Today’s quick review: Metropolis. Freder (Gustav Frohlich) lives in Metropolis, a towering utopia where the wealthy lead lives of leisure. But an encounter with Maria (Brigitte Helm), a kindly working-class woman, shows him another side to the city: a cruel underground city where workers toil at the machines that power Metropolis. As Freder searches for a way to help the workers, his father Joh (Alfred Abel), master of Metropolis, plots to stop him.
Metropolis is a science fiction movie about a gleaming futuristic city and its darker side. One of the earliest large-scale sci-fi movies, Metropolis boasts impressive special effects, simple yet effective storytelling, and iconic imagery. The movie shows the stratification of industrialist society writ large. But as clear an allegory as it is, its broad brushstrokes, sci-fi setting, and message of peace give it an identity of its own.
Even colorized and given a modern soundtrack, Metropolis still shows its age. It has all the hallmarks of a silent film: sparse dialogue, grainy visuals, peculiar makeup, exaggerated body language, and jerky movements. But once the viewer gets used to the medium, the film begins to shine. Metropolis is a visual feat that stands the test of time, replete with enormous sets, innovative practical effects, and camera techniques that make its world come alive.
The story is a class struggle with a few twists. Maria is a spiritual leader for the workers, preaching a message of hope and understanding that Freder comes to champion. Fearing upheaval, Joh enlists the inventor C.A. Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) to construct a robotic doppelganger of Maria to control the workers. But when the doppelganger goes rogue, whipping the workers into a frenzy, it falls to Freder to restore peace.
Each leg of the plot is simple in premise and straightforward in execution, but taken together they make for an elaborate story with surprising nuance. The coarse emotional threads of the movie come across clearly: Freder’s love for Maria, Maria’s golden ideals, and the sheer horror of the doppelganger. But subtler points come across just as well. Joh is a severe man but not a monster, while the downtrodden workers are capable of their own evil.
Metropolis is well worth a watch for any science fiction fan or fan of classic cinema. Its iconic imagery and pioneering special effects give it a firm place in movie history, while its story and craftsmanship hold up to this day. But be warned that the movie is an investment. Those willing to bridge the gap in time and moviemaking technique will be treated to a true classic. Those who can’t bridge the gap will find it dated and tough to follow.
As one final note, these remarks apply to the 1984 re-release of Metropolis by Giorgio Moroder. This edition of the film has been restored, partially colorized, outfitted with subtitles, and set to a contemporary soundtrack of synth music and 80s rock. This cut is significantly shorter than the original release, clocking in at 80 minutes compared to the original’s 153 minutes and the 123 minutes of the later 2002 release.
8.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 to 8.0 for iconic visuals and effective storytelling.