Overlay: Reception of Fritz Lang's M (1931)

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Errors	Missing	Unverified	Supported
4	0	0	7

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Errors (4)

Mordaunt Hall did review the film for the NYT in 1933, but the specific quotes 'false-specificity Graham Greene's quote about the 'microscope' and 'tangled mind' was written in 1wrong-topic Context of Graham Greene's Quote: The summary misapplies a quote about Peter Lorwrong-topic Nuance of Title Change: While it correctly attributes the story to Lang, it coulmissed-skepticism

#Q ORIGINAL QUESTION

Regarding the film M (1931), how was the film received and reviewed at the time of release?

#M ANNOTATED LLM RESPONSE

Upon its release in May 1931, Fritz Lang’s M was a major commercial success but faced a deeply polarized critical reception. While the public was captivated, critics were divided between praising its technical innovation and condemning its "sensationalist" subject matter.

1. Initial German Reception (May 1931)

The film premiered at the UFA-Palast am Zoo in Berlin on May 11, 1931.

Audience Reaction: Audiences were overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Despite the grim subject matter, the film was one of the biggest box-office hits of the late Weimar Republic.
The "Sensationalism" Critique: Because the film followed so closely on the heels of the real-life trial and execution of Peter Kürten (the "Vampire of Düsseldorf"), some critics accused Lang of exploitation.
- Gabriele Tergit, a prominent journalist for Die Weltbühne, panned the film as "headline-chasing sensationalism" and "filmed sadism." She famously wrote, "The beast was just in court, and already on the screen!"
The Sympathy Controversy: A significant point of contention was the final "kangaroo court" scene. Critics were unsettled by the way Lang and actor Peter Lorre made the child murderer, Hans Beckert, a pitiable figure. Some reviewers felt the film went too far in asking the audience to understand the "uncontrollable urges" of a monster.

2. Technical and Artistic Acclaim

Despite the moral controversy, the German press widely recognized the film as a masterpiece of the new "talkie" era.

Innovative Sound: Critics in major papers like the Berliner Tageblatt and Film-Kurier praised Lang’s use of sound. Unlike early Hollywood "talkies" that were dialogue-heavy, M was noted for its creative silence and the whistling leitmotif (Grieg’s "In the Hall of the Mountain King"), which served as the killer’s calling card.
Peter Lorre’s Performance: This was Lorre’s breakthrough role. Reviews described his performance as "mesmerizing" and "haunting," though it immediately led to him being typecast as a villainous "outsider."

3. Political and Censorship Issues

The film faced political hurdles even before its release:

The Title Change: The original title was Mörder unter uns (Murderers Among Us). Lang famously claimed that the Nazi party, still rising to power at the time, denied him studio space at Staaken because they believed the title was a direct attack on them. After Lang clarified the plot was about a child killer, they relented, but the title was shortened to simply M.
Nazi Reaction: Ironically, Joseph Goebbels (the future Nazi Propaganda Minister) initially praised the film as "fantastic" and "free of phony humanitarian sentiments." However, by 1934, the Nazi regime banned the film entirely.

4. International Reception (1932–1933)

When the film reached the UK and USA, the reception shifted toward high-art prestige.

United States (1933): Released in March 1933, the film received strong reviews. Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times called it "a clinical study of a diseased mind," praising its direction while noting it was "almost too horrible to witness."
The Nation: Critic William Troy praised it for being more than a horror film, calling it a "psychological document" that transcended the simple sensationalism of earlier German expressionist films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
United Kingdom: Graham Greene, writing for The Spectator, would later call it one of the most important films ever made, famously comparing Lang’s direction to looking through a microscope at a "tangled mind."

Summary of Key Criticisms at the Time:

Theme	Critical Response
Realism	Praised for its "documentary-like" procedural look at the police and underworld.
Morality	Attacked by some for being "filmed sadism" and humanizing a child killer.
Technology	Universally hailed as the most sophisticated use of sound in early cinema.
Peter Lorre	Seen as a revelation; reviews focused on his "bug-eyed" intensity and desperate monologue.

#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)

[1] Release date confirmed as May 11, 1931.

[2] Premiere location and date are historically accurate.

[3] The film's release coincided with the trial of Peter Kürten, fueling the controversy.

[4] Gabriele Tergit's review in Die Weltbühne is a verified historical document containing these exact criticisms.

[5] This is a well-known claim made by Fritz Lang in interviews. While some historians debate if the Nazis actually intervened or if it was a studio decision, the summary accurately reports it as Lang's claim.

[6] Goebbels' diary entry from May 21, 1931, confirms this reaction.

[7] Mordaunt Hall did review the film for the NYT in 1933, but the specific quotes 'clinical study of a diseased mind' and 'almost too horrible to witness' do not appear in the standard text of that review and may be misattributed.

[8] William Troy's review in The Nation (1933) explicitly uses the term 'psychological document'.

[9] Graham Greene's quote about the 'microscope' and 'tangled mind' was written in 1936 for World Film News and was describing Peter Lorre's performance in 'Mad Love', not Lang's direction of 'M'.

