Title: Metropolis
Director: Fritz Lang
Cast: Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Fritz Rasp, Theodor Loos, Erwin Biswanger, Heinrich George, Gisele Eve Schittenhelm
Year: 1927
Metropolis is one of those classic German films that can intimidate new viewers (Its two and a half hours long and silent? Hmm…) but its praise is well-deserved and it’s quite an exciting sci-fi epic
Made in 1927 – a really early era for cinema - Metropolis is the most expensive film of the silent era, and it shows
Metropolis‘ futuristic design and huge set pieces are impressive for any year, and largely hold up today
The plot is a bit muddled and silly at times, but overall you can’t beat it for gorgeous cinematography and design
If you haven’t seen Metropolis – or if you have you should watch it again – now is the perfect time, as lost footage was found in Buenos Aires, and in 2010 the most complete version to date was released
7. “Look! These are your brothers!”
Why this is a key scene: The spark that will get Metropolis going is brought in by the chemistry between the two protagonists
Walkthrough:
The children are completely out-of-place and pitiful among the birds and fountains of the Gardens, and Maria looks sweet and kind compared to the woman with Freder, who is sporting what seems to be a kind of naval-themed stripper outfit. The world of the Gardens actually looks quite fun, so Maria had to be pretty inspiring to make Freder want to give it all up
6. Moloch!
Why this is a key scene: Stunning art direction and recurring themes from the film are introduced in a single sequence
Walkthrough:
This scene is one of the reasons the design of Metropolis still impresses today. Freder, looking for Maria, descends into the workers’ underground world, where he sees the giant M-Machine being operated by exhausted workers. The machine explodes, killing many of the men, and Freder envisions the machine as the monster Moloch, to which slaves and workers are sacrificed
The machine and the monster both have the art-deco, modern design the film is known for, and flow into one another perfectly. The guards tossing the men into the machine look like ancient Egyptians, but their helmets and clothes look modern and almost alien. The group of ancient-looking slaves is followed by the uniformed workers, establishing a history of enslaved underclasses, an idea the film returns to repeatedly
5. A hard day’s work
Why this is a key scene: Rich boy Freder resolves to take the place of one of the enslaved workers and revolts to his father
Walkthrough:
Having seen the horrors of Moloch, Freder decides he will take the place of one of the workers. Though I’m not entirely sure what function a series of blinking lightbulbs serves in the grand scheme of Metropolis, it’s a tough job for the pampered Freder. Exhausted, the machine transforms into a clock on which Freder is crucified, and he cries out to his father that a 10-hour shift is too much work. The juxtaposition of man and machine is one that is often seen in art and film, and in the scene is particularly well-done as Freder sweats and toils, getting ever more close to collapse
The pointlessness and exhaustive nature of his task are highlighted as Freder stretches his arms across the machine for reasons that are unclear and never given even a moment of reprieve
4. In the catacombs
Why this is a key scene: A stunning visual sequence reveals the theme at the heart of Metropolis
Walkthrough:
Though most working men would probably stop by the pub after work, in Metropolis the thing to do is attend Maria’s preaching. Deep in the catacombs under the workers’ city, Maria gives speeches, and on this occasion tells the story of the tower of Babel. Like the Moloch-machine, the tale is a remarkable juxtaposition of modern architecture and an ancient civilization. In her version of the story, it is the disconnection between the managers of the cities and the workers who build them which causes the downfall of civilization. We see the story in film form, and the grand architecture of the ancient world is in stark contrast to the catacombs the men are in
The tower of Babel is also the same tower which stands in the centre of Metropolis. Brigitte Helm, who plays Maria, has beautiful, expressive eyes that look very good in close-up; it’s no surprise that the men want to listen to her. She says that the only way to reunite the head – city planners – and the hands – workers – is through the mediator or heart, a message which is clearly at the heart of the film
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