M (Directed by Fritz Lang, 1931) A harrowing early crime/thriller about a psychotic child murderer hunted by both police and criminals that was ahead of its time. Set in Berlin, the mesmerizing Peter Lorre plays the murderer Hans Beckert. Beckert is pursued by both the police and members of the criminal underworld. The thugs, who are thieves and murderers themselves, band together to capture Beckert not only because of the heinousness of his crimes, but also because too many cops are now snooping around and interfering with their "legitimate" activities while searching for Beckert. A famous scene shows Beckert being marked with an "M" on the back of his coat to identify him as the killer.
Lorre's sympathetic portrayal of this despicable character is magnificent. He successfully evokes a feeling of both compassion and animosity for his character. The camerawork is beautiful (remember this was made in 1931) and the use of light and shadow heighten the menacing look of the film. The film is in German with English subtitles and should be easy to find on video or DVD.