#O MISSED POINTS & OVERSIGHTS

Medium

Context of Graham Greene's Quote

The summary misapplies a quote about Peter Lorre's acting in a different film (Mad Love) to the direction of M.

Low

Nuance of Title Change

While it correctly attributes the story to Lang, it could have clarified that this is an anecdotal claim that some historians view with skepticism.

#C RELATED QUERIES

#01 What was the specific content of Mordaunt Hall's 1933 review of M?

#02 Did Graham Greene ever review M specifically for The Spectator?

#03 How did the Nazi ban of M in 1934 affect Fritz Lang's career?

#S SOURCES

wikipedia.org

#R ORIGINAL AI RESPONSE

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Upon its release in **May 1931**, Fritz Lang’s *M* was a major commercial success but faced a deeply polarized critical reception. While the public was captivated, critics were divided between praising its technical innovation and condemning its "sensationalist" subject matter. ### **1. Initial German Reception (May 1931)** The film premiered at the **UFA-Palast am Zoo** in Berlin on May 11, 1931. * **Audience Reaction:** Audiences were overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Despite the grim subject matter, the film was one of the biggest box-office hits of the late Weimar Republic. * **The "Sensationalism" Critique:** Because the film followed so closely on the heels of the real-life trial and execution of **Peter Kürten** (the "Vampire of Düsseldorf"), some critics accused Lang of exploitation. * **Gabriele Tergit**, a prominent journalist for *Die Weltbühne*, panned the film as **"headline-chasing sensationalism"** and **"filmed sadism."** She famously wrote, "The beast was just in court, and already on the screen!" * **The Sympathy Controversy:** A significant point of contention was the final "kangaroo court" scene. Critics were unsettled by the way Lang and actor Peter Lorre made the child murderer, Hans Beckert, a pitiable figure. Some reviewers felt the film went too far in asking the audience to understand the "uncontrollable urges" of a monster. ### **2. Technical and Artistic Acclaim** Despite the moral controversy, the German press widely recognized the film as a masterpiece of the new "talkie" era. * **Innovative Sound:** Critics in major papers like the *Berliner Tageblatt* and *Film-Kurier* praised Lang’s use of sound. Unlike early Hollywood "talkies" that were dialogue-heavy, *M* was noted for its **creative silence** and the **whistling leitmotif** (Grieg’s "In the Hall of the Mountain King"), which served as the killer’s calling card. * **Peter Lorre’s Performance:** This was Lorre’s breakthrough role. Reviews described his performance as "mesmerizing" and "haunting," though it immediately led to him being typecast as a villainous "outsider." ### **3. Political and Censorship Issues** The film faced political hurdles even before its release: * **The Title Change:** The original title was ***Mörder unter uns*** (*Murderers Among Us*). Lang famously claimed that the Nazi party, still rising to power at the time, denied him studio space at Staaken because they believed the title was a direct attack on them. After Lang clarified the plot was about a child killer, they relented, but the title was shortened to simply *M*. * **Nazi Reaction:** Ironically, **Joseph Goebbels** (the future Nazi Propaganda Minister) initially praised the film as "fantastic" and "free of phony humanitarian sentiments." However, by 1934, the Nazi regime banned the film entirely. ### **4. International Reception (1932–1933)** When the film reached the UK and USA, the reception shifted toward high-art prestige. * **United States (1933):** Released in March 1933, the film received strong reviews. **Mordaunt Hall** of *The New York Times* called it "a clinical study of a diseased mind," praising its direction while noting it was "almost too horrible to witness." * **The Nation:** Critic William Troy praised it for being more than a horror film, calling it a "psychological document" that transcended the simple sensationalism of earlier German expressionist films like *The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari*. * **United Kingdom:** **Graham Greene**, writing for *The Spectator*, would later call it one of the most important films ever made, famously comparing Lang’s direction to looking through a microscope at a "tangled mind." ### **Summary of Key Criticisms at the Time:** | Theme | Critical Response | | :--- | :--- | | **Realism** | Praised for its "documentary-like" procedural look at the police and underworld. | | **Morality** | Attacked by some for being "filmed sadism" and humanizing a child killer. | | **Technology** | Universally hailed as the most sophisticated use of sound in early cinema. | | **Peter Lorre** | Seen as a revelation; reviews focused on his "bug-eyed" intensity and desperate monologue. |

#A DIRECT ANSWER (VERIFIED ANALYSIS)

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Fritz Lang's M (1931) premiered on May 11, 1931, at the UFA-Palast am Zoo in Berlin to commercial success but polarized criticism. While audiences flocked to it, critics like Gabriele Tergit (Die Weltbühne) condemned it as "filmed sadism" for exploiting the recent Peter Kürten child murders. Conversely, it was praised for its innovative use of sound and Peter Lorre's performance. Internationally, it was hailed as a masterpiece; William Troy (The Nation) called it a "psychological document." However, the famous "microscope" quote often attributed to Graham Greene regarding M was actually written by Greene in 1936 about Lorre's performance in Mad Love.

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