrative is so complex and compelling.

Hello Geoff Hall! The book is 'The Films of Fritz Lang : Allegories of Vision and Modernity' by Tom Gunning. I feel like I have watched Der Mude Tod just from the commentary in the book.

I just remembered "You and Me" is a Lang film I saw earlier this year. Fantastic mix of humor and melodrama. Opening musical sequence with Kurt Weill song sets the stage really well -- the troubles of capitalism! Not a great way to watch online, but I encourage people to watch the first 5 minutes at least. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVrv-bQoWEc

"M", hands down in my book. The balloon scene is all time. "I can't help myself! I have no control over this, this evil thing inside of me, the fire, the voices, the torment!" says Peter Lorre's Hans Beckert. Saw this Fritz Lang film very early in my career and it has stayed with me all these years.

Ken, I agree with you. M is chilling. Lorre never got enough credit for the movies he did in English... he was a better actor than we remember.

Hey Wayne, get back in touch. Somethingn happened on my end. Standing by.

I can find a full copy but that era of "Fx" was cutting edge!

Try NOSFERATU, THINGS TO COMe (1936 with Alexander Korda and William Cameron Menzies joining forces), the 1940 THIEF OF BAGHDAD directed by Michael Powell et al with serious hands-on FX by William Cameron Menzies and Korda brothers Vincent and Zoltán, the 1925 THE LOST WORLD with stop-motion FX by Willis S. O'Brien who went on to do KING KONG, SON OF KONG. and MIGHTY JOE YOUNG. Never could figure out why they shot the big guy down or even took him from Skull Island, but then again, what do I know. More in the vault.

M!!! Peter Lorre fantastic.The ascendent shadows of fascism and mob-rule lurking over this poetic serial killer thriller. Chilling.

A short list of some of my favorite Lorre films: M, The Maltese Falcom, Casablanca, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Mask of Dimitrios.

I love Lang's THE BIG HEAT. Great noir. Glenn Ford plays it right. As for Peter Lorre films, there are many, but a gem worth watching is BEAT THE DEVIL. After The African Queen John Huston wanted to make something light and brought his MALTESE FALCON cast together and made this film, almost a spoof. It was poorly received at the time because people expected something else from Huston but I've always thought it was a great little movie.

Thanks Sam Sokolow, I will check those out. One of Lang’s stateside films that caught my eye, was Ministry of Fear. It was actually the title that caught my eye. It’s not your perfect Lang movie, but it’s a good romp, and there’s one classic scene, a shot that is breathtaking (for me) when there’s a chase up the stairwell to the roof space. It was truly memorable.

Ken Kreisler they are great movies, Ken.

Mark Giacomin thanks for the book reference, Mark. I will check it out.

Mark Giacomin it’s now on my reading list!

Folks: Check out German expressionism (Fritz Lang) - looking up some ancient material came across this: German Expressionism was a major artistic movement that emerged in Germany in the early 1900s. It was characterized by its distorted and subjective expression of reality, its use of bold colors and stark lighting, and its exploration of themes such as alienation, anxiety, and the dark side of human nature.

Fritz Lang was one of the most important directors of German Expressionist cinema. His films, such as Metropolis (1927) and M (1931), are considered masterpieces of the genre. Lang's films are known for their stunning visuals, their complex and thought-provoking themes, and their powerful performances.

Here are some of the key elements of German Expressionism as seen in Fritz Lang's films:

Distorted and subjective expression of reality: Lang's films often feature distorted and unrealistic sets and scenery, which reflect the inner emotions of the characters. For example, in Metropolis, the underground city is depicted as a labyrinth of dark and claustrophobic tunnels and machines, representing the oppression and alienation of the working class.

German Expressionism can be seen across the board from art, to cinema, to photography. Try the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Dr. Mabuse, Hollywood's Noir Era, Carol Reed's The Third Man---what an ending!...Blue Angel, James Whale's Frankenstein, Tod Browning's 1931 Dracula, and so much more. While still immersed in post grad studies, I researched this topic with my professor mentors for dissertation.