Movies

Nearly eighty years ago, in 1931, the film entitled M was released in Germany.  The said film was about a serial murdererpedophile being hunted not only by the police, but by mobsters as well, as the murderers criminal acts on young girls had resulted in a more extensive patrolling by the authorities, hindering the illegal businesses perpetuated by the gangs.  Set during the 1930s in downtown Berlin, the film had likewise depicted an accurate portrayal of the citys street life from the parents accompanying their children to and from schools, the busy streets of a metropolis, to the beggars and vendors prowling the streets.  Basically, the movie revolved around the serving of justice of the ultimate reality that every crime has its own appropriate punishment.  Also emphasized is the societys need to lend an understanding surrounding the many complexities brought about by mental illness.

Symbols
One of the symbols that were utilized by its director, Fritz Lang, was the balloon that the murderer had bought for his eventual victim, Elsie Beckmann.  As what is also true with the ball that the victim had been playing with before the crime took place, this symbolizes childhood and the inherent freedom or carefree attitude that children ought to enjoy in full security.  Worth noting was the scene showing the balloon flying past the electric posts, suggesting that Elsie was no longer in possession of the balloon, and that  the crime had already been successfully committed.  The meanings surrounding this symbolism were also true with the scene showing the ball rolling freely on a grassy lot, expressing the same innuendos with that of the balloons.  It is evident that the usage of the balloon as a symbolism for innocence and childhood had been successful in its purpose.  The crime perpetuated by the murderer can be viewed as an act that had deprived his victims of the innate rights of any child to be free, naive of evil, and happy.

The next symbolism that the films director has used and that has been effective in expressing its desired purpose is the letter M that was placed at the back portion of the murderers coat.  This served as a marker a turning point in the story conveying that evil has finally been located and identified.  Not only has the letter M signified the person being pursued, but more importantly, it had tacitly suggested a message of hope that soon good will be able to prevail over the evil that has plagued the populace for so long.

In addition, the interlaying sequences showing the simultaneous yet separate meetings of the police authorities and the gang leaders served to emphasize the great need for each of these groups to find the criminal, as these murders have become a source of great distress for each of them.  For the police, the unsolved murders were an embarrassment to their competitiveness, especially since it only involved one person and the public clamor has been on a consistent rise.  On the mobsters part, their reason for wanting to find the murderer is purely monetary, as their illegal operations have already incurred heavy financial losses as a result of the increased police presence all over the city.  Based on these two separate yet inter-related motives for ending the murders committed on children, the gravity of the effect of finally being able to identify the cause of evil, through the letter M, has greatly enhanced the importance of this symbolism used by Fritz Lang.

Of all the symbolisms used in this film, perhaps the only one that is representative of the murderers character is glass and the reflection on it.  Although it was only used once in the entirety of the film, it allowed the viewers to finally have a glimpse of the psychological mindset of the murderer.  Likewise, this particular scene showing Han Beckert evidently frightened of the reflections of his murdered victims was the first instance that showed him not as a murderous monster but as a human who feels guilt, remorse, and has emotions.

The fact that during the mock trial set by the gang leaders, where Mr. Beckert challenged the crowd with his questioning, Who knows whats it like to be me (Lang) and where he had painfully revealed his deep remorse in having no control over his psychotic need to ravish young girls, he had distinctly described the ghosts of those whom he had killed endlessly following him every minute of the day.  The importance of glass as a symbolism is most evident here, as it was through this medium that the ghosts were physically shown to the viewers, which were in fact the girls that he had victimized.

The importance of glass being a symbolism for this film may be proven by the fact that it is the only one that is utilized to express the inner workings of the criminals psyche.  Thus, the glass in the film is in reality the very soul of Mr. Beckert.  It showed that despite of his mental illness and of all the murders he had committed, there still remained a part of him that is uncorrupted and has retained the innate quality that is true for any personthat of being morally good.  

Conclusion
The 1931 film, M, by Fritz Lang, allowed us the opportunity to view a masterpiece that is void of any modern technique in cinematography that is common in todays movie releases.  With this film, we are taught of the importance to view and judge films according to its true values such as in the plot, characterization, theme, and symbolism.  Perhaps more importantly, M reminds us that the values mankind upholds, such as justice and the guarantee of human rights, are morals that will forever endure as important in whatever generation, race or culture.