Today, for most, the name Metropolis brings to mind the story of Superman but, in some circles, Metropolis can never be anything other than Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent film masterpiece. The basic plot for this iconic silent film outlines the social class struggle of a capitalist society. The movie is set 100 years in the future (2026) in a society where the rich live in a privileged city in the clouds with clean air and luxuries and the workers live beneath the ground and toil in ten hour shifts to run the machines that support the rich’s luxury. There are many dualistic reflections in the movie including the rich/poor dichotomy, the evangelist/hedonist, the prince/pauper, etc. The movie is an early example of the science fiction genre and remains an icon to this day influencing many modern science fiction works including Superman and Batman.
The main message of the film is that the Heart must be the mediator between Head and Hands, meaning that compassion must figure in government’s rule of the people. This message was important for 1920’s Germany because there was a lengthy economic crisis following Germany’s defeat in World War I. The worker’s movement of the time had fought against the government and socialism was in the air. Silent film was a popular form of entertainment at the time and, in Germany, German Expressionist film was the form du jour. Metropolis was filmed in a German Expressionist style including dark themes of insanity and betrayal. A new popular bourgeois art form at the time was Art Deco and the film incorporates this style for the architecture of the rich city in the sky. This style of architecture has become the standard for futuristic science fiction settings. The theme of non-communication between workers and upper class is highlighted in the movie by a metaphorical telling of the biblical Tower of Babel story. The end result of the non-communication in the Tower of Babel is the destruction of the tower. The implication is that the non-communication between the government and the German people will lead to Germany’s destruction.
The overall story arc follows a general Prince and the Pauper format with Metropolis’ leader’s son, Freder, falling in love with a working class evangelist, Maria. Freder descends into the worker’s city to see how the workers live and takes the place of worker 11811. Maria is replaced by a gynoid (female android) that is told to destroy her image with the workers. The gynoid rips apart the solidarity of the upper classes by becoming an exotic dancer and setting the men against each other. It also incites the workers to rebellion causing the destruction of the worker’s city and the machines where they work. In the end, Freder is required to mediate, as heart, between the rich upper class (head) and the workers (hands).
The storytelling is well done and the message is conveyed clearly, if a bit bluntly, to the viewer. The orchestral score written for the film integrates seamlessly and helps to keep the viewer involved in the story. This movie, despite being a silent film from 80 years ago, is relevant for American society today. Economic crisis, Governmental corruption, voter apathy, and the feeling that our leaders do not represent us, the growing economic disparity between the affluent and the poor are all present here today as they were in Germany following World War I. The film has a presence on the Internet at http://www.kino.com/metropolis/ and the rights to the movie were recently optioned for a possible remake. 2026 is fast approaching. Hopefully, Lang’s vision will not become reality and American society will not become the dystopia of Metropolis.
