Fritz Lang's Film 'M And The Big Heat'

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In fact, it is somehow difficult to catalog Fritz Lang and put him into one closed box. But it is possible to say that Lang’s film navigated between a ‘realism’ and an expressionism, and remains to be an important symbol of Film Noir. Donahue (338) states that: “The trajectory from Expressionist film to Film Noir continues to be a subject of scholarly controversy”. However, these are merely appellations given to denote trends in filmmaking during this epoch, and what is important is the effect that films such as ‘M’ and ‘The Big Heat’ had on their audiences. While there is no firm consensus on what German expressionism is, and what it entails, Holte (29) goes some way towards explaining what it is, stating that it is an “artistic representation …show more content…

Moreover, there is very much a prophetic element with regard to ‘M’, with the film arriving prior to the onset of World War II, and the ruling Nazi party, which could also be said – just like in the narrative of ‘M’ – to be made up of a combination of the general public, institutions of law and order, and the criminal underworld. Furthermore, there are some scenes in ‘M’, such as when the police are mobilised on the streets, that can be likened to the marching of Nazi troops; and the paranoia amongst the populace is also reminiscent of the paranoia and anxiety present in Nazi Germany. Therefore, Lang very much draws on the phenomenon of mass hysteria to mobilise a populace into action and violence, and this is very much the result of the fear of surveillance and social order. However, there is also a sense in Lang’s work that such surveillance can be taken too far according to the country’s economical and political environment; and is to some extent predicting that a fascist state might untimely result in violations of human rights – which would later prove to be a valid concern, and also on a mass

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