FILM

REVIEW: METROPOLIS (1927)

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CAST AND CREW Directed by Fritz Lang Produced by Erich Pommer Written by Thea von Harbou & Fritz Lang Starring Alfred Abel, Brigitte Helm, Gustav Frhlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge Music by Gottfried Huppertz (original version) Cinematography Karl Freund, Gnther Rittau, Walter Ruttmann Effects expert Eugen Schfftan, Metropolis is a 1927 German expressionist film in the science-fiction genre directed by Fritz Lang. Produced in Germany during a stable period of the Weimar Republic, Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and makes use of this context to explore the social crisis between workers and owners inherent in capitalism, as expressed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The most expensive silent film ever made, it cost approximately 5 million Reich mark,[2] or approximately $15 million when adjusted for inflation. (Wikipedia)

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Metropolis, like other German expressionist art of the time, explores the political concepts of the period whilst highlighting the huge divide between class and race. It is able to portray the downtrodden masses due to its sheer scale of set and number of cast. Although a large proportion of the film footage has been damaged or lost, the missing parts have been truncated and spliced with short written links, which Guardian writer Peter Bradshaw describes as having the effect of A textual enlargement that of course "explains" nothing about the film, and just makes it bigger, stranger and madder than ever (Bradshaw 2010). Pierce, writing for the BBC, suggests narrative logic takes a backseat to rampant expressionism - with sense less important than ideas and startling visuals(Pierce 2003). However this could be positively applied to most great films as viewers can fill complex gaps in their understanding of the e narrative with visual clues. There is a lively chase scene that is entirely represented by the character Maria and a torch. Metropolis was an immense production with a cast of hundreds in some scenes. The huge sets, both under and over ground, were both visually realistic and emotionally overwhelming. The art-deco architecture was modern and Pierce feels that With its immense sets and stark lighting, the workers' city is a credible image of hell, while the over ground landscapes were a seminal influence on all subsequent science fiction (Pierce 2003). The subsequent destruction of the sets created a spectacle of chaos for the viewer, which is something modern filmmakers still try to achieve. Phillip French, reviewing for the Guardian, said, I have been entranced by its boldness, imagination and vision and its readiness to combine high intelligence with crowd- pleasing melodrama (French 2010). The sheer enormity of some of the sets meant that they could not be built to actual size, and so the design team created innovative visual displays widely acclaimed in following years(Mok 1930). Effects included miniature replicas of the city, swing cameras, and the Shuftan Process, which uses mirrors to place actors in the miniature sets.

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The costume for the robot character (the Maschinenmensch) was sculpted out of plastic wood like a suit of armour over a plaster cast of the actress. Spray-painted a mix of silver and bronze, it influenced designers of many later sci-fi films, most notably the character C3PO in Star Wars. , Bradshaw says of the "Maschinenmensch" the robot based on Maria is a brilliant eroticisation and fetishisation of modern technology (Bradshaw 2010)


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In traditional western theatre and culture white/black represents good/bad, and in Metropolis it also symbolizes rich/poor. The dual characters of Maria are played almost as Odette/Odile, the white and black swans. In the dark of the underground scenes she is lit with soft candles, and the robot side over ground is lit with harsh fluorescent lighting. The narrative is pushed along by the music, which adds more clues for the viewer. It is often regimental and mechanical but becomes more frenzied during chaotic scenes. Today both epic and sci-fi films have inherited from Metropoliss legacy. Pierce says To hear fans of Blade Runner speak, you'd think Ridley Scott invented dystopian sci-fi. But this is the template.(Pierce 2003). French expands on this, suggesting that Fritz Lang is one of those few directors to create equally significant bodies of work both in the silent era and after the coming of sound, is one of the greatest artists of the 20th century and arguably the single most innovative and influential figure in movie history (French 2010) Pierce captures Metropolis beautifully: Its portrayal of brutal capitalism and the importance of compassion remain hugely relevant, and its message - "There can be no understanding between the hands and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator" - resonant. (Pierce 2003) ILLUSTRATIONS Fig 1: Original 1927 theatrical release poster: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_%28film%29 [accessed on 26/10/11] Fig 2: The Metropolis: Over ground http://classical-iconoclast.blogspot.com/2010/09/fritz-lang- metropolis-1927-restored.html [accessed on 26/10/11] Fig 3: The Maschinenmensch: http://homecinema.thedigitalfix.com/content.php?contentid=5278 [accessed on 26/10/11] Fig 4: Maria, lit by candles http://thegreencompassguide.wordpress.com/metropolis/ [accessed on 26/10/11] REFERENCES Bradshaw, P (2010) Metropolis Restored Film Review for The Guardian online at http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/sep/09/metropolis-restored-film-review [Accessed on 26/10/11] French, P (2010) Metropolis (Fritz Lang) Review for The Observer online at http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/sep/12/metropolis-fritz-lang-review

[Accessed on 26/10/11] Mok, Michel (May 1930) "New Ideas Sweep Movie Studios". Popular Science 116, page 143 Popular Science Publishing online at http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OigDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA143&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f =false [accessed on 26/10/11] http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2003/01/06/metropolis_1927_review.shtml (accessed on 26/10/11)