El vampiro negro

Regisseur Barreto drängt in seinem Remake von Fritz Langs M – EINE STADT SUCHT EINEN MÖRDER unter die Oberfläche, folgt dem Kindermörder ins Chiaroscuro der Kanalisation von Buenos Aires, entdeckt im Antlitz seines „Vampirs“ die Bilder des Rorschachtests wieder. Die Selbstjustiz der „Ringvereine“, der Lang und Thea von Harbou 1931 so viel kontroversen Raum gaben, findet sich hier nicht. Sein Todesurteil will der Staat in Barretos Film nun moderner, aber ebenso unbarmherzig begründen. Den tief verunsicherten Chefermittler mimt Roberto Escalada, neben ihm glänzen Nathán Pinzón als Mörder und Olga Zubarry in der Rolle der Nachtklubperformerin, die von allen verraten wird. (rw)

Kuratiert von Fernando Peña und Roger Koza.

This retelling of Fritz Lang’s M benefits from the input of two of the greatest film cinematographers in Argentine film history: Aníbal González Paz, who shot the film in a visually striking expressionistic style, and Alberto Etchebehere, who received a screenwriting credit because of his technical suggestions regarding the way the film should look. The script retains the compulsive nature of Lang’s child murderer, but otherwise differs greatly from the original film.
The most interesting and daring variation is that the character of the police inspector was rewritten to function as a moral parallel to the murderer and is also driven by sexual repression and unsatisfied desire. The film goes as far as suggesting that social hypocrisy condemns the violence of the insane, but welcomes the violence of the law representatives at the same time. This meant that the filmmakers were forced to set the story in some undetermined European city rather than Buenos Aires. It was one of the best and more personal works by director Román Viñoly Barreto, who was born in Uruguay but made his film career in Argentina.

Curated by Fernando Peña and Roger Koza.