M-Fritz Lang (4)

[susannebass]

A masterpiece indeed! Fantastic film. Thanks so much. Anything Fritz Lang creates is superb! 

[marginallymental]

Another smoking thought: smoking was accepted up until the early sixties in a way that's unthinkable today. A "smoke-filled room", in the thirties for instance, denoted intense thought or intense activity. A smoke-filled room STILL denotes hurried activity behind the scenes. Don't be distracted by the smoke! It's a symbol you may not recognize, but one Lang does, and both German larger European culture would have taken it as a sign of tension and concern.

[marginallymental]

What a repellant thing....to be more aware of the smoking in this brilliant scene than Lang's genius--the angles, the tension created by the two tightly constructed, centrally-lit groups--the juxtaposing of the groups' motivations, and how they work in parallel toward the same end. This seminal film and this scene in particular gave birth to much of modern cinema. And people here are distracted by the SMOKE? I feel sick.

[flaminia5]

what a pity that there is no vid with Gründgens as Hamlet

[figgdimension]

this is the bible for all future crime scene movies Lang was a genius... i need a smoke!

[albers]

Liked that transition in 4:47!

[HOHNancy]

I've seen the whole movie...it's good. When I first saw this part in the movie, I was more aware of all of that smoking than what they were talking about! LOL

[MsJeepers]

I'm impressed . What a timeless film .Lang has such a terrific grasp of humanity. Quite like Capra only working the darker side of the street.Thanks for posting. Starting to forget it's subtitled .

[miamiamiaw]

lol

[steveasat2]

Man, there's more smoking in this movie than a Tarantino biography of George Burns. I don't think "Blue in the Face" had this much smoking, and it's set in a tobacco shop. I had to open a window. I feel kinda bad, complaining about the smoking in a movie about a child-murderer. Just for the record: smoking is not worse than murdering children. Most Americans know that...or at least can be persuaded into agreeing.

[Margalie6661]

i think the smoking and the silence are the main elements that create the perfect atmosphere for this superb movie!!

Lit a cigarette for Fritz Lang, man!!

[runslikesnail]

I'm writing an English essay on the use of smoke in this film in fact.

[CannibalZombieBitch]

@steveasat2 Hey, they are under a lot of stress, lol. That and no one knew that smoking was a serious health hazard in those days...