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METROPOLIS (1927)
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“THE BIRTH OF DYSTOPIAN SCIENCE-FICTION CINEMA: In the early twenty-first century, a fascistic leader (Alfred Abel) finds himself spellbound by the plan of a mad inventor (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) to replace humans with robots. Courtesy: Universum Film/UFA.
CREDITS
UFA; Fritz Lang, dir.; Thea von Harbou, novel; von Harbou, Lang, scr.; Erich Pommer, pro.; Gottfried Huppertz, mus.; Karl Freund, Günther Rittau, Walter Ruttmann, cin.; Otto Hunte, Erich Kettelhut, Karl Vollbrecht, art dir.; Aenne Willkomm, costumes; Edgar G. Ulmer, Hunte, Kettelhut, Vollbrecht, set design; Eugen Schüfftan, special visual effects; Ernst Kunstmann, Konstantin Irmen-Tschet, Kettelhut, F/X; 210 min. (original print), 93 min. (German re-release), 123 min. (2002 restoration); B&W; 1.33:1.
CAST
Brigitte Helm (Maria/Robot Maria); Alfred Abel (Joh Fredersen); Gustav Fröhlich (Young Freder); Rudolf Klein-Rogge (C. A. Rotwang); Fritz Rasp (Thin Man); Theodor Loos (Josaphat); Erwin Biswanger (Worker #11811); Heinrich George (Grot); Fritz Alberti (Man of Babel); Grete Berger, Rose Lichtenstein, Max Dietze (workers); Beatrice Garga (Woman of Eternal Gardens); Heinrich Gotho (Master of Ceremonies).
MOST MEMORABLE LINE
“There can be no understanding between the hand and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator.” – MARIA’S FINAL LINE
BACKGROUND
“Immediately following World War I, Erich Pommer of Universum Film (UFA) set into motion a series of dark thrillers that captured, often in fantasy, the daily horror of life in the Weimar Republic. The premiere project, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), was originally to have been directed by Fritz Lang (1890–1976), who dropped out for personal and artistic reasons. Over the next several years, Lang became an avid Communist, consuming works by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and watching masterpieces of Soviet montage that conveyed radical political ideas via editing. Lang and his wife, Thea von Harbou (1888–1954), set to work on an adaptation of her dystopian novel. During this same period, von Harbou grew ever more intrigued by the rise of fascism, in time coming to subscribe to Nazi values.”
THE PLOT
“In a futuristic super-city, the working classes slave at machines that all but devour them, in time turning those who perform such dreary labor into automatons. Meanwhile, the ruling classes carouse in a high tower. A spokesperson for the underclass, Maria, awakens the consciousness of Freder, son of the powerful leader, with her proclamation that “all men are brothers.” He slips off to learn the truth and becomes radicalized after experiencing the horrid existence of the masses. Meanwhile, his father, Fredersen, enlists the mad scientist Rotwang to develop a machine-man to replace workers. The two conspire to create a robot version of Maria that can be used to incite workers to violence, thus providing those in power with an excuse to eliminate them.”
THE FILM
”Lang later admitted that while he had achieved the look he wanted for the film, von Harbou had seized control of the movie’s meaning. As a result, Metropolis expresses precisely the opposite point of view from what he had intended. The film initially appears to be shaping up as a radical futuristic allegory, calling for a worker's revolution against the ruling elite. At midpoint, this reverses, and Metropolis takes on an anti-revolutionary tone, warning against such rebellion while insisting that a fascistic leader must be tolerated, despite excesses. When the Nazis embraced Metropolis as their favorite film, Lang expressed disgust with the final product; von Harbou, delight.“
“The concept of photographing actors on bare soundstages while making them appear to be standing in an elaborately created world, fashioned from tabletop miniatures, was developed for Metropolis by Eugen Schüfftan. This would become known as the Schüfftan Process.”
“Metropolis was severely cut after its initial showings, and to this day, cine-detectives search the globe for bits and pieces, believed to have been lost forever, in an attempt to fully restore the original.”
THEME
“Metropolis pioneered epic science fiction as religious allegory. Initially, the city’s cathedral is all but abandoned. At the finale, however, everyone comes together on its steps to make things right. Maria tells Bible tales, including the story of the Tower of Babel, in catacombs not unlike the hiding places of the early Christians. Huge crosses are on view there. Freder is inspired to become a messianic figure, representing the Second Coming. The names of his adoptive parents, Maria and Josaphat, translate into English as Mary and Joseph. H. G. Wells, who believed the first necessary step to creating a future utopia was to outlaw all religion, became so enraged while watching Metropolis that he at once set to work on an alternative vision, filmed in 1936 as Things to Come.”
TRIVIA
“The print that circulated for eighty years lacked key elements necessary for the plot to make sense. Gone were the skeletal Thin Man, an operative for Fredersen, and all mention of the inspirational woman “Hel” (including her statue, signifying Hel’s importance to Fredersen), deceased wife of Fredersen and, earlier, wife to Rotwang, beloved by both. In the ending of the abbreviated version, Rotwang appears to pursue Maria in hopes of killing her; actually, his mania has convinced him that she is Hel reborn and he hopes to recapture his lost love.”
”George Lucas in part modeled the Star Wars C-3PO on the robot from Metropolis. The city in Superman comics and movies is named after the one in this film. Likewise, Ridley Scott visually referenced Metropolis in many of the Blade Runner images.“
“Rock artists of the 1980s fell in love with the visionary piece. Queen featured scenes in their Radio Ga Ga music video. Record producer Giorgio Moroder convinced the band’s lead vocalist Freddie Mercury and other musicians that Metropolis resembled a full-length music video, leading to a 1984 re-release of the film with color tints and a rock music score.”