The Modernist Explosion: Culture, Literature, Art and Film in German-speaking Europe, 1900-1933 - Essay Example

Running head: METROPOLIS (1927) THE MODERNIST EXPLOSION: METROPOLIS (1927) Goes Here al Affiliation Goes Here The paperanalyses the movie Metropolis from the perspective of the coming of modernism and its influence on Germany’s culture, literature, art from 1900-1933. The movie, Metropolis was shot during 1924 and was released in 1927. The director of this movie was Fritz Lang. The story for the movie was derived from a novel written by his wife, Thea Von Harbou. This movie is a fine example of Modernism and Expressionism with its imaginative camera angles, use of shadows, portrayal of novel technologies, social order, architecture and the use of bold images.  Introduction The movie, Metropolis is a German science-fiction, epic and expressionist drama movie that was directed by Fritz Lang in 1927. This silent movie was derived from a novel written by Thea Von Harbou  and starred various prominent actors at that time, Gustav Frohlich, Brigitte Helm, Rudolf Klein-Rogge and Alfred Abel. The producer of this movie was Erich Pommer, who produced this movie at Babelsberg Studio under Universum Film A.G (Bachmann & Minden, 2002). This movie was one of the first full feature lengths of science-fiction genre, that was produced at that time period. Today, this movie is also considered as one of pioneering movie works within this genre. This movie is set among the futuristic urban dystopia and was made during Weimar period in Germany. The style of the movie shows the influence of Antonio SantElia, the modernist and futurist Italian architect. With its bold shadows, dramatic camera angles, artificial theatrics and stylized sets, this movie represents the pinnacle of German Expressionism and Modernism (Bachmann & Minden, 2002). Synopsis of the Movie The movie has been set in a future city that has the population of sixty million people. This city has been divided into two parts or classes one is proletariat or the workers who live in depths of the city. The other class is of thinkers or administrators, who live high in city towers in luxury. The leader of the administrators is protagonist’s father Joh Frederson. The protagonist of the movie, Freder meets and is in love with Maria, who is a worker and is leading a group of children on a tour of upper part within the city. Freder follows Maria down to the depth of the city and is horrified when he observes the status among the workers there (Philosophical Films, 2011). After coming back, he tries to persuade his father about changing the working conditions of workers. However, his father refuses and takes help of mad Scientist Rotwang to build a robot. This robot is double of Maria that incites the workers to rebel and bring the city down. The Ideas of Human and Machines in Metropolis The movie, Metropolis represents the typical struggle between upper and lower class in any society. However, it is hard to miss the Christian symbolism in the movie. Maria, the heroine of the movie leads the underground workers and preaches non-violence. The lone hero in the movie, Freder has been given the attributes of Christ like figure and is meant to save the workers from his first encounter with Maria (Keaes, 1993). He meets Maria in the pleasure garden for the first time where she has taken the children of the workers for a tour. He is enchanted by her beauty and follows her underground. When he sees the plight of underground workers, he’s horrified about their wretched condition. He is son of the ruler or the head to the city, who has separated himself from the hands, represented by underground workers. It is his heart that is destined to unite both head and heart in the creation of better future (Keaes, 1993). In this movie, the machines represent the underlying metaphor, in the discussion of technology as well as modernity, which was prevalent during that time period.  Most of the characters in this movie such as workers, and the city are associated with the machines, which are installed and run in depth of the city and supply the power to the city above. In the end, when the workers destroy the big generator who powers up the city, the lightning shoots across the city, and the lights flicker down. The city in this movie also has been organized like a machine which self-destructs itself when any part malfunctions. The workers are presented as the malfunctioning parts of machine when they rebel against their working conditions (Keaes, 1993). As a result, the leaders at the city plan to replace them with robots.  The movie itself starts with the abstract montage of the machinery that is in motion and is set against the skyscrapers which fills up the complete frame on the screen. As more movements and gears are incorporated within the frame, the moving turbine engine and pistons in opposite directions in close ups builds the scene on to a crescendo.  