Metropolis was directed by Fritz Lang and screen-written in collaboration with his then wife Thea Von Harbou in 1927. It remains a truly prophetic modern commentary on both the power and weakness of humanity, that which it creates, and ideas of love, death, religion and the dualities of life. The film is heavily influenced by German Expressionism taking form in its visuals, acting styles, literary motifs and temporal thematic elements. The environment and city represented in the film grasp at the dynamic nature of art and architecture as well as the rapidly changing state of the world following the First World War. Metropolis has maintained itself as the foremost founding film in the science fiction genre for its full feature length and visual depth. In order to understand the true force of Metropolis, one must examine through these contextual lenses: First, the economic and political climate of the Weimar period (tangentially, American capitalism as well as communism and fascism in Europe); Second, the creative era of German Expressionism, the Bauhaus, Futurism, Modernism and the impact of Industrialization on art and expression; Lastly, the innovations made in this film to produce a lasting and inspirational piece of art that has impacted nearly every other film of its genre.
Metropolis is set in a futuristic society run by one man who is the master of the metropolis. It follows the journey of Freder Fredersen, the son of Joh and master of the city, in reconciling with the injustices of the city. There are two distinct classes: the thinkers and the workers: The Head and The Hand. Freder eventually comes to represent the Heart as the “mediator” between the Head and the Hand. This film brings to the surface a diverse set of ideas that have been at the forefront of society and remain relevant today. Metropolis does quite a few things very well and these aspects of the film have permeated pop culture and art still today. However, it is clear that the plot is far more simple and static than the visual elements that illustrate it and the value this film generates, come from the immensity of artistic thought involved in the set design.
The world was in a dynamic state of change during the 1920’s. The political and economic climate of Weimar Germany was chaotic. Radical ideas like communism and fascism were heavily influencing all walks of life in Germany. The narrative of Metropolis is reliant on the turmoil of the time between classes to further explore the progression of a society set more than 1000 years in the future. This is seen in the opulent garden that Freder Fredersen is frolicking with women, offering stark juxtaposition to the depths of the city where workers become indistinguishable from the machines they operate, often becoming cogs themselves that run the city without cease.
The film offers many visual depictions of the various perspectives available in the world in 1927. The Gleaming New Tower of Babel and the elite thinking class represent post war capitalism. The underworld of working class people named only with 5 numbers clearly portray a communist sensibility.
These harsh distinctions continue to pervade the narrative of the film in a way that was widely understood in 1927. Many Germans did not thoroughly perceive an effective way to bolster their economy and political institutions for the betterment of all classes after the embarrassment of World War 1. Many people in Germany got much poorer, others garnered more and more wealth.
The political and economic references to society are clear throughout the film and often drive the decisions of individual characters and groups of people who act without thought or intent. Despite this, the contemporary metaphors for society come secondary to the artistic intent of Fritz Lang. The plot remains simple and one directional. Although Freder, Rotwang the Inventor, Joh and Maria the Saint all occupy some change in character across the arc of the film, they still sit within well defined roles and in the end nothing really changes for anyone. Freder does mediate between the Head and the Hands but there is nothing to show for it. The workers' city remains flooded, the elites offer no recompense for their opulence or frivolity and the boundaries and distinctions among the city dwellers remain unchanged. Regardless of these issues of narrative, the implementation of German Expressionism in this film carries the weight of artistic genius and the compelling visual storytelling.
All forms of artistic media were under heavy revolution by 1927. Movements of the French Surrealists, the Impressionists, the German Bauhaus, the Dutch De Stijl, Art Deco, Italian Futurism and Neorealism, Russian Constructivism and more made distinct and iconic changes to the likes of film, painting, drawing, furniture making, architecture, sculpture and many others forms of creation. Metropolis begins to confront many if not all of these media and engages with many of these differing artistic movements. The film evokes in its visuals a complete work of art to develop the essence of the future city and society in an innovative idea of German origin known as Gestamtkunstwerk.The idea of Gesamtkunstwerk, or a complete work of art, took over German, Dutch, Scandinavia and even some American designers’ pathos in an attempt to give the artist utmost agency over the perception of every aspect of the experience of a work of art or series of works. Most notably this is seen the paintings of Theo Van Doesburg’s Maison D'Artiste (1929) resembling the physical manifestation of Mondrian’s Composition II with Red Blue and Yellow (1929). These artists inspired the Gesamtkunstwerk of the Rietveld Schroder House (1924).
