While not fully successful, either as drama or ideology, film is marked by superb camera and montage technique recalling some of the firstrate German productions before the Nazi era.

A confused and rambling study of disillusionment in post-war Germany is presented in heavily stylized fashion.

The film's visual symbolism can be heavy-handed, but many images are stunningly evocative, and the scene in which the doctor begins his own recovery by performing a tracheotomy on a dying girl is genuinely affecting.

The Murderers Are Among Us remains a captivating piece of cinema history. Its message of personal and national responsibility is one that could ring true for much of society today, if we are prepared to listen.