Metropolis

Film Resources and Review

Sean Patrick Rogers

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Amid a bustling urban landscape, a factory whistle sounds signaling the end of a shift.

Workers, identified easier by number than by name, leave their machines and trudge towards an

elevator to be taken to the urban slums in caves beneath the city. As one elevator descends into

depths of the city, another elevator rises into the factory dropping off fresh workers to tediously

labor the machines. High above the caves and factories are the beautiful skyscrapers where the

city’s creators enjoy theatres, libraries, stadiums, and other comforts of life. German director

Fritz Lang uses this metropolitan wonder to display issues of class, equality, and industrialization

in his 1927 science-fiction classic, Metropolis. This film follows the journey of Freder, the son of

the city’s creator, as he attempts to be the mediator between the working class and the city

planners. Opposed by his father, the city’s scientist, and a robot resembling the working class’s

leader, Freder struggles to bring prosperity to the city. After an uprising of the working class

threatens to destroy the city, Freder has the opportunity to unite the city and heal the bitter class

resentment that fueled chaos and destruction. Freder manages to join the hands of his father and

a machine worker, ending the uprising and restoring peace and stability to the city.

Fritz Lang’s wife, Thea von Harbou, wrote the novel and screenplay for Metropolis while

living in the Weimar Republic. Taking over a year to film and nearly bankrupting the film studio

UFA in the process, Lang released the film on January 10th, 1927 (IMDb). Metropolis ended up

being a 210-minute, black and white, silent film that was unlike anything most audiences had

ever seen. The film featured lead actors that had never starred in previous films and the film’s

science fiction themes were new to cinema at the time. Despite the films ambitious set designs,

unique soundtrack, and visionary special effects, the film received mixed reviews upon opening.

H.G. Wells wrote a scathing review in a New York Times article criticizing the film and

referring to Metropolis as “the silliest film” (Wells, 1927). Other critics such as New York
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Times’ Mordaunt Hall called the film “a technical marvel” as well as “a remarkable

achievement” in the world of cinema (Hall, 1927). The film also received praise from Adolf

Hitler and Joseph Goebbels even though the film’s director, Fritz Lang, was Jewish (IMDb).

Shortly after the films premiere, the film was edited to a more manageable running time. After

more than an hour of the film was cut out, the film was circulated worldwide. The hour of film

that was edited out for the abridged version was presumed destroyed, losing valuable subplots

and leaving viewers with only a fraction of Lang’s original masterpiece.

For the next eighty years, audiences enjoyed the abridged viewing of Lang’s iconic film

from the silent era. While viewers marveled at the film’s ambitious scope, film historians and

archivists searched for a copy of Lang’s original version. It was not until the 21st century that an

unabridged copy of Metropolis surfaced. In 2008, a full-length copy of the film was found in the

Museo del Cine in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Rother, 2010). Using modern technology, this

film’s reels were restored, allowing viewers to experience the film in the original format that film

studios thought was too lofty and dense for most audiences. The previously lost footage showed

audiences whole subplots that helped illuminate the important rolls of characters that were

previously assumed to have only minor parts in the story. The full version also included a series

of close up shots that help establish important reactions and emotions that are critical in silent

films (Rother, 2010). After the release of the restored original version, 21st century audiences

were able to appreciate the films beauty in a way that hadn’t been done since shortly after the

film’s premiere in Berlin. Roger Ebert gave the restored version of the film four out of four stars

referring to Metropolis as a “mistreated masterpiece” (Ebert, 2010). The film currently has a

99% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes with a critical consensus that calls Metropolis

