Exploring the supposed inspiration behind an iconic director’s masterpiece
Although it may only appear so to some, Fritz Lang is perhaps one of the most creative and ambitious pieces playing at Fantastic Fest 2017. The film has at its center solid production aspects, a real-life historical figure, a serial killer and enough lore within its plot to add to the sub-genre of movies dealing in filmmaking history. Whether or not, the minds behind Fritz Lang will have successfully pulled off this semi-fact-based tale of the real-life director’s supposed inspiration for a film that is to this day considered to one of the top examples of German expressionism, will almost certainly be up for debate. However Fritz Lang proves to be worthy viewing for cinephiles as well as both fans of the director and his most famous film.
Directed by Gordian Maugg from a script co-written by Alexander Hausser, Fritz Lang is a semi-fictionalized account of the iconic German filmmaker Fritz Lang (Henio Ferch) and his obsession with serial killer Peter Kurten (Samuel Finzi), which was alleged to have provided the basis for M, the director’s most famous work. The film follows the obsessive Lang as he joins the hunt for Kurten while dealing with both a strained marriage to Thea (Johanna Gastdorf) and his own memories of the past.
Applause should be given to the sheer creativity behind the execution of Fritz Lang. The way the black and white film is intercut with pieces of the director’s work along with raw footage of the day are the moments when the whole exercise is at its most effective. The move gives the film a heightened maniacal feel, which echoes how the tortured cinematic artist ends up viewing life as his art form after it eventually consumes him. The way the film is intercut not only proves a great balance between fact and fiction, but also gives Fritz Lang a definite postmodern slant. There’s also great authenticity and credibility by not flinching from showing the killer himself in the act as well as the brutal aftermath of his crimes. It takes a bit of reminding on the audience’s part however to look at Fritz Lang with what can only be called “supposed fact,” acknowledging the “what if” factor that drives the film from start to finish. Fact or not, there’s no denying how the events depicted here breathe life into the rumors that have been attached to Lang’s film for decades.
It’s hard to argue, or really even care about, the merit behind what the filmmakers consider to be true here when compared with how much of Fritz Lang works. The way Lang recreates the events leading up to one of the victim’s murder to the last detail, including having the exact lunch at the same table she did just before she was killed with her close friend Anna (Lisa Charlotte Friedrich) is only heightened by the surreal moment when the director pictures himself in the killer’s presence as he’s covering up his crimes. Enough care and attention is given to the troubled marriage between Fritz and Thea, which briefly, yet thoughtfully, explores the kind of partnership it was, both personally and professionally. Yet it’s the way the details of Kurten’s crimes seep into the filmmaker’s psyche (all but absorbing him), most of which are beautifully illustrated with moments from M, that makes this entry such a fascinating watch.
Portraying the real-life director has resulted in what is probably the most daunting role of Ferch’s career thus far. How accurate his portrayal is less important in some respects when compared to the performance he gives, which is full the kind of obsession and melancholy which would inhabit a person in Lang’s situation. The rest of the cast do serviceable enough work, but it’s Gastdorf and Friederich (in a dual role as Lang’s first wife) who manage to take slight attention away from the titular figure and command each of their scenes.
There are certainly moments throughout Fritz Lang where the narrative could have used some more tightness with regards to flashbacks regarding Lang’s first marriage and the fate of Kurten himself. Likewise, scenes consisting of flashbacks to Lang’s childhood feel a bit forced and out of place, yet manage to not take away from the power the film does have and the elements which shine. The score of Fritz Lang is utterly breathtaking and proves responsible for conveying much of the film’s intensity. The production has a somewhat student film feel about it, mainly due to its probably low budget, yet the set design is spectacular and truly recalls the period in which Lang celebrated his heyday as a director. Everything aside, Fritz Lang succeeds as an ode to how deep and involved a filmmaker can and sometimes can go for his art, not just in the name of research, but in the name of obsessive passion as well.
