Metropolis (1924)

Original film poster

Directed by Fritz Lang

Metropolis is one of the first science fiction movies ever produced. Produced in the silent era of films, the film had to rely on visuals and plot to make a good impression on audiences. Metropolis is the first film to be set in "the distant future" (which is funny, because the film was set in 2000, and is very different from the actual year 2000). The film is now famous not only for its revolutionary special effects, but for the sheer scale of its production. Director Fritz Lang set out to make the largest film of its time, and he succeeded. In addition to the group of  8 lead actors, Lang employed nearly 800 supporting actors and over 37,000 extras. The final cost of the filming was a whopping 5 million Reichsmarks, or over 1 million US dollars.

Metropolis does not have the distinction of being the first science fiction film; Georges Melies' A Trip to the Moon was written over 20 years prior. What it does have, is then-groundbreaking technology run by renowned effects expert Eugen Schufftan. The major technique used in the film is named after Schufftan. It uses a mirror placed at a certain angle in conjunction with miniature set models. When the actors stand at the correct distance, they appear to be much smaller than the set but are in a correct place. This is how the characters could walk around massive cityscapes and through the huge halls of the machine system. For the large city scene without actors, stop motion was used on the miniature sets to give the appearance that the various planes and other vehicles were moving. Because these shots had to be made one at a time, it took 8 days to finish the film for only 10 seconds worth of running time.

The original robot being powered up, complete with visual
electricity and floating ring of energy. Marvels of special effects.

The most iconic symbol of this movie is the robot created by Dr. Rotwang, and it is one of the best special effects in the film. A plaster cast was taken of lead actress Bridgette Helm, which was then covered in a thin pieces of wood putty, which was a very recent invention. These small sheets of putty were then shaped almost like plates in a suit of armor, then spray-painted with a mixture of varnish and metallic powder. The resulting costume was stiff, uncomfortable, and eerie. Lang was notoriously cruel to Helm, making her wear the suit for days on end until she was covered in cuts and bruises and ready to faint. To create the iconic scene with the robot coming to life, extensive chemical research was done by the effects crew to get arcs of electricity to be visible on camera. To create the rings of light that appeared around the robot as it was powered up, a silver ball on a string was spun in front of a plain black backdrop. The camera was moved as the ball was shot, causing all motion to blur together into one solid ring of light. Innovation like this led a futuristic movie to be created so long ago, but still be appreciated now.

To make a more popular movie, several themes were made to appeal to one of the largest groups of the general public; Christians. Throughout the film the main symbolism and allegory very much match the ideals of Christianity, which was the largest religious group in the first world at the time. The major symbol was the giant machine tower itself. Like the Tower of Babel in Christianity, the tower was seen as an affront to God and the common people because it was built to be so tall and grand. This drove a rift between the greedy rich men in the tower and the poor workers slaving away to keep it running. When the robot Maria captivated the men of the city, she did so by exploiting their lust and greed. In addition to this scene being a social commentary that lust and greed are both bad vices, this is very similar to the Christian Whore of Babylon. This is the Christian symbol of the coming of the apocalypse and the downfall of civilization, much as it nearly spelled the end of the city in the film.

The huge tower in the middle of Metropolis, rising
above all else

Artist's depiction of the Tower of Babel.
Look familiar?

Just as all seemed lost, Maria appeared as a savior to her people. When meeting in the caves beneath the great machine, she was always dressed in white amongst a sea of dirty brown worker's smocks. Always bathed in some extra light sources, when all that was in the cave was candles. Maria was truly portrayed as the Messiah of her people, in the same was Jesus was. Finally we have the flood of the city, which cleanses the city of the sins of the workers enslavement.

Between the strong values and the technological marvels, it is no wonder Metropolis is still one of the most appreciated movies of our time.