How Does Fritz Lang Use Cinematography In M

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In this paper I will be writing about the German film, “M” directed by Fritz Lang. I will be looking at Fritz Langs techniques of mise-en scene and montage editing connecting them to the police and criminals in 1930s Germany, as well as the overall corruption of the society. I will also be writing about how director fritz Lang uses cinematography to create a sense of subjectivity, suggesting that Hans Beckert has a dual personality. Terror and hysteria takes over the town when a sign offering 10,000 dollars goes up about a child murder and a child named Elise goes missing and the story ends up in the paper. The town’s people start to blame each other. Fritz Lang uses subjective views and close ups when the men are fighting with each other. Police are following every clue even the smallest ones. The police are overworked and tired. The police start fighting with each other and blaming each other for bad evidence. The police then start to work with the beggars to try to find the child killer Hans Beckert. Cross cutting between the police and the towns people sitting around the table talking about the killer. …show more content…

The scene with the items laid out on the table was reframed through panning (left-right movement). And some scenes the film goes in and out on characters. Lang uses extreme deep focus when the killer Hans Beckert finds a child he wants to kid nap and kill. When the killer Beckert is not Prowling for a child to kid nap I noticed the camera is never fully on him it’s filming something else like a person with his shadow walking by or hiding behind leaves. And the killer has an annoying whistle that he does but it’s like director Lang gave this character a signature theme in film. When the killer Hans Beckert is caught the camera does close ups and focuses on him while he begs to be let go because of his dual

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