Brigitte Helm
Maria/The Robot (AKA Futura)
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Metropolis is a 1927 German expressionist science-fiction silent film directed by Fritz Lang and written by Thea von Harbou in collaboration with Lang from von Harbou's 1925 novel of the same name (which was intentionally written as a treatment). It stars Gustav Fröhlich, Alfred Abel, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, and Brigitte Helm.
- Brigitte Helm
Brigitte Helm (born Brigitte Gisela Eva Schittenhelm, 17...
- 2001 Film
Production. Osamu Tezuka had originally derived inspiration...
- Maschinenmensch
The Maschinenmensch (literally 'machine-human' in German) is...
- Heinrich George
He appeared in Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) and Dreyfus...
- Theodor Loos
Theodor August Konrad Loos (18 May 1883 – 27 June 1954) was...
- Parufamet
Fritz Lang's Metropolis cinematic visions of technology and...
- Schüfftan Process
The Schüfftan process is a special effect in filmmaking...
- Science-Fiction
Science fiction (or sci-fi or SF) is a film genre that uses...
- Karl Freund
Karl W. Freund, A.S.C. (German:; January 16, 1890 – May 3,...
- Brigitte Helm
Metropolis: Directed by Fritz Lang. With Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Fritz Rasp. In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.
- (186K)
- Drama, Sci-Fi
- Fritz Lang
- 1927-03-13
- Overview
- Production notes and credits
- Cast
Metropolis, German silent film, released in 1927, featuring director Fritz Lang’s vision of a grim futuristic society and containing some of the most impressive images in film history.
(Read Lillian Gish’s 1929 Britannica essay on silent film.)
Britannica Quiz
Pop Culture Quiz
The great future city of Metropolis in the film is inhabited by two distinct classes: the industrialists live off the fat of the land, supported by the workers who live under the city and endure a bare-bones existence of backbreaking work. The story concerns a forbidden love between Freder (played by Gustav Fröhlich), a young man from the industrialist class, and Maria (Brigitte Helm), an activist who preaches against the divide between the two classes. The subterfuge and deceit involving a robot duplicate of Maria culminate in a revolution that quickly spells disaster for all involved.
Despite advances in filmmaking technology, no other film has surpassed Metropolis in terms of its impact on production design. Its influence can be seen in many subsequent science fiction films, including Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) and Terry Gilliam’s Brazil (1985). Lang’s eye for magnificent set pieces and special effects resulted in memorable images, notably the immense skyscrapers that dominate the skyline of Metropolis and the scenes in which the robot takes on Maria’s features.
•Studio: Universum Film AG (UFA)
•Director: Fritz Lang
•Producer: Erich Pommer
•Writers: Fritz Lang and Thea von Harbou
•Brigitte Helm (Maria/The Robot)
•Gustav Fröhlich (Freder)
•Alfred Abel (Joh Fredersen)
•Rudolf Klein-Rogge (Rotwang)
- Lee Pfeiffer
Apr 23, 2024 · Fritz Lang, Austrian-born American motion-picture director whose films, dealing with fate and people’s inevitable working out of their destinies, are considered masterpieces of visual composition and expressionistic suspense. His most notable movies included Metropolis (1927), M (1931), and The Big Heat (1953).
- Michael Barson
Lang's most celebrated films include the groundbreaking futuristic science-fiction film Metropolis (1927) and the influential M (1931), a film noir precursor.
Mar 28, 1998 · According to Patrick McGilligan's book Fritz Lang: The Nature of the Beast, the extras were hurled into violent mob scenes, made to stand for hours in cold water and handled more like props than human beings. The heroine was made to jump from high places, and when she was burned at a stake, Lang used real flames.
In the pioneering science fiction feature film, Metropolis tells the story of man and machines living alongside one another, whether one rules the other or enslaves the other no one can truly know for sure: unless you live in the privileged The Tower of Babel.
