METROPOLIS

HISTORY OF CINEMA

BOGNÁR ALEXANDRA
BOGNÁR  ALEXANDRA       HISTORY  OF  CINEMA  

M ETROPOLIS
 
Writing  critiques  is  an  exciting  part  of  film  esthetics,  moreover  its  even  more  fun  
if  I  get  a  bad  movie.  Well,  Metropolis  can  fit  into  my  personal  list  of  "worst  films  
ever"  and  join  the  rest  of  the  movies  that  I  already  put  there.    
 
I  always  knew  that  Hitler  and  I  have  nothing  in  common  and  Metropolis  is  just  
one  more  proof  -­‐  we  do  not  even  share  a  slightly  similar  taste  in  cinema.  
 
Sci-­‐fi   is   not   my   type   of   movie.   Although   I   understand   that   people   as   well   as  
dealing   with   our   past   and   present   are   curious   about   future,   but   seriously   a  
negative  utopian  story  with  an  imagined  world  under  100%  control?!  This  is  just  
so   amateur   compared   to   Orwell's   fascinating   novels.   The   Metropolis,   directed   by  
Fritz  Lang,  was  originally  released  as  a  210-­‐minute  epic  in  Germany  -­‐  thank  God  
the   now   available   version   is   just   114-­‐minutes   long   (due   to   its   restoration).  
According  to  the  IMDb.com  the  film  included  more  than  37,000  extras  and  it  took  
2  years  to  shoot.  
 
The  story  is  platitudinous (starting with its title...),  the  techniques  are  elementary  
as  it  is  a  silent  movie  with  sometimes  appearing  sentences  -­‐  functioning  as  "help"  
for   the   viewer   to   understand   what   is   going   on   the   screen.   The   small-­‐minded  
conflicts   fused   together   with   the   pointless   love   story   are   the   key   features   of   a  
meaningless   story.   The   futuristic   'political   regime'   idea   divides   the   population  
into   two   groups   -­‐   workers   and   thinkers,   therefore   creates   a   significant   border  
among  the  social  classes.  This  concept  was  yet  old-­‐fashioned  in  the  20th  century,  
why   would   it   be   a   new   invention   in   the   future?   Since   we   have   spoken   about  
civilization,  we  have  discussed  differences  whose  accessory  is  obviously  a  caste  
system.  The  "elite"  always  figure  out  what  is  good  for  the  community  while  the  
"poor"  achieves  it.  In  other  words,  it  is  just  a  cliché:  the  influential  ones  control,  
while   the   weak   ones   are   being   controlled.   This   notion   is   not   innovative,  
rebellious,  unique  or,  let's  say,  futuristic.  
 

  2  
BOGNÁR  ALEXANDRA       HISTORY  OF  CINEMA  

The  only  thing  that  I  liked  in  this  movie  is  its  score.  Without  the  music  I  would  
have   honestly   felt   the   penetrating   pain   while   trying   to   survive   the   class.   Of  
course   it   was   not   added   to   the   film   originally,   only   later   in   2004   and   was  
performed   by   the   New   Pollutants.   "The   score   was   conceived,   composed   and  
recorded   over   a   12-­‐month   period   and   had   its   world   premiere,   to   rapturous  
applause,   at   the   2005   Adelaide   Film   Festival". But,   there   are   many   other  
soundtracks  created  for  the  Metropolis  but  perhaps  (I  am  just  guessing  because  I  
do   not   know)   that   they   were   as   bad   as   the   film   itself   so   it   was   necessary   to  
replace  them  in  order  to  ensure  the  future  interest  of  the  would-­‐be  audience.  A  
minor   criticism   to   this   version:   it's   too   21st   century,   so   it's   easily   recognizable  
that  it  was  written  decades  later.  Moreover,  since  the  score  is  way  much  better  
than   the   movie   it   does   not   serve   as   an   "attachment"   which   balances   the  
impressions.   This   soundtrack   deserves   a   more   demanding   movie   and   these  
contemporary   electronic   sounds   do   not   correspond   with   the   black   and   white  
historical-­‐futuristic  setting  of  a  20s  film.  
 
To  sum  up  in  a  short  sentence,  despite  that  I  still  do  not  understand  how  Steven  
Jay  Schneider  could  include   Metropolis  in  his   '1001  Movies  You  Must  See  Before  
You  Die'  list,  the  music  was  fine...  merely  inappropriate  for  the  film.  

REFERENCE:  
 
Metropolis  Rescore,  MySpace,  accessed  2011.03.27.,  
http://www.myspace.com/metropolisrescore  
Trivia  for  Metropolis,  The  Internet  Movie  Database,  accessed  2011.03.06.,  
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0017136/trivia  
 
 

  3