Movie #: 298 Title: Metropolis 1926

Rating: 9.40

Director (last): LANG (first): FRITZ

Writer (last): (first):

Breathtaking and astonishing. Modernized version with rock score is especially powerful, intriguing, surprisingly sensual and provocative. The story is a futuristic fable about the very rich living above the earth in luxury while drone workers toil in excruciating oppression below. The "Master's" son investigates life of the working class, discovers a woman leader, becomes sympathetic. But a mad scientist replaces the woman with an identical robot, to sow conflict and chaos, and so justify the Master's renewed oppression. Spectacular special effects and sets. Some scenes rise to the level of visual poetry. Metropolis (Fritz Lang, Germany, 1926, rescored and tinted by Giorgio Moroder in 1984) Stunning, expressionistic German film depicting a futuristic society in which the fabulously wealthy live on the natural surface of the planet, while scores of oppressed drones slave away at steam-powered behemoths beneath the surface. There is an attempted revolt, a diversion by a charismatic religious leader, and a pivotal confrontation between the oppressed and their oppressors. This is simply one of the most visually stunning films ever made, and one of the most poetic and allusive. The ending is somewhat unsatisfactory-- if only owners and workers could work together to share the fruits of their labours, all would be well-but it would be interesting to explore how the events of the 20th century have changed the meaning of this film to modern viewers, with whom it has had a resurgence in popularity. (Why, for example, is The Grapes of Wrath, not as interesting to contemporary viewers, though it too is a powerful, artistic film?)

Is this movie a "gem"? No

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Added: 1990-01-01 [yyyy-mm-dd]