Eng Ext1 - Metropolis PDF

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Eng Ext1 - Metropolis...

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METROPOLIS FRITZ LANG, 1927 “Fritz Lang’s Metropolis was created at a time of extreme social and political upheaval in Germany, with the Industrial Revolution and aftermath of WWI

CONTEXT -

Germany post WW1 Industrial Revolution

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION -

Juxtaposition between the workers down below and the ‘eternal garden’ How does this end? Lang proposes a middle way between Capitalism and Communism (democratic socialism) - Machines are used as a way to control the workers, effectively alienating them. QUOTE/TECHNIQUE EFFECT Opening scene Introduces the social inequality and classist - Workers in monotonous lines society - Heads bowed Contrasts with ‘metropolis’ and all the open - Removed individuality (numbers) space ‘workers city’

‘down below…where they belong’ ‘head and hands’ Motif

The prevalence and increased need for machines is shown through the workers Separates the working class Frederson talking about the workers Class structure and social inequality Freder and Maria connecting all levels of society

TECHNOLOGY vs HUMANITY -

Industrial revolution and increase in machinery/technology being used People are fearful and apprehensive, which is reflected in the setting (workers city) and depiction of machinery - Humanity (the workers) are enslaved to technology - Moloch (demon machine) o Returns to order through human sacrifice QUOTE/TECHNIQUE EFFECT 10 hours clock Showing the workers being slaves to machines Motif Freder struggling with the clock showing the struggle is universal Flood of workers city Lang’s idea of the future of humanity. Biblical allusion ‘without the machines you will die!’ Warning of the reliance that humanity will/has developed regarding technology

REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN -

Rise of the suffragettes and first wave feminism reflected in the female characters Madonna/Whore complex o Polarisation of representation o Madonna = Maria (Mary – Jesus’s mother) and the Eternal Garden and her with the kids o Whore = Robo-Maria. Dancing scene where she entrances the men QUOTE/TECHNIQUE EFFECT Halo of light - Maria Madonna/whore complex Maria vs Robo-Maria Juxtaposition Madonna/whore complex Feme-fatale shows power of gender and sexuality ‘these are your brothers’ Maria’s characters, standing for class equality Montage of Eyes Emphasising societies view of women at the ‘Whore of Babylon’ time....