M and the Birth of Film Noir Fritz Lang's M cemented his reputation as a masterful director in the world of sound coming soon after his brilliant silent films like Metropolis (1927) and Nibelungen (1924). I think you will recognize most crime drama elements we take for granted in M , from the police procedural to the mourning family members. M is an original film noir production, tapping into the angst of the urban environment, the depression, and maybe even looking ahead to the Nazi era. Use these prompts to help inform your blog posts: How does M reflect the expressionist movement arising in post-war Germany? How does Fritz Lang use sound outside of dialogue? Be sure to comment on music. The city is as much a character in film noir and expressionist cinema as anybody else. What role does the city play in the story? Lang considered M an indictment of all humanity, not just the murderers. What about the film conveys this m...
