GER 150m Dir: Fritz Lang Key Cast: Gustav Frohlich, Brigette Helm
Based on: Metropolis by Thea von Haribou (Novel)
I was actually a little disappointed with Metropolis, partly I think because I've always considered it the first sci-fi epic when in reality it's barely a science-fiction film at all. It's actually easy to compare it with the films that Sergei Eisenstein was making in the USSR around the same sort of time- both share the idea of the workers rising up against those who subjugate them.
Metropolis is a futuristic city whose working class spend their time underground manning elaborate machines to power the city whilst the elite live in luxurious skyscrapers. The city is led by Joh Fredersen whose son Freder stumbles upon the plight of the working class and meets activist Maria. Joh has inventor Rotwang replace Maria with a robot duplicate to ruin her reputation but Rotwang hates Joh and plans to use the robot to take over the city. Cue a lot of destruction.
The thing that makes this stand apart from Eisenstein's films is the use of technology. The film isn't overly sci-fi in concept but technology is the focus. It's probably the first film which explores the effect technological progress has on people, at a time when technology was starting to rapidly change the world. Maria serves as a fetishisation of technology which is really effective. Really the film is a call for social change and in a historical context it's fascinating as it shows the strength of feeling in the working class in Germany at the time which led to the rise of the Nazis (who incidentally loved this film) soon after.
In terms of looks, the film is incredible. The robot looks superb and still stands up pretty well today. The sets are fantastic drawing on the cubist and futurist movements and the sheer scale of them allows for Lang to blow them up or flood them which looks spectacular. The special effects are also pioneering, especially the use of the Schüfftan process, where mirrors were used to make it look like actors are occupying miniature sets.
I didn't love the film even if I admired the aesthetics and Brigitte Helm's performance as both the real and robot versions of Maria. It's a film which very much reflects the time it was in and though some ideas still stand up strong, but it didn't connect with me as a 21st Century viewer in the way some other films of the era have.
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