Upcoming Classic Film: Fritz Lang’s “M”

On Sunday, November 2, at 2 in the afternoon, the Hillsborough Classic Film Society will present Fritz Lang’s “M” at the Passmore Center in Hillsborough. A proto-noir from the early days of talkies, it starred Peter Lorre as a serial killer pursued not only by the police but also by the criminals of the region, angry because his crimes had brought the police down on them. It was Lorre’s first and most memorable leading role and Lang’s first venture into sound. It is generally recognized as one of the most important and influential films of all time, but it isn’t just of historical interest: today it gets top grades from critics and audiences alike. On the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes it has a 100% positive rating among critics (with an average score of 9.3) and from 25,000 audience members it has a rating of 95%. On IMDb’s voter ranking of the 250 top-rated films, it comes in at # 107. In the most recent Sight and Sound critic’s poll of the greatest movies of all time, it was listed at #36.
If you are interested in classic cinema, you should not miss this one. One of the things for which “M” is best known is its innovative use of sound technology. The film was released in Germany in 1931, when the technology was relatively new. “The Jazz Singer” had been released in the United States in 1927; the first German sound film came out in 1929. Lang’s handling of sound (and of silence), including voiceover and leitmotif, revolutionized the use of the new technology, and that’s one of the reasons we are delighted to have Jeffrey Stern to lead the discussion of the film. Jeffrey has served as a sound editor for over 100 American films, including “Do the Right Thing,” “Goodfellas,” “Silence of the Lambs,” “The Original Kings of Comedy,” “Chicago,” “The School of Rock,” “The Hoax,” “Amelia,” and “Addiction Incorporated,” as well as the TV series “Boardwalk Empire.” He has been nominated for five Emmy awards and was dialogue editor on the team that won the Emmy in 2013 for Outstanding Sound Editing for the series “Boardwalk Empire.” This promises to be an enlightening discussion.
As always, the movie is free and so is the popcorn. If you would like to attend, please register in advance. The Passmore opens its doors and provides help for the Society on the weekend when they are normally closed, but they need to have some indication in advance that the audience will be large enough to justify the expense, so please sign up if you are thinking of coming. Either call the Passmore Center front desk—919 245-2015—before 3pm on Friday, October 31, or register on our website any time before the film—. While you’re there, you might consider joining our mailing list.