Metropolis becomes a Total Work of Art in itself. Partly because of the time period that bore its inception, but also a German aesthetic to prove itself with regard to national sensibilities of the ideal or perfect. More importantly in the work, this film encapsulates an entire era, society and urban environment within the frames and throughout the time it is observed. Metropolis embodies German Expressionism in the style of acting and in the immense depth of visual iconography. This film supports itself in a contemporary setting thanks to its set design and actors merging with the visual backdrop without real assistance from the text cards or the narrative itself. The way this film was truly compelling then and even now remains in its essence as a total work of art.
Naturally film is a different medium than architecture or painting or sculpture. However, Metropolis is still a complete work of art for its implementation of both 2D and 3D visual media ranging from set drawings, small scale models, large scale set installations and even the Machine Man suit. Through and through, Metropolis satisfies the audience desires for visual stimulation and materializes another world, much like our own, before our eyes. This film remains heavily influential in modern media as well as film production for the immense set of elements it yielded to the art world. One of these from Lang’s special effects man, Eugen Schufftan developed an innovative way to insert and scale actors into modeled or drawn set environments. Not only did this film create some of the most masterful works of art to be put on display in the production of the film but it also generated new and informed modes of production for future filmmakers to take advantage of. On many levels, Metropolis accomplishes what all films hope to. Metropolis succeeds in creating a world, a people, a time and bringing the viewer out of one’s own temporal limitations to envision something more glittering and yet more brutal. Fritz Lang accomplishes the task of both inspiring our imaginations while also warning us of the dangers or progress. Many people at the time feared industrialization and its impact on people and society in general. In the production of Metropolis, Lang takes the stance of the mediator in order to show both sides of modernization while taking on an immense feat of modern art production and filmmaking.
The methodology undertaken in creating the world of Metropolis is one that has been hugely impactful on the sets of other sci-fi films. Metropolis laid a compelling foundation for many other science fiction films to follow such as Star Wars, Avatar, Frankenstein and Blade Runner that has been difficult to evade simply because of its visual strength. Outside of filmmaking, even popular culture today has been influenced by the work of Fritz Lang. There is a necessity to materialize a world that does not exist and to create societies that are both relatable and mysterious. The idea of the metropolis continues to be a marvel of human creation and human ingenuity even today as they grow larger and taller. Metropolis is a vast network of artistic mediums and a cross section of society itself in the pursuit of a truly imaginative film. Much like the city itself, with its sprawling parks and vertical structures, Metropolis lends yet another perspective on the act of creation and in the marvel and opportunity of humanity to build, create and achieve.
Sources:
1. Barson, Michael. “Fritz Lang.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fritz-Lang.
2. Greco, John. “Metropolis- The Restored Version (1927) Fritz Lang.” Twenty Four Frames, September 2, 2010.https://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/2010/09/02/metropolis-the-restored-version-1927-fritz-lang/.
3. Genadiev, Venelin, and Lianopoulos Manos. “Gesamtkunstwerk.” Articles - ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW - Gesamtkunstwerk. https://www.greekarchitects.gr/en/architectural-review/gesamtkunstwerk-id3185.
4. Bouman, Ole, Paul Meurs, Alied Ottevanger, Kees Somer, Wouter Jan Verheul, and Michael White. “Maison D'Artiste: An Unfinished Icon by De Stijl.” ArchDaily, April 20, 2017. https://www.archdaily.com/869589/maison-dartiste-unfinished-icon-de-stijl?ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_all.
5. “Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow, 1929.” Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow, 1929 by Piet Mondrian. https://www.piet-mondrian.org/composition-ii-in-red-blue-and-yellow.jsp.
6. Block, India. “Stijn Poelstra Photographs Mondrian-Esque Elements of the Rietveld Schröder House.” Dezeen. Dezeen, August 30, 2018. https://www.dezeen.com/2018/08/29/stijn-poelstra-photographs-mondrian-rietveld-schroder-house-architecture/.
7. Barson, Michael. “Fritz Lang.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fritz-Lang.
8. Google Images: Star Wars Concept, Blade Runner, Frankenstein, Metropolis, Avatar Concept of Earth
Comments