M (1951) - Finally caught Losey's version of M and it didn't disappoint - whereas Lang's original had it's roots in silent cinema and expressionism, this one is pure noir. There's some amazing imagery - one scene of the killer (superbly anonymous) writhing on his bed, his head completely black with dense shadow is worthy of the original. The chase sequence involves a trip to a mannequin store, the sexless dolls an effective visualisation of the predators mindset. Couple of noir regs pop up - Raymond Burr and Steve Brodie. Scenes of child hunting are really chilling and, yes, that balloon puts in an appearance. Only jarring note for me - the trial scene feels a little forced - I know it had to be there but it stretches credibility these hard nosed hoods would let it happen, a pitfall of adaptation I guess. Original is a masterpiece, this is a solid movie with flashes of genius - here's hoping for a cleaned up official release at some point.
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