Crime Blog of the Week

In the film Watchmen as well as its source material the character of Rorschach believes himself to be in a city that is corrupt and sees a diseased society.   I think it can be argued that "M" shows us this same type of diseased society that Rorschach believes he inhabits. When we go to a bar in "M" it isn't glamors we see rotten food and spilled drinks.  The cops and criminals it's hard to distinguish the two they both sit around and smoke cigars pretty non-nonchalant about the event's transpiring.  At a point in the film we see a mob mentality an innocent old-man is attacked suspect of being the killer in a form of vigilant justice. Seemingly unable to control their base desire much like the killer claims that there is an evil that just compels him to murder children.  The system is one that is corrupt that hurts the innocent.  The ones that do are  unsympathetic and while we the audience may see the criminals that want to hunt down the child murder as a anti-hero the film through the murder reminds us that these other criminals are  just as bad. I feel it paints a bleak view of the system and one where only the Children are yet untoched by it's evil. I feel this film is  a warning of sorts of what's to come when put in the historical context,  Lang hates Nazism and it's on the rise when it's release and with this he' telling us something doesn't smell right.

In contrast if "M" just shows us a corrupt system and just says "that's just how it is" what does "The Bicycle thief" tell us.  It gives us a reason of why the system is flawed. "The  Bicycle thief" is a tale of an unfair system as well it's not inherently evil just flawed. Crime isn't something that taints us and puts us in the "evil" box it's a more complex issue than that. Though  theft and murder are two extreme sides of the spectrum though some see it all the same. The common saying is "if there in jail their criminals who cares why they are there."   This film though shows us that criminals are bad or evil necessarily but may be  a misguided individual.    Antonio's turn to crime is one of desperation.  In his time of need no came to help him the police were useless and no good Samaritans to be found.   Was it due to social standing maybe?  Though what we do know is that when he finally got in the W column life was cruel and took it away from him.  The bike was an achievement quickly robbed by someone trying to make it by. Antonio in the end turns to crime because he too is trying to make it by.
It's a cycle the system is a wheel that spins and spins.  Could if be fixed here certainly?  To me it all echos back to "To eat like that, you need a million lira a month at least."   The game's been rigged from the start and many have been doomed to fail.

(This film also shows us mob justice in it's chase scene at the end over the stolen bike at the end though here again while a crime was committed by the individual it can be argued that such forms of justice aren't really justice they focus on punishment rather than rehabilitation which can be argued and many strongly feel is what things should led to. We shouldn't seek just punishment but aim for rehabilitation) 

M(1931)

I think the scene in M with the children singing is an interesting one because this is a trope that is common in setting a tone of underlining creepiness that involves on having children present or singing in some fashion. A good example and one the most famous examples is in Kubrick's The Shining with the twin girls. Children and an outside setting is often used to invoke a feeling of underling horror. I'd really like to know the physiological reasoning behind that.

As I said previously I do find it interesting that the other criminals are hunting for the murder it could be framed as an anti-heroes and people you want to root for. I find it interesting that in the world of criminals if there is or isn't is another matter. But, the fact remains that we like to believe that in this lawless world there are “rules” or most of these criminals though they could murder a human in cold blood draw a line and haven't lost all their humanity. This too is a common trope and saying about those who harm children or women don't do well in prison. Maybe it has to do with defending those that can't defend themselves or a base psychological thing I don't know.

Another element in the whole things that piqued my interest is the Kangaroo Court by Criminals this too is a popular thing we've seen in a variety of things one that sticks out is in Batman when the criminals take over and put people on trial. Mostly businessmen panting parallels to recent events.

So What does M tells us about Mob Justice? Is it in support of it or not? At the end the criminals and the murder all get arrested so one can probably say no. Or is the fact that sometimes there are things so rotten even the “lowest” in society set to put things right and that there are things that are base instincts just can't let slide.