Germany’s Greatest Film-maker.

…was Fritz Lang. A quirky dude born in Vienna, and grew up in Germany, only to eventually live in California (he died in CA 1976). He was sent off to WWI where he was wounded three separate times. He evaded the Nazis (his mother grew up Jewish) by fleeing to America in the 30’s, where he found it rather difficult to adjust to the workings of Hollywood. A legend of the cinema, a German hero, a giver to the ART of film creation.

I’ve read, and heard, many film historians compare Fritz Lang to Hitchcock. “Lang is the Expressionistic, or even German, version of Alfred H”. I completely disagree. Both of them started up around the same time, both of them switched over from silent to sound, both of them were masters of suspense and mood; but that doesn’t mean they’re one in the same. Stylistically, the two aren’t close. And to label Lang simply as the German version of Hitchcock isn’t crediting Lang enough. Hitchcock was the man, but so was Fritz.

His most famous movies are “Metropolis” and “M”. Metropolis and “A Trip To The Moon” (not directed by Lang) could possibly be the two movies that started the Sci-Fi movement in film. And M is widely considered Lang’s masterpiece. But he also made some awesome horror movies, with the entire Dr. Mabuse trilogy, more film noir, and some period flicks. His style turned from expressionistic and hopeful, to constrained and pessimistic, and back to expressionistic again throughout his career. His early works are his best works. The studio system of Hollywood forced him into (more) commonality than ever. Which is why at the end of his career he tried to branch away from that as much as possible.

Metropolis is one of the best science fiction films ever. Its an amazing feat for a 1927 film, and a movie which is still talked about. It’s a silent movie (one of the last silent movies), so it’s hard for us to watch now. We’ve become so accustomed to loud sound effects and bangs, silent movies don’t hit us as hard. But you’ve got to throw all that aside to watch this movie. And if you do, you’ll be taken aback by the results. Metropolis takes place in a futuristic city, which is divided into two classes: the thinkers and the workers. It revolves around the mayor’s son, who’s thus far lived a sheltered life in the beautiful skyscrapers high atop the city. One day he wanders down to where the workers work, and he’s shocked at what he see’s.

The film proves today to be way ahead of its time. With themes of paranoia, capitalistic corruption, dystopia visions, and A.I. Another interesting note is the fact that it takes place in the year 2026; where as most sci-fi movies don’t look down the timeline far enough (in Terminator, the world crumbles pre-2010!). Not to mention the special effects are AMAZING. I just found out that this film will be remade, and that a director will be hired in 2008. This is exactly what we don’t need. Let’s leave the classics alone. Sure, remake Knight Rider for TV, but don’t fuck with 1927’s Metropolis. It just isn’t right.

“M” owns shit. I’ve seen clips of it, but never in its entirety. I’ve wanted to see this movie for so long but have yet been able to find it. Sure, there are Criterion Collection sets, but they cost like $80. When I had a Blockbuster online account, I tried to find this movie and they didn’t have it! I was so pissed. We’ll be watching this in my film class this semester, and I’ll be sure to post a full blurb about it. M’s about a child-murderer (its never clear if he molests the children before he kills them) who is pursued by both the Berlin police, and the Berlin underworld for his crimes. All the while the killer has no idea what’s going on. But Beckert, the killer and film’s main character, is portrayed as a sympathetic character at times. He doesn’t know why he does what he does, he even says he doesn’t want to do these things, but he cannot stop himself.

M’s especially notable because it was Lang’s first sound picture, and the use of sound is almost flawless. This movie also was ahead of its time in that it used Film-Noir techniques before the genre took hold in the late 30’s and 40’s. It uses heavy lighting to create shadows all over the place. For the first half of the movie, Beckert’s face is always shadowed.

M would serve as the springboard to launch Fritz Lang’s American career as a pulp-noir creator in Hollywood. “The Big Sleep”, Lang’s most famous if these, garnered huge controversy for its brutal imagery and violence. His Dr. Mabuse films are crime/horror tales of a famed criminal in Germany. They are nihilistic to the teenth degree, and call out German fascism (which is why two were banned from Germany). Fritz Lang ranks highly among directors- all time. For classic filmmakers, he might be my favorite (if you don’t count Bergman to be “classic”). I can’t wait to see M.

-Sonny

~ by sonnywilkins on January 29, 2008.