“a visually awe-inspiring science fiction classic from the silent era” (Rotten Tomatoes).
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Despite the film’s science fiction premise, Metropolis has a lot to offer for social studies

educators. In Coventry High School’s World Understanding course, students have the

opportunity to explore world history from a global perspective in order to analyze and evaluate

how cultural, social, economic, and technological changes have shaped the world today. In the

course’s upcoming unit on the Industrial Revolution, students explore not only the momentous

technological innovations that sparked industrialization but also the experiences of different

social classes during urbanization. In this two-week unit, students are challenged to simulate

various social classes and consider how their experiences differ from other social classes during

this time period. Analysis of social class and inequality often go unaddressed in social studies

textbooks despite the liberating and empowering effect that this content has on students. Social

studies educators further avoid discussing this important issue out of fear that students will

realize the “injustices and inadequacies of their economic and political institutions” (Loewen,

1995). Although textbooks and teachers may avoid the sensitive issue of class, Fritz Lang makes

social class the centerpiece of his fictional film. Metropolis portrays themes of industrialization,

capitalism, labor rights, and classism, which are all concepts discussed throughout the unit. This

film can act as a powerful and entertaining historical resource that students can evaluate as they

learn about the varying perspectives of classes in an industrialized society. Film, more so than

other sources employed in social studies classrooms, has the ability to create powerful

discussions over controversial issues in the past and the present (Marcus, 2010). Metropolis

provides teachers with a fictional source that can engage student learning and spark powerful

discussion about historical and contemporary issues of class and equality in a secure

environment. The incorporation of Metropolis into the course’s unit on the Industrial Revolution
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will give students a valuable resource to evaluate while learning about industrialization and the

effects it has on various social classes.

Metropolis can serve as a powerful secondary source for social studies classrooms

learning about industrialization. Although the content of the film is entirely fictional and the

characters, setting, and events are not directly based off of history, Metropolis clearly addresses

the conflicts between social classes that arise from mass industrialization and urbanization.

Viewed after a close reading of Communist Manifesto, this film can help viewers visualize an

exaggerated version of the binary society that Marx and Engels describe. The bourgeoisie of the

film, “for whom every revolution of a mechanical wheel meant gold,” are clearly shown

controlling the means of production from the city’s beautiful skyscrapers (Lang, “Metropolis”).

Meanwhile the proletarians reside in slums underground. Ideas from Marx’s pamphlet seem

almost directly mirrored in parts of Lang’s film. Marx describes how “the work of the proletarian

has lost all individual character” due to “the extensive use of machines” (Marx & Engels, 1848).

Metropolis epitomizes this idea as the uniform machine workers lack any unique qualities or

characteristics. The climax of the film even reflects a violent revolution similar to the one Marx

prophesizes in his writings. Rallying to a call of “death to the machines,” workers turn against

their capitalist employers and tear apart the machines that have practically enslaved them (Lang,

“Metropolis”). Although the film is fictional, Metropolis can be a helpful source that allows

students to clearly visualize the stratified classes that Marx and Engels discuss in The Communist

Manifesto. By having students draw comparisons between these two sources, student

understanding of communism and class struggle can be reinforced through a visual medium.

The film also provides students with a variety of perspectives on industrialization.

During the film, students can take part in a “perspective shadow” where they focus on the
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perspectives of different social classes throughout the film. By focusing on the perspective of a

specific social class, students can understand how industrialization affected their class and

determine what their class’s fears and hopes were. After viewing the film, students can form

groups with other students who covered other perspectives and discuss the ways in which

different social classes were affected by industrialization.

The movie’s setting also provides teachers with the unique opportunity to connect the

ideas of industry and class presented in the film to the modern day. The events in Metropolis are

set in the year 2026. With this once so distant date quickly approaching, teachers can have

students compare and contrast the world of Metropolis to the world of today. Here, Metropolis

can become an important teaching tool that allows students to make connections to the present

and question how accurate Lang’s portrayal of our era is. Used this way, this film can foster

important debate about inequality and class in the world around us today.

Although the film works as a great secondary source for units concerning the Industrial

Revolution, Metropolis can also function as a primary source document reflecting the attitudes

and emotions present in Germany following the First World War. Living in the Weimar

Republic, Thea von Harbou reflects the anxieties felt by Germans while living through this

period of political and social instability. She became an early member of the Nazi party despite

her husband’s disapproval in the 1920s. Upon the film’s release, Hitler and Goebbels offered

Lang and his wife positions in the Nazi film industry. Lang, being Jewish and against the Nazi

party, divorced his wife and fled to the United States as Hitler took power (Boland, 2010).

