Seth Paxton
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Nov 5, 1998
- Messages
- 7,585
I finally got to see M the other night. It's a 1931 film and I noticed a LOT of techniques being used that reminded me of Hitchcock.
One example early on is a camera pan in on a doorway not unlike a much shorter run version of the one Hitch used later in Notorious (and others).
There are also many visual cues regarding details emphasizing the story rather than explicitly showing actions which Hitch also favored. An example of that might be the child murder early on. Note the use of off-screen space which is where both Lorre meets the little girl (we see neither on screen when they first meet, just her ball and his shadow against a pole).
Also we have the shot of the empty plate cueing the audiance that the girl will not be returning, emphasizing the loss.
And it seemed more than coincidental that we have a shot down a stairwell that looked a lot like Vertigo.
In short, the whole film felt very much like Hitchcock's 30's work, like Murder!, Number 17, Secret Agent, 39 Steps, etc. Now, Murder did come out before M, but for the most part Hitch really started getting big after M. Did Fritz influence Hitch or vice-versa.
I have not seen other Lang stuff so I wonder from those who have what your opinion on the matter is. M felt very much like it could have been a Hitchcock film to the point of even having a touch of humor similar in style to Hitch's (dabbled in here and there like Hitch loved to do).
I can't see how Hitch could have influenced Lang by that point (although it's possible), but I also don't see how it could all just be chance. It seems almost certain that one must have borrowed from the other.
Your thoughts?
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Greetings from the Humungus! The Lord Humungus!
The Warrior of the Wasteland!
The Ayatollah of Rock and Rollah!
One example early on is a camera pan in on a doorway not unlike a much shorter run version of the one Hitch used later in Notorious (and others).
There are also many visual cues regarding details emphasizing the story rather than explicitly showing actions which Hitch also favored. An example of that might be the child murder early on. Note the use of off-screen space which is where both Lorre meets the little girl (we see neither on screen when they first meet, just her ball and his shadow against a pole).
Also we have the shot of the empty plate cueing the audiance that the girl will not be returning, emphasizing the loss.
And it seemed more than coincidental that we have a shot down a stairwell that looked a lot like Vertigo.
In short, the whole film felt very much like Hitchcock's 30's work, like Murder!, Number 17, Secret Agent, 39 Steps, etc. Now, Murder did come out before M, but for the most part Hitch really started getting big after M. Did Fritz influence Hitch or vice-versa.
I have not seen other Lang stuff so I wonder from those who have what your opinion on the matter is. M felt very much like it could have been a Hitchcock film to the point of even having a touch of humor similar in style to Hitch's (dabbled in here and there like Hitch loved to do).
I can't see how Hitch could have influenced Lang by that point (although it's possible), but I also don't see how it could all just be chance. It seems almost certain that one must have borrowed from the other.
Your thoughts?
------------------
Greetings from the Humungus! The Lord Humungus!
The Warrior of the Wasteland!
The Ayatollah of Rock and Rollah!