Schänker's Gloved Hand (symbol)
Schänker, the leader of the criminal world, thumps his gloved hand onto a map of Berlin, symbolizing his power over the city. Refusing to be hindered by the cumbersome legal processes, Schänker mobilizes a sweeping surveillance and investigation routine that exhibits a fearsome influence. The glove has historical resonances too. The Black Hand was the name of the gang who killed Prussian emperor Otto Von Bismarck, setting off World War I, when Germany would be defeated and humiliated by the victors. Rising Nazi impresario Joseph Goebbels was also known to wear black leather.
Circles (motif)
One of the clever ways that Lang develops the city as his collective protagonist is by arranging his actors in circles just about each time a new group is introduced. The opening shot depicts children playing with a ball in a circle. Later, a crowd circles around a man who is suddenly suspecting of being the child murderer. When we are introduced to the gang leaders discussing how the killer has disrupted the underworld's dealings, they sit around a circular table, plotting.
The Balloon (symbol)
The balloon that the killer buys for Elsie Breckmann bears an off-putting likeness to a child, with a crude face drawn on and dangling pieces of paper for arms and legs. It becomes the symbol of Elsie's certain death during a shot when it floats upwards and collides with electrical wires. But when it reappears later, upon us watching the blind man sell one to Beckert for a second time, we see a whole cluster of them floating. We realize that Beckert picks out these balloons just like he picks his victims out of the crowd: any one will do.
Inspector Lohmann and the Weimar Government (allegory)
As a government official, Inspector Lohmann represents the rapidly weakening Weimar government. Lohmann is a well-meaning inspector, yet the term bloat comes to mind, both in terms of his physical appearance and the way he runs his police department. Lohmann’s crumpled clothes and disheveled hair reflect government authority in a state of decline. Just as Lohmann’s authority is being challenged by the underworld, the Weimar government’s power was being challenged by the fascist movement. Lohmann’s silly facial expressions seem to reflect the fact that the Weimar government is increasingly becoming ineffective and incompetent. M gives us a sense of how the Weimar Republic collapsed into the Nazi regime, with Inspector Lohmann a prime example of just why the people so quickly lost faith in their government.
Clocks (Motif)
The people of M are constantly glancing at clocks and checking time. Mrs. Breckmann repeatedly glances at the clock while waiting for Elsie to come home. The members of the underworld check their clocks and watches repeatedly, either waiting for their boss or monitoring the time during the power plant heist undertaken during the gang's search for the murderer. Clocks are a source of anxiety in the film, and therefore stand in for the wider angst induced by urbanity.
