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Metropolis(1927)

Dir.FritzLang

Metropolisisaniconicsciencefictionfilm,creating

ripplesofinfluencethroughoutthehistoryofcinemaand

filmmaking.EdHalterofTheVillageVoice saysthat,

“Lang'simpossiblyvastskyscraper-zigguratsarethe

blueprintfornearlyeveryscience-fictionmoviecityofthepast

30years”(Halter,2007)

Thefilmdepictsthedownfalloftheutopiancityof

Metropolisatthehandsofitsundergroundworkforce.

Capitalismisthegeneralthemeoffilm,withthecharacterof

Frederactingasacatalystofunitybetweenhiscapitalistfather

andtheexploitedandabusedworkforce.

ThefirstthingthattheaudiencenoticesaboutthefilmisthebreathtakingscaleofthecityofMetropolis.Skyscrapers

towerabovethecitystreetswithfreewayswindingupand

aroundthebuildings.Theartdecostyleoftheworldabove

groundcontraststhegloriouslysteam-punkundercity,much

likethatoftheengineroomtotherestofanostentatious

oceanliner.Thissegregationofstylesreflectstherelationship

betweenmasterandservant,withthemasterlivingthelifeofluxurywhilsttheservanttoils

below,inthedepthsofthecity.ThecityofMetropolisiswhateverybodypicturesintheir

headwhentheythink‘sciencefiction’.It’sthaticonic.BenWaltersof TimeOutMagazine

says,

“Lang’sfilmisamammothmarvel,fusingmodernismandexpressionism,artdecoand

Biblicalspectacle” (Walters,2010)

Forit’stime,Metropoliswasconsideredaspectacle,asighttobeholdandthatawe-factor

remains.Thegrandscalereflectsthemesofpowerandoppression,withboththecityabove

andtheengineroomsbelowbeingasgrandasoneanother.Thisplayswiththeideaofa

socialequilibrium,withoneentityfunctioningintandemwithanotherinordertomaintaina

stableworld,inthiscase,theleadersofthecityabovemustworktoappeasetheworkers

belowastomakesurethattheykeeptheirluxuriouslifestylesintact.

Fig1MetropolisFilmPoster

Fig2TheEngineRoom Fig3TheCitySkyline(withTheTowerofBabelin

theCentre)

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Themessurroundingreligionarealsopresentinthefilm,withMaria’sinitialroleas

beingapreachertotheworkers,tellingthemtalesoftheTowerofBabel(which,inthefilm,

istheofficeofJohFrederson).Inthebible,thetowerisbuiltsothatthedescendantsof

NoahcouldeventuallyreachuptoHeaven.Godchosehere,toalterthespeechofhis

people,saying,

“Theyareonepeopleandhaveonelanguage,andnothingwillbewithholdenfrom

themwhichtheypurposetodo.”

Thisledtothepeoplebeingunabletounderstandoneanother,andsothetowercouldnot

becompleted.

Basically,thisissayingthataslongasthereisasingularlanguageintheworld,therewillbe

littlelimitforthepeopleofEarth,somultiplelanguageswereputinplaceassomewhatofa

restrictionofpotential.

InMetropolis,thetowerstandsasmoreofasymbolofslavery,reflectingthe

tower’sBiblicaloriginofbeingconstructedbythousandsofdifferentindividuals.Inthiscase,

themanatthetopisn’tGod,butJohFrederson,theclosestthingthatcouldbeconsideredGodinthecity,beingincontrolofeverythingbelowhim.RichardScheibofMoria.co.nzsays

that,

“TheTowerofBabelistraditionallyaboutvisionaryidolatry;hereitbecomesa

heavy-handedsymbolforoppressedworkers.”(Scheib)

ItisobviouswhyMetropolishashadsuchrepercussionsonfilmmakinginrecent

times,beingbothavisualandnarrativespectacle.Prettymucheverysciencefictionfilmhas

takeninfluencefromMetropolisandthegenreasawholeowesittoFritzLangformaking

thegenrewhatithasbecometoday.

Bibliography

Quotes

Halter,E.(2007)BacktotheFuture. In:villagevoice.com10.07.07[online]

http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-07-10/film/back-to-the-future/(AccessedOn08/11/11)

Walters,B.(2010)Metropolis.In:timeout.com09.09.10[online]

http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/73119/metropolis.html(AccessedOn08/11/11)

Scheib,R.Metropolis.In:moria.co.nz.[online]http://moria.co.nz/sciencefiction/metropolis-1927.htm

(AccessedOn08/11/11)

ListofIllustrationsFig.1.MetropolisFilmPoster From:MetropolisDirectedby:FritzLang.[filmposter]Germany:UniversumFilm

Fig.2.TheEngineRoomFrom:MetropolisDirectedby:FritzLang.[filmstill]Germany:UniversumFilm

Fig.3.TheCitySkyline(WiththeTowerofBabelintheCentre) From:MetropolisDirectedby:FritzLang.[filmstill]

Germany:UniversumFilm