"Metropolis" is a visually stunning and aurally stimulating film made by Fritz Lang in 1927, and Madstone Theater is bringing it back in special showings.
It is a silent film, with the exception of the beautiful orchestrations that are present throughout. The dialogue appears sparingly and in a highly stylized font as text on black screens.
"Metropolis" tells the story of a mechanical city of the future, built by Joh Fredersen, a seeming genius-businessman/engi-neer/architect. Joh has set up the city of the future to be a perfect utopia, but like all paradises, this one has come at a price.
The people who built the city, known simply as the workers, are identified by numbers. They don't live in the magnificent creation, but underneath the city far from the light and the stars.
From the very first scene, it is obvious that not only have films been influenced by "Metropolis," many have directly stolen from it.
The first image of the workers trudging back and forth between work and the city seems to come straight from Pink Floyd's "The Wall," if not for the fact that "Metropolis" was made about 50 years before.
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Also, the ultimate story behind "Metropolis" is the proletariats rising up against their bonds. Struggling for freedom is a story that has been retold in countless different variations, ranging from the very stylized "Matrix" to the grassroots effort of "Roots."
As mentioned above the most impressive things about this film are the sound and the visual effects, which continue to stun audiences even in this computer age. At times in the film, I was forced to look at the screen and genuinely wonder "How did they do that in 1927?"
And while the effects are truly mind-blowing at times, the score achieves the grand distinction of being one of the most interesting aspects of this film.
Taking into account that "Metropolis" is a silent film, it relies on the cast's facial skills to connote emotion. Not having tone of voice available to relay the urgency of certain scenes, the orchestral sounds that back-up the entire film are breathtaking.
Superior editing makes it nearly impossible to avoid getting involved in a scene. This kind of build-up is a technique that Alfred Hitchcock later mastered in the United States -- turning violin strings into a cue that instantly puts the watcher in a state of anxiety.
Hitchcock, though, is outdone by his predecessor. This is in part because Lang had nothing else to work with. Such sparseness proves the maxim "less is more."
The story of "Metropolis," is far from being the most important aspect of the movie. The groundbreaking aspects of the story were probably huge in 1927, but in the 21st century, we have been told and retold these same stories. Instead, "Metropolis" is important in that it was one of the first films of its kind, and because of its stunning visual and audio effects.
"Metropolis" opens this Friday at Madstone Theaters at 6711 San Mateo Blvd. NE. Call the theater at 872-4000 for show times.
