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Metropolis (1927)Genre: Science Fiction/ German Expressionism

Director Fritz LangWriters T ea !on "ar#o$

Fritz Lang%inematograp & 'ar Fre$n*is$a E++ects E$gen Sc ,++tan- et.a .

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o Fre ersen +re #eFre er- o Fre ersen3s son G$sta! Fro ic%. . 4ot5ang 4$ o + ' ein64ogge

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German Expressionism and Fritz Langs Metropolisresearch paper by mark robinson

Fritz Lang8s si ent +i m etropo is- pro $ce in 1927 in German&- paints a pict$re o+ a orri# &po arize +$t$re societ& in 5 ic t e 5or ers toi i e cogs in a mac ine 5 i e t e ric i!e a a!is i+est& ein t eir to5ers ig a#o!e t e o!erpop$ ate cit&. T e +i m itse + is steepe in expressionist imager& 5 icemp asizes t e emotiona $a it& o+ t e p ot t at e!e ops. s a 5 o e- t e +i m ser!es to re+ ect Lang8s!ision o+ a tec no ogica & epen ent societ& an in t$rn comments $pon t e in $stria ization o+ is

ome an .an& German +i ms pro $ce $ring t e ear & 2;t cent$r& 5ere in+ $ence #& expressionism-

most nota# & 4o#ert Wiene8s 192; +i m T e %a#inet o+ Dr. %a igari. W i e etropo is ma& not carr& asm$c o!ert expressionistic imager& as ear & +i ms i e %a igari- its t emes are m$c more simi ar to t espirit o+ expressionism (1). T at is not to sa& t at etropo is ac s expressionist imager& 66 in +act- man&scenes- s$c as t e opening se $ence o+ t e +i m- are ea!& in expressionist imager&.The Plot

Fritz Lang8s etropo is ta es p ace in t e &stopian +$t$re o+ t e t e &ear 2;2< (a istant 1;;&ears a+ter t e +i m8s creation in 192

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mac iner& at 5or . We are t en s o5n a +e5 s o56pace s ots o+ one s i+t o+ 5or ers marc ing o$t o+t e e e!ators an a ne5 s i+t marc ing on to t e e e!ators. @n star contrast to t is is t e next scene- in

5 ic Fre er (t e main c aracter an e!ent$a ero o+ t e stor&) is s o5n p a&+$ & r$nning aro$n aarge- e egant +o$ntain s$rro$n e #& &o$ng 5omen- c asing a+ter a partic$ ar gir an +ina & catc inger. T ese scenes are $se to esta# is t e t eme o+ t e $pper !s. t e o5er c ass t at per!a es t e +i m.

@n etropo is- t ere are t5o 5e 6 e+ine c asses 66 t e 5or ing c ass an t e $pper c ass. Aoton & are t e ro es o+ t ese t5o c asses extreme & i++erent- #$t so are t eir ai & ro$tines- 5 ic are #ots o5n in t e se $ence- are as 5e . W i e t e 5or ing c ass spen s its a&s toi ing amongst t emac ines #e o5 t e cit&- t e $pper c ass i!es an op$ ent existence ig a#o!e t e cit&. T is $se o+ t5oesta# is ing s ots 5it comp ete & i++erent narrati!es e ps e+ine t e star i++erence #et5een t ese t5oc asses. T is t eme o+ c ass i++erence 5as !er& important to t e expressionist mo!ement.

