METROPOLIS

FRITZ LANG, 1927

“Fritz Lang’s Metropolis was created at a time of extreme social and political upheaval in
Germany, with the Industrial Revolution and aftermath of WWI
CONTEXT
- Germany post WW1
- Industrial Revolution
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
- Juxtaposition between the workers down below and the ‘eternal garden’
- How does this end? Lang proposes a middle way between Capitalism and Communism
(democratic socialism)
- Machines are used as a way to control the workers, effectively alienating them.
QUOTE/TECHNIQUE EFFECT
Opening scene Introduces the social inequality and classist
- Workers in monotonous lines society
- Heads bowed Contrasts with ‘metropolis’ and all the open
- Removed individuality (numbers) space

‘workers city’ The prevalence and increased need for machines

is shown through the workers
Separates the working class
‘down below…where they belong’ Frederson talking about the workers
‘head and hands’ Class structure and social inequality
Motif Freder and Maria connecting all levels of
society

TECHNOLOGY vs HUMANITY
- Industrial revolution and increase in machinery/technology being used
- People are fearful and apprehensive, which is reflected in the setting (workers city) and
depiction of machinery
- Humanity (the workers) are enslaved to technology
- Moloch (demon machine)
o Returns to order through human sacrifice
QUOTE/TECHNIQUE EFFECT
10 hours clock Showing the workers being slaves to machines
Motif Freder struggling with the clock showing the
struggle is universal
Flood of workers city Lang’s idea of the future of humanity.
Biblical allusion
‘without the machines you will die!’ Warning of the reliance that humanity will/has
developed regarding technology
 REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN
- Rise of the suffragettes and first wave feminism reflected in the female characters
- Madonna/Whore complex
o Polarisation of representation
o Madonna = Maria (Mary – Jesus’s mother) and the Eternal Garden and her with the
kids
o Whore = Robo-Maria. Dancing scene where she entrances the men
QUOTE/TECHNIQUE EFFECT
Halo of light - Maria Madonna/whore complex
Maria vs Robo-Maria Juxtaposition
Madonna/whore complex Feme-fatale shows power of gender and
sexuality
‘these are your brothers’ Maria’s characters, standing for class equality
Montage of Eyes Emphasising societies view of women at the
‘Whore of Babylon’ time.