Having studied two texts in various forms, explore how a texts form influences the message and

values it presents.

Messages can be brought out in various forms and can influence the social body. This can then
further present values and ideas which can then change an individuals perception on the society
and the way things are. It is through Orwells didactic novel 1984 (1948) and Lang German
Expression film text Metropolis (1927) that both explore the messages of oppressive power in similar
ways but through different context. We learn through this that both text illustrate the different
societal frames and the ways on surpassing it which can deeply influence universally the society as a
whole in a modern-day context.

The oppressive power can be seen in both Metropolis and 1984 but they illustrate it in different
context. 1984 uses the heavy power of technology to manipulate the social body, this includes the
usage of telescreens as surveillance where your every move and sound where heard. This is
further emphasised by the telescreen power to delicately pick up your own heart beat where the
diction and tonnage of the word delicately allows readers to imagine the simple things can be heard
meaning that the Party-Political Power over the society is immense. This illustrate that technology is
used heavily as a mean of exercising the power on the social class, where the Party has absolute
control over everyone. In Metropolis on the other hand the way oppressive power is gained is
through the infrastructure of the buildings. This is conveyed through the constant biblical imagery
throughout metropolis. Through the usage of symbolism and low angle shot the scene of Rotwangs
laboratory illustrates the Strangeness of the house which is Overlooked by Centuries illustrating
the Darkness within the house as the manipulation of the social body occurs within the very
buildings with the creation of anti-Maria. This can be further displayed with the Moloch machine
where it symbolises the enslavement of the workers and that the machine runs the whole city
illustrating that the slaves run the city. This then can be paralleled to the biblical imagery of the
Tower of Babel where it demonstrates the power structure of the powerful man on top of the steps
in the scene and the slaves at the bottom of the steps which is exactly the same power structure as
Metropolis where the Joh Frederson being on top and the lower working class at the bottom. It can
be seen that both Metropolis and 1984 both illustrate the message of the oppressive power in both
text is devised in different ways but illustrate the same oppressive power.

The nature of the oppressive in both 1984 and Metropolis are however different as they both
convey different messages on the exact oppressive power in each one. In 1984 it can be seen that
the nature of the oppressiveness is at the very pinnacle as the society is kept under constant
surveillance where the outer party is left in a state of confusion to the rewriting of history where
Who controls the past controls the future and who controls the present controls the past. The
Party has enough power to constantly rewrite the history of the society and completely relentlessly
manage to change the societies views on everything, this can be seen where the change of the
dictionary where the shortening of the words helps control the society. Orwell said himself that if
thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought where the conduplicatio of the
words corrupts and language illustrate that the Party Power is almost limitless and is completely
relentless on the society as a whole. This however is dramatically different with Metropolis as the
power is a little subtler as the power that is used to enforce the society does not show. It appears
more lenient and friendlier but can appear more sinister. The hours that are worked in metropolis
are extreme where every shift being 10 hours Fritz Lang idea with the opening scene is to illustrate
the daunting and intimidating imagery of the working-class oppression where the accompaniment of
the non-diegetic sounds of the orchestra further emphasises the dismal and gloomy feeling of the
workers. Furthermore, the Joh Frederson appears cunning as he wants the machine man to be in the
form of the saint Maria so that he can destroy their belief illustrating his progressive power of
wanting and illustrates no remorse towards the lower social class. Therefore, it can be seen that the
nature of the oppressive power in both 1984 and Metropolis are very similar however contrast as it
shows that Frederson representing the capitalist will do anything to stop the workers and the Inner
Party in 1984 controlling everything by strict conduct illustrating the extreme state socialism.

The composers in both 1984 and Metropolis illustrate different resolutions o overcoming the
oppressive nature of power. In 1984, there is no end to the oppressive nature of power as If there is
hope it must lie in the Proles which is what Winston said but then he followed up saying that the
Proles need conscious to rebel but to rebel they need a conscious demonstrating the cyclical,
paradoxical and infinite nature of the partys oppression against the proles where the Proles lacking
intelligence is the main cause meaning that Party has managed to hold against anyone. This can be
further seen as OBrien speaks to Winston about the future and demonstrates that the social body
can constantly be boot stamped on where the motif of the boot represents military strength and
the face of the individuals identity. This truly emphasis the true extent of the Parties Power, Orwell
then suggest that there can only be a socialist revolution to overcome this by using the proles as an
example, but hope appears to be lost in the eyes of Orwell. However, in Metropolis there appears to
be a simple solution on defeating the oppressive power of Joh Frederson, where in the ending the
epigraph talking about The mediator between the head and the hands must be the heart exhibits
the war between the social classes as the head represents the highest power being Joh Frederson
and the hands are the working class meaning that for the classes to work together they must be able
to cooperate with each other with the heart which is an ambassador or an advisor who is Freder.
This is further analysed by a close up of Freder holding his father hand and Grots hand and allowing
them to shake together demonstrating the importance of Fritz Lang Idea of peace and diplomatic
approach towards the Oppressive power as positive music and bright light play in the background.
As a result, it can be seen by the context of both 1984 and Metropolis that the messages diverge in
to different potential resolutions of winning against the oppressive power.

Both text strongly explore the notion of the oppressive power and its resolutions on beating it. From
this we can both see that through the context of 1984 and the context of Metropolis, it appears to
be certain that Metropolis will lead to 1984 as a result of the constant oppressive power in
Metropolis the human nature would be to keep on constantly controlling people which would then
lead to the state socialism of 1984. From this it is learnt that the best way to overcome the
demanding of power is to become diplomatic in a capitalist society but as time goes on then a
Orwells socialist revolution would be needed.