This movie sequence is followed by images of a 10-hour clock that is yet other machine, for the start of a new shift and shows dehumanization of the workers (Keaes, 1993). Use of hands in Metropolis The director of this movie has used the hands every effectively in conveying both the symbolism of a particular character as well as furthering of the story. This film is rich with different imagery of the hands. Although, they are necessary for the message behind the story, that heart will unite the head and the hands, but while doing this it relies heavily upon the Christian religious theme (Angelfire, 2014). This movie is also one earliest film in scientific fiction genre and pioneer in silent film era. Today, most of the scientific fiction movies use some scientific scene or other that has been derived from this movie. The theme of hands continues throughout the movie and is imitated by most of the today’s movies (Angelfire, 2014). Maria, the Human Being Maria, the human being and the heroine have been portrayed as all that is pure in life. She is a motherly and virginal figure, who seeks to lead the underground workers to their salvation. She promises them the coming of a savior and preaches non-violence (Angelfire, 2014).  In her first scene in a pleasure garden, her gestures with hands allure Freder and inspire him to know of the secret of underground and follow her down in that world. She further inspires him to emphasize with the plight of the workers and do something about it. In this way, the use of hands has been demonstrated by the director of the movie.  Maria, the robot When Freder tries to persuade his father Joh Frederson for the improvement of the worker’s plight, Joh Frederson plans to retaliate against Maria, who has influenced his son and the workers throughout the city. He visits the mad scientist, Rotwang and commands him to product a lookalike robot of Maria for destruction of her influence on the city (Angelfire, 2014) .  The Robot Maria is completely opposite to the real Maria. Her hands are used for destruction of the relation between Freder as well as the workers whereas the real Maria uses them for joining people with each other and for their welfare. Here, the director has subtly emphasized the contrast between both sides of the same image, underlining the importance of hand gestures. The Hands of Rotwang Rotwang is a mad scientist, who lives in the proverbial Gothic towers and continues his experiments. He is completely detached from the society; he tries to build a robot with a creative, visionary or imaginative head and practical hands (Angelfire, 2014). He does not love anyone after his girlfriend Hel marries another person and then dies. Due to this, he retires from the society. He uses his creativity to create a robot like Hel, but fails, and in the process, loses his right hand. So Rotwang has a right hand which is mechanical and gloved. However, when Joh Frederson persuades him to create a robot for the destructive purpose, his hands become an instrument for destruction. He tells Frederson ‘Isnt it worth the loss of a hand to have created the man of the future, the Machine – Man’ (Poore, p. 33, 2007).   Conclusion Expressionism can be defined as a series of creative and related movements that started across the country before the commencement of 1st World War and were at its peak during 1920s. This movement affected all types of arts such as paintings, architecture and movies. The main characteristics of this movement were the imaginative use of light and shadows, bold colors, experimental use of camera angles and symbolism with hands.  The movie was an instant success in Germany as well as in other countries such as America and Europe. It is said that Hitler was also one of the admirers of this movie. Modernism on the other hand, was a movement started in the 19th century which encouraged new modes of expression in architecture, arts, science and the social world. Metropolis had all the ingredients of modernism, as it showcased a transformed society, wherein concepts of modern technology, architecture and social order were replete throughout the movie. Most of the critics of this movie have commented over similarities with the Christian theme of redemption that runs throughout the movie. They have likened the leader from the city to God, who is decision maker and live upon the top of the world. His son is one of the innocents who do not know anything about the secrets of in-depth of the city. Maria is compared to virgin Mary who tries to offer hope to the masses. Joh Frederson is repeatedly referred as the head that has separated him from the hand that is represented by the workers, who toil in depth of the city. Both, Maria and Freder symbolize empathy and compassion (heart), who act as the bridge to seamlessly integrate creativity and reason (head) with implementation and practicality (hands) in the movie. References Angelfire, (2014), The Balance of Hands, Mind, and Heart: Fritz Langs Metropolis [Online], Available from: http://www.angelfire.com/nh/stephsrandomthoughts/essays/metropolis.html,[ Accessed on 25 April, 2015] Bachmann, H, Minden, and M. (2002), Fritz Langs "Metropolis": Cinematic Visions of Technology and Fear (Studies in German Literature, Linguistics, and Culture) Edition, Camden House.  Keaes, Anton (1993), “Metropolis: City, Cinema, Modernity”, [ONLINE], Available from: http://www.mariabuszek.com/kcai/Expressionism/Readings/KaesMtrpls.pdf , [Accessed on 25 April, 2015]. Poore, C. (2007). Disability in twentieth-century German culture. University of Michigan Press. Philosophical Films (2011). METROPOLIS (1927), [ONLINE], Available from: http://www.philfilms.utm.edu/1/metropolis.htm, [Accessed 25 April, 2015] Williams, Raymond. "The Metropolis and the Emergence of Modernism." Unreal City: Urban Experience in Modern European Literature and Art. 13-24. Read More