M (8)

Once you get past the ancient 1931 scratchy static poor quality and get into the German, this film begins to really shine. The story starts slow but builds up to suspenseful and moral tale of crime and justice. It would make for fantastic episode in any of today's great crime programs (bring back Prime Suspect!). This is an 8 (I was drawn in losing sense of time). Get over the quality, get into the era and get into this film.

In this film-noir a murder is snatching children off the city streets - his silhouette against the reward poster talking to girl starts the horror of another mother. The police clamp down on the city, searching illegal bars and disrupting the criminal underground who vow to hunt for the murder too. Eventually the murder is trapped in an office block by the criminals, who break in and snatch him away. The police capture one of the gang and through integration that could have come from any modern crime program today, they find where he has been taken. Meanwhile, the gang and the public are holding a mock court to decide the murder's fate. When doubt begin to creep in that perhaps he was not responsible, it raises the moral questions of mob justice, and who really should determine guilt, and the punishment.

Everything about the story would not be out of place in a film or program today - the police investigation with thorougher record checking and forensics, the public hysteria and fear accosting innocent people on the streets, and the underworld with the hide and seek in the building. Even the filming, as poor as the quality was, still was captivating with interesting shots and lighting, and drawn out suspenseful clips. The frightened, chest clutching fear of the trapped murder, to the methodical police and angry pubic were all portrayed and acted well.

Another aspect to enjoy is its age - see the Mickey "Rat" in the back of this confectionery store? And everyone smokes so much that sometimes the smoke completely obscures the people.

When is someone going to make a remake? They would have a hard time doing better than the original.