Film Review: Metropolis (1927)

Fig. 1 Metropolis (1927) Film Poster

‘Metropolis’ is a film about social classes and demographics where the proletariat and the

bourgeois are perceived as binary opposites failing to communicate each other’s needs and

eventually leading to the downfall of the one ideology they both agree on, the need for work.

In some ways ‘Metropolis’ explores Maslow’s theory on the hierarchy of needs but in a way

of deprivation of these needs; the tip of the Tower of Babel juxtaposed against the dystopian style of

the worker’s underworld below and the sleek German expressionist skyscrapers opposing the

clunky, rushed paced and prisonlike factories. These highly different sets are also suggestive of Karl

Marx’s theory on alienation. These worlds do not seem as one, instead symbolising the extensive

labour of workers to create and run such atmospheric places as those like the Tower of Babel.

In times where the German economy was in devastation and lacked jobs after the First

World War and the Treaty of Versailles was put in place Fritz Lang’s film seems relatively

contemporary with the idea of proletariat rebellion against the way they are treated. ‘Metropolis’

could remind of Joel and Ethan Coen’s ‘The Hudsucker Proxy’ with its binary opposition ideology of

workers and the owners. ‘Once considered merely hoke and excessive, Lang’s hyper-capitalist

vision of workers oppressed by mechanical Molochs as their labour sustains a paradise for the

wealthy technocrats now seems both quaintly steampunk and disjunctively contemporary.’

(Halter, 2007)

Fig. 2 Proletariat rebellion

The production of ‘Metropolis’ is full of massive impact; the presentation as a silent film just

adds to the emotion and atmosphere that leaks out of it. Beside the deep, theatrical score the

stylistic sets with their bold lighting just makes Lang’s production ever more dramatic. The use of the

Schüfflen process adds height and more dramatic atmosphere to the sets especially expressing the

importance of the ‘Metropolis’ world to the storyline. ‘Lang’s film is the summit of German

Expressionism, the combination of stylized sets, dramatic camera angles, bold shadows and

frankly artificial theatrics.’ (Ebert, 1998) These tiny characters in this gigantic world give the sense

of the Gods watching over them and perhaps connote the playing God of bourgeois Jon Fredersen

(Alfred Abel) with the lives of his workers. This godlike theme is also evident in the set where Freder

(Gustav Fröhlich) comes across the M machine and it turns into the deity Moloch. Do these

machines have more rights than the workers?

Fig. 3 Dramatic scale of sets

Perhaps one of the main ideologies Lang injects is the belief of technological developments

becoming too much; the reliance we have on them and the power they seem to bring to people but

also the way things become obsolete so there is a need to keep work constant in a fast developing

time. This is also an example of alienation; how consumerism changes our identity. It may be that

Jon Fredersen used to be an understanding bourgeois but with the new technology which seemingly

replaces his lover he succumbs to the idea of power. ‘The problem of technology and science plays

a fundamental role in this movie. In Metropolis, science is both utopian and dystopian: it has

tremendous positive potential, but also a great power for evil.’ (Brockmann, 2010) Freud’s studies

on civilization and its discontents pretty much sums up the ‘evil’ characteristics the conformity to

reliance on technology and science can have, where desires to have it are immutable. ‘Man has

become, so to speak, a God with artificial limbs.’ (Freud, 1930) Technology gives too much power

and as such we rely on it so much that it is as if technology itself is in more control than us.

Bibliography

Halter, E. (2007) Back to the Future: Fritz Lang’s sci-fi masterpiece revisited

http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-07-10/film/back-to-the-future/ (Accessed 27/10/11)

Ebert, R. (1998) rogerebert.com

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980328/REVIEWS08/401010341/102

3 (Accessed 27/10/11)

Brockmann, S. (2010) A Critical History of German Film. U.S.A. Camden House (Accessed 27/10/11)

Freud, S. (1930) Civilization and its Discontents. Reprinted Edition. London. Penguin Books (2002)

(Accessed 27/10/11)

List of Illustrations

Fig. 1. Metropolis (1927) Film Poster From: Metropolis Directed by: Fritz Lang. [film poster] On

moviegood.com http://www.moviegoods.com/Assets/product_images/1020/144252.1020.A.jpg

(Accessed 27/10/11)

Fig. 2. Proletariat rebellion (1927) From: Metropolis Directed by: Fritz Lang. [film still] On

toutlecine.com http://image.toutlecine.com/photos/m/e/t/metropolis-1926-13-1-g.jpg (Accessed

27/10/11)

Fig. 3. Dramatic scale of sets (1927) From: Metropolis Directed by: Fritz Lang. [film still] On

horrornews.net http://horrornews.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/GI-Metropolis-1.jpg (Accessed

27/10/11)