FritzLang:AuteurTheory

NaomiCottrell

Formost,thenameFritzLangisimmediatelylinkedtohis1927GermanExpressionist,

dystopianepic,M
etropolis.Thisisastunningvisualtreatthattowersthesilenteraandcastsa

shadowoverthevisionofthefuture.FritzLangmadeoverfortyfilmsinhislongcareerasa

director,acareerthatspannedthreeerasoffilmmaking:thesilenteraofGermanExpressionism,

Weimarcinema,andclassicHollywoodcinema.HewasoneoftheoriginatorsofFilmNoirand

aprolificcontributortothegenre.

BeginningwithM,itisabridgebetweenGermanExpressionismandFilmNoir.Notto

mentionalsoabridgebetweensilentandsoundfilms.Mexpressesitselfbytheuseoflow

lighting,discombobulatedanglesandexaggerateddimensionsandrelationships.Langwasalso

expressionisticwithsound.Theresascenewherethekillerbeginstospeak,butthecamera

remainsonhisshadow.Thesceneendsinachillingfadetoblackwithouttheaudienceever

actuallyseeingthekiller.Suchanamazingshotandsothoroughlyputtogether.

MovingontoS carletStreet,a boutfourteenyearslater,Langcreatesanintriguingfilm

noir.Kittyisthefemmefataleinthefilm,atypicalelementseeninnoir.ThecityofScarlet

StreetisnomorepleasantthanMsB
erlin.Theyrebothdangerous,harshandunforgiving.Chris

meetsKittyinthestreet.Hethinkshesavesherfromanattackbysomeguy,butinreality,its

hersecretlover/pimpJohnny.Chrisseeshimselfasthedefenderofaninnocentwoman,butasit

turnsout,Kittyismerelyanactualrepresentationofthecitysinhumanity.Kittybehavior

towardsChrisismotivatedbyherlustforJohnny.Laterinthefilm,KittydoublecrossesChris
andhefindsoutaboutherotherlover,Johnny..Sohedecidestostabhertodeathwithanice

pick.S carletStreetdemonstratestheconsequencesofunrestraineddesire,obsessionandguilt.

ComparingthesetwofilmsreallyopenedmyeyesaboutwhoLangisasanauteur.Fritz

Langwashighlyrecognizedbythecriticswhocreatedtheauteurtheorybecausehewasableto

takefullcontrolofhisfilms,evenwhentheHaysCodeinterferedwithhisvision.Thethemethat

seemstohavebeenthefocusofthemajorityofLangscareerisanexaminationofwhatdrives

peopletocommitcrimes,whetheragainstthelawsorthecustomsofsociety.Langwasnot

interestedintherightandwrongofacrime,hewasmorefascinatedbythesituationsthatmay

drivesomeonetocommitit.ItscleartoseethistheoryinM
etropolis,Ma ndS carletStreet.

LangsfirstAmericanfilm,Fury,isanexaminationofwhatdrivesanidealisticmanto

becomedisillusionedwiththeconceptofjusticeandmorality,andtobecomeconsumedwiththe

desiretoenactrevenge.Ineffect,LangtooktherequirementthatWilsonbeinnocentasa

loopholethroughwhichheattractsaudiencesympathytotheselfishandcruelactsWilson

commitsinhisattemptstopunishthosewhotriedtolynchhim.

BythetimeLangmadeT
heBigHeat,theHaysCodewasstillinplace.Studioswere

slickaboutgettingaroundtheCodeandyoualreadyknowLangwastoo.Thefilmisaclassic

filmnoir,followingDetectiveDaveBannion,asheattemptstobringdownacrimeandloses

everythingintheprocess.Bannionisinnowaytheheroofthestory,asanaudiencewearestill

exposedtoactsofviolencethroughoutthefilmwhichIjustifyasBannionsquestforvengeance.

Throughouthiscareer,Langconsistentlyreturnedtotheviewingofcriminalsandreasons

behindtheircrime.Langcreatedasortofgrayarea.Insteadofgroupinghischaractersinto

goodandbad,hewantedtofillhisfilmswithrealpeople,althoughtheywereflawed.He
blamedthecharacterswhentheywerewrongandcheeredforthemwhentheydidright,buthe

neverlostsightofhisthoughtthat,eventhemostimmoralamongourhumanpopulationisstilla

humanbeingandisstillrelatable,evenifwefearrelatingtothem.FritzLanghadcreativeways

tokeephisvisionintact,andensuredthateachfilmbearinghisnamewasatrueexpressionofhis

ownaesthetic.