A Masterpiece in Science Fiction: Fritz Lang's "Metropolis"

Throughout early film history, a dominant creative movement was evident coming out of Western Europe, which later became known as German Expressionism. One of the leading contributors to the movement was the cinema. Early expressionist films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) and Nosferatu (1922) helped promote silent film in Germany and rivaled Hollywood in symbolism and style. Both of the aforementioned films permeated with themes such  as anti-realism. While the sometimes extreme anti-realism was short lived, certain aspects of expressionism remained throughout the decade. The plots and stories of these later Expressionist films often depicted madness, insanity, betrayal along with many other intellectually based and mature topics. Gone were the action, adventure and romance films; make way for the new genres of science-fiction, horror and film noir!

Fritz Lang's science fiction masterpiece Metropolis not only set the standard for filmmakers in the years that followed, but it also paved the way for other horror and science-fiction adaptations both in Europe and the United States. In the years following Metropolis in 1927, film adaptions of Dracula and Frankenstein were released, both capitalizing on the horror/science fiction "gimmick."

Okay... enough with the history lesson. Let's take a closer look at Metropolis:

One of the standout features of Metropolis is the range of elaborate set designs and special effects. In an interview while promoting the film, Fritz Lang said that "the film was born from my first sight of the skyscrapers in New York in October 1924." This translated directly into the film: the size, scope and scale of the city buildings give you a sense of wonder, leaving you in shock and awe. 

Working with Lang on the project was special effects expert Eugen Schüfftan. Schüfftan developed many pioneering visual effects for Metropolis. Among the effects used are miniatures to recreate the city, a camera on a swing and most notably the use of mirrors to create the illusion that actors are occupying miniature sets. The new technique now known as (get this!) the Schüfftan process was used multiple times including in Alfred Hitchcock's film Blackmail (1929). Another visual effect, and probably the most important to the film's plot is the creation of  the Maschinenmensch (say that five times fast) or "the machine-human" sculpted by artist Walter Schulze-Mittendorf. 

The Schüfftan Process

Without Metropolis, where would we be? Considered the best silent film of the era and a key starting point of the science fiction genre, Metropolis gave writers, directors, visual pioneers and viewers a reason to think outside of the box. Not only that, but it also influenced filmmakers for years to come. Star Wars creator/director George Lucas gave the smart and witty droid C-3PO a close resemblance to Maria's robot counterpart:

Maschinenmensch Maria and Lucas' C-3PO

Lucas also went on to say that as a film student, Metropolis was his favorite film. Architectural influences from Metropolis can also be seen in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. Hell, could we even have any of the modern science fiction television shows or movies without the existence of the classic film, Metropolis? I'll give you the short answer:

Nope.