Ber aps t e most o#!io$s expressionist means emp o&e #& Lang is t e $se o+ ig ting ancontrast. W en t e 5or ers are s o5n r$ ging in an o$t o+ t e e e!ators- t e ig ting is ar an t econtrast is ea!&. T is ar ness re+ ects t e isma nat$re o+ t eir i!es as a#orers. 0n t e ot er an -Fre er an is +ema e companions are e egant & ig te an t e contrast is in t e scene is so+t an ig t.T e image presente is m$c more !is$a & appea ing t an t at o+ t e o5ntro en 5or ers.

s t e +i m progresses- t is t eme o+ t e ar - o5ntro en 5or ers #eing ?$xtapose against t eop$ ent $pper c ass is incre i# & important to t e $n+o ing o+ t e p ot. T ese esta# is ing scenes o+ t et5o c asses are cr$cia to t e narrati!e t at ater $n+o s. & e+ining t e c asses so o#?ecti!e &- Langma es it eas& +or $s to $n erstan o5 someone i e Fre er co$ #e so orri+ie #& t em.The Expressionists

& t e time etropo is 5as re ease in 1927- expressionism 5as no onger part o+ t e a!ant6gar e (1). n expressionistic in+ $ence can #e seen- o5e!er- t ro$g o$t m$c o+ t e +i m. T e p ot o+ t e+i m- as o$t ine ear ier- a eres to t e expressionist tra ition. Expressionist in+ $ences can a so #e seenin t e acting- imager& an set esign o+ t e +i m.

T e exaggerate mo!ements o+ #ot 4ot5ang an Fre er o5e m$c to t e expressionist t eatre.Fre er #ecomes t e mo erating eart #et5een t e 5or ers an t e $pper6c ass an is exaggerate -

5 imsica mo!ements re+ ect t is (2). 4ot5ang- on t e ot er an - p a&s t e ro e o+ t e arc et&pa mascientist. "is mo!ements are ?er & an o!erstate - re+ ecting is manic state o+ min (C).

Direct para e s can #e seen #et5een t e expressionist ra5ings o+ ax ec man an GeorgeGrosz- an Lang8s portra&a o+ t e o5er6c ass in etropo is. Ta e- +or examp e- ec man8s Fig$res anGrosz8 T e "ero- t5o exaggerate epictions o+ o5er6c ass s$#?ects. T ese ra5ings c ose & resem# et e irt&- o5ntro en o5er6c ass 5or ers t at toi in t e $n ergro$n cit& o+ etropo is.

not er examp e o+ 5 ere etropo is mirrors expressionist art is in t e ang$ ar- cro5 e s & ineo+ t e cit&. Expressionists 5ere concerne 5it t e ro e o+ t e cit& in a mo ern- in $stria ize 5or . ErnstL$ 5ig 'irc ner8s 4e To5er in "a e is an exce ent examp e o+ t e st& ize - ang$ ar $r#an !ie5 o+ t e

expressionists. T e to5er in t e +oregro$n o+ t is painting resem# es t e to5er at t e center o+ t e cit& o+etropo is.etropo is a so ra5s in+ $ences +rom ear & German expressionist cinema- especia & in its

ig ting. W i e man& o+ t e scenes t at ta e p ace in t e $pper cit& are it in a +air & tra itiona 5a&- t escenes t at ta e p ace in t e $n ergro$n cit& are +$ o+ t e s a o5s an #rig t- ang$ ar ig ts t at +i eear & expressionist +i ms i e T e %a#inet o+ Dr. %a igari. T is $se o+ ig ting (m$c i e t e $se o+ man&ot er expressionist tec ni $es) ser!es to +$rt er emp asize t e expressionist t emes present in t e p oto+ t e mo!ie.

an& +i m sc o ars o not consi er etropo is to #e an expressionist +i m. W en it 5as create -t e expressionist mo!ement 5as no onger appening. & 1927- t e socia an po itica c imate inGerman& a c ange . @n +act- at t e time- etropo is 5as t e most expensi!e motion pict$re e!erpro $ce . t o$g it ma& not #e a tr$e =expressionist +i m=- t e in+ $ence t at expressionism a on

etropo is can not #e ignore ."ibliography

ar o5- o n D. German Expressionist Film . oston: T5a&ne B$# is ers- 19 2.Dar o5- L$ e. Metropolis Multimedia Archive . ttp://555.geocities.com/metropo is m$ time ia/ (;C a&2;;1)Eisner- Lotte ". Fritz Lang . Lon on: Sec er War#$rg- 197