Fritz Lang

Austrian filmmaker (1890–1976)

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Lived 1890–1976, aged 86Germany

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Wikipedia
72 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1890–1976
Aged 86
Known for
Metropolis
1927

Summary

Updated 2026-09-05

The architect of Metropolis and M didn't just prefigure film noir — he invented visual grammar that still dictates how dread looks on screen. The British Film Institute called him the "Master of Darkness," and five decades of work, from German Expressionism to Hollywood to a final return home, earned him a place among the most influential filmmakers who ever

Biography

About

Friedrich Christian Anton Lang was born in Austria on December 5, 1890, and became one of Germany's great Expressionist filmmakers before the rise of the Third Reich made staying impossible. His silent work peaked with Metropolis in 1927 — a futuristic epic — and M in 1931, the noir precursor that redefined suspense. Woman in the Moon in 1929 pioneered the rocket launch countdown and the concept of a vertical launch pad, details that would shape real spaceflight. After directing Dr. Mabuse the Gambler in 1922 and Die Nibelungen in 1924, he fled to Hollywood in 1934, became a U.S. citizen in 19…

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