M (1951)

             

Joseph Losey's M is a better than average remake of the Fritz Lang classic. David Wayne is no match for Peter Lorre, but uses his ballet like movements to convey hysteria, entrapment, and madness. The cast is fairly stellar though Howard Da Silva is wasted as the police inspector tasked to find a child killer. The police procedural aspect drags the movie down a bit. Losey seems more interested in exploring the seamy and down at the heels side of Los Angeles. Losey wisely shoots most of his exteriors in daylight in contrast to Lang's stunning nocturnal compositions in the original. The effect is that of a slightly surreal Group Theatre production. Robert Aldrich and Don Weis were in the production team behind this gripping, if minor effort.