Fritz Lang

Woman in the Moon is a sophisticated, successful synthesis of action with ideas, suspense with humor, and grand design with minute detail

In just two collaborations, the German director Georg Wilhelm Pabst and the Kansas-born Louise Brooks created a screen personality that left a permanent mark on the history of film.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, as much as it now stands as a cinematic phenomenon and as one of the most astonishing visual releases of the silent era, was, nevertheless, something of an enigma even in its own time.

With “M,” “Hangmen Also Die!” is a film Lang considered among his most important. Coming out in 1943, it also must have been frighteningly dramatic for contemporary audiences, and it remains a chilling and captivating window into the personalities and emotions of WW II’s victims, their struggles, their small victories, and the sweeping human toll of the whole era.

What’s difficult about making this list is finding a balance between a successful Kubrickian film that either predates or pays homage to Kubrick and, for lack of a better term, is a ripoff. Now that we’ve hit the apex, it’s clear that these are, regardless of influence, quality films. What sets them apart is their …

The Woman in the Window can be added to the catalogue of splendid American films Fritz Lang directed during his state side career. It incrementally raises the stakes in logical fashion, tightening tension’s noose on the protagonists and the viewer until…well, it would be unwise to reveal the outcome. While not as emotionally devastating as his next film Scarlet Street, The Woman in the Window is still a must see for Lang fans.

Director Lang always knew how to equip himself with the right cast, Scarlet Street offering a slew of effective and in one case affectionate performances, starting with none other than Edward G. Robinson. Predominantly known for his boisterous roles, Robinson looks and behaves like a shadow of his usual self. Chris may have a big heart, but he is also meek and pathetic.

The Big Heat features one of the more mature stories to be found in noir. It deals with some extremely heavy material, some of which would understandably encourage its characters to give in to testosterone and rage, yet preserves an impressive air of level-headedness.

When looking at film locations it would be shameful if the settings in the infamous German Expressionism movement were to be overlooked. A number of movements and directors over the years have Expressionism to thank. There is so much to say about this movement from the wonderful films that were born out of it, to …