Harbou however stayed in Germany and helped create Nazi propaganda during the regime.

Understanding Habrou’s political ideas can help viewers analyze the political messages of the

film and understand the perspective of a member of the Nazi party living through the interwar
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period. Writing just a decade after the Bolshevik Revolution, Harbou reflects her distaste for

communism throughout the film. The working class uprising depicted in the film’s climax is

shown to be nothing more than a destructive outburst that threatens to level the city and drown

the innocent children. Capitalism is also shown to be an undesirable system as its

implementation fosters class contention and rampant consumerism among the upper class.

Knowing the writer’s political ideas can also help students decipher the ending of the film. After

the heroic Freder unites the hands of his father and an average worker, a title card ends the film

stating, “The mediator between head and hands must be the heart” (Lang, “Metropolis”). The

film proposes that neither “the head,” representing capitalism, nor “the hands,” representing

communism, are beneficial systems for society. Instead, a new entity, “the heart,” represented by

Freder, must arise to quell the chaos and bring stability. Students can discuss parallels between

the films ending and the rise of the Nazis. The Weimar Republic, much like city in Metropolis,

was suffering from political and social instability following the First World War. In the film, it is

Freder that fills the vacuum of power in the city and restores the city by brings prosperity to all

social classes. In the Weimar Republic, the Nazi Party led by Adolph Hitler, promised to reverse

the deterioration of the German state and help the restore stability. The parallels between the

instability of the Weimar Republic and city in Metropolis can provide students with interesting

class discussion that analyzes Habrou’s views about the Weimar Republic and what she believed

was needed in order to fix Germany. This film can serve as a powerful primary source document

that allows viewers to analyze the anxieties, fears, and hopes of a member of the Nazi party

living through a Germany’s unpredictable and unstable interwar years.

Metropolis can be a valuable teaching resource for any secondary social studies educator.

When covering the Industrial Revolution, this film can be an engaging secondary source that
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allows students to visualize Marxist ideas, analyze various perspectives on industrialization, and

discuss contemporary issues regarding class struggle and inequality. When covering interwar

Europe, Metropolis can be an impactful primary source that allows students to interpret the

anxieties and discontent within the Weimar Republic from the perspective of a member of the

Nazi party. Some educators may be deterred from using this film due to its age. Black and white

silent films have the potential to feel like “artifact[s] from a previous generation” that “no longer

feels a part of youth culture” (Marcus, 2010). However, Metropolis has aged well and still has

the potential to astonish contemporary audiences. After restoration in 2008, the film looks

surprisingly crisp for a film almost nine decades old. Various alternative scores have been

written to accompany the film, which helps make the silent film more appealing to modern

audiences. Pop, rock, or techno influenced scored versions of the film exist for teachers who feel

like the film’s original score needs an update to fit their classrooms (IMDb). The film’s length

can also be intimating to social studies educators looking to use classroom time for viewing.

Depending on the educator’s purpose of viewing, Metropolis can easily be viewed in segments

that allow the teacher to meet the lesson’s objectives while circumventing unnecessary scenes.

Unfortunately, due to the film’s age and the science fiction themes, educational resources for

viewing this film in social studies classrooms are scarce. Despite the absence of resources

currently available to educators, guiding questions and viewing activities can easily help direct

student learning and encourage active investigation of the film as a primary or secondary source.

By placing the film in historical context and providing students with pre-view, during-view, and

post visit activities, social studies educators can easily turn Fritz Lang’s Metropolis into a vital

historical resource that fosters students’ learning and engagement with not only the past, but also

the world around them.

