Metropolis
Metropolis is a 1927 German expressionist science-fiction silent film directed by Fritz Lang and written by Thea von Harbou in collaboration with Lang from von Harbou's 1925 novel of the same name (which was intentionally written as a treatment). It stars Gustav Fröhlich, Alfred Abel, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, and Brigitte Helm. Erich Pommer produced it in the Babelsberg Studio for Universum Film A.G. (UFA). Metropolis is regarded as a pioneering science-fiction film, being among the first feature-length ones of that genre. Filming took place over 17 months in 1925–26 at a cost of more than five million Reichsmarks, or the equivalent of about € million.
Plot
In the future, wealthy industrialists and business magnates and their top employees reign over the city of Metropolis from colossal skyscrapers, while underground-dwelling workers toil to operate the great machines that power it. Joh Fredersen is the city's master. His son, Freder, idles away his time at sports and in a pleasure garden, but is interrupted by the arrival of a young woman named Maria, who has brought a group of workers' children to witness the lifestyle of their rich "brothers".
Cast
- Alfred Abel
- Arthur Reinhardt
- Brigitte Helm
- Curt Siodmak
- Erwin Biswanger
- Fritz Alberti
- Fritz Rasp
- Georg John
- Grete Berger
- Gustav Fröhlich
- Hanns Leo Reich
- Heinrich George
- Heinrich Gotho
- Helen von Münchhofen
- Helene Weigel
- Ilse Stanley
- Margarete Lanner
- Max Dietze
- Olaf Storm
- Rolf von Goth
- Rose Liechtenstein
- Rudolf Klein-Rogge
- Theodor Loos
More details
author | Fritz Lang Thea von Harbou |
---|---|
director | Fritz Lang |
events | class relations dehumanization gender role intergenerational struggle love modernity revolution technology working class working conditions |
genre | science fiction |
keywords | betray burn business magnate died giving birth gather giving birth horrify machine maschinenmensch maternal death moloch resurrect resurrection rise up robot rotwang ruling class skyscraper suffer underground city young woman |
musicBy | Gottfried Huppertz |
producer | Erich Pommer |
productionCompany | UFA GmbH |
publisher | Parufamet |
recordedAt | Berlin |
theme | dystopian mad scientist silent the future |