Metropolis Movie Essay

Metropolis Film Critique
Written by Austrian-German filmmaker and screenwriter, Fritz Lang (Dr. Mabuse the Gambler, M, Fury), and his wife, German screenwriter and novelist, Thea von Harbou (The Rocket to the Moon, Spies), Metropolis (1927) is one of many German expressionistic films released in the early 20th century. Placed alongside films such as Nosferatu (1922), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927), parallels can be drawn between various moods and themes; however, Metropolis’ courageous counterculture take on not only cinema, but Germany’s culture as a whole, pushes Metropolis to stand out for reasons far more complex than a decent plotline. Of course, with being the first in any industry, there

Gustav Fröhlich, who was cast as Freder, had little film experience and was originally cast as an extra. Similarly, Brigitte Helm, who was cast as Maria/Maschinenmensch, had been given a screen test only after having met Lang on a different set, two years prior. Despite this, both made their feature film debuts in Metropolis, and, their performances do not show any inklings of mediocrity. Alongside German actors of prestigious résumés who have worked with Lang previously, such as Alfred Abel and Rudolf Klein-Rogge, the leads still hold their own with regards to their on-screen chemistry and portrayal of emotion—particularly Brigitte Helm in her polarizing performance towards the middle of the

Metropolis is a silent film from the 1920’s—it relies heavily on clear, emotional performances due to the lack of dialogue, and in doing so, often includes ‘over-emotional’ sequences. The film is also highly expressionistic, meaning that sequences such as Freder’s reoccurring metaphoric hallucinations are intended to distort reality and present the feeling of an event, however darkly, rather than something exceedingly accurate. While it may take some getting-used-to, Metropolis is a film rooted in subjectivity and expressionism, and when one is able to appreciate this, the film becomes more of an art piece than simple