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Bibliography

Bolland, W. K. (2010). Hitler's Use of Film in Germany, Leading up to and During World War
II. Inquiries Journal, 2(3). Retrieved from
http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/206/2/hitlers-use-of-film-in-germany-leading-
up-to-and-during-world-war-ii

Ebert, R. (2010, June 2). Metropolis. Retrieved November 8, 2016, from

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-metropolis-2010-restoration-1927

Hall, M. (1927, March 7). A Technical Marvel. The New York Times. Retrieved November 8,
2016, from
http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A05E2D8143BE13ABC4F53DFB566838C

Lang, F. (Director). & Harbrou, T.V. (Writer). (1927, January 10). Metropolis [Video file].
Retrieved November 8, 2016.

Loewen, J.W. (1995). Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook
Got Wrong. New York: The New Press.

Marcus, A.S., Metzger, S. A., Paxton, R.J., & Stoddard, J.D. (2010). Teaching History with
Film: Strategies for Secondary Social Studies. New York, NY: Routledge.

Marx, K & Engels, F. (1848). The Communist Manifesto. Germany.

Metropolis (1927). (n.d.). Retrieved November 08, 2016, from

http:www.imdb.com/title/tt0017136/

Metropolis (1927). (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2016, from

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1013775-metropolis

Rother, L. (2010, May 5). Footage Restored to Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” The New York Times.
Retrieved November 8, 2016 from
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/movies/05metropolis.html

Wells, H.G. (1927, April 17) Mr. Wells Reviews a “Current” Film. Lapham’s Quarterly.
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Appendix

Name:____________________
World Understanding: The Industrial Revolution
Perspective Shadow

Metropolis

Perspective #1- “The Head”: Joh Fredersen and the Sons Club

Perspective#2- “The Hands”: Maria, the machine workers, children

Perspective #3- “The Heart”: Freder

Where does your group live in the city? What is life like there?

What is your group’s roll in the city? What do they do? How is that role portrayed?
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How does your group’s view the other groups? How do you know?

What is your group’s goal? What are they working for?

Who in our modern society reminds you of your group? How are they similar? How are they

different?
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Name:_______________________

World Understanding: The Industrial Revolution

Past/Present Connections

Metropolis

The world portrayed in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis is set in the year 2026. How accurate is Lang’s
portrayal of our times? While watching the film, consider the film’s portrayal of industry,
urbanization, and social class. In what ways is our world today like or unlike the world of
Metropolis? Be prepared to share your thoughts after the film.

Similarities Differences
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Name:____________________

World Understanding: The Industrial Revolution

Visualizing Marxism

Metropolis

Read through the selected excerpts from Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel’s The Communist
Manifesto. While watching Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, write down specific scenes from the movie
that you believe reflect the text and its message. How are Marx’s criticisms of industrialization
reflected in this science fiction film?
Excerpts from The Communist Manifesto Scenes from Metropolis

“Owing to the extensive use of

machinery, and to the division of
labour, the work of the proletarians
has lost all individual character, and,
consequently, all charm for the
workman.”

“[The proletarian] becomes an

appendage of the machine, and it is
only the most simple, most
monotonous, and most easily
acquired knack, that is required of
him.”
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“The bourgeoisie has torn away

from the family its sentimental veil,
and has reduced the family relation
to a mere money relation.”

“[The bourgeoisie] have

agglomerated population,
centralized the means of production,
and has concentrated property in a
few hands.”

“Modern Industry has converted the

little workshop of the patriarchal
master into the great factory of the
industrial capitalist. Masses of
labourers, crowded into the factory,
are organised like soldiers.”

“Of all the classes that stand face to

face with the bourgeoisie today, the
proletariat alone is a really
revolutionary class.”
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Name:___________________
World Understanding: Interwar Europe
German Art in the Weimar Republic

Metropolis

What can you infer about Thea von Harbou’s views on communism from this film? How can you
tell?

What can you infer about Thea von Harbou’s views on capitalism from this film? How can you
tell?
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What does Thea von Harbou suggest that the city needs in order for stability and prosperity to be
restored?

How does the plot of the film remind you of the Weimar Republic? What can you infer about
Thea Von Harbou’s views on life in interwar Germany?