Currently Watching: Metropolis

I have mixed feelings about this 1927 silent film.

It starts with not having watched any silent films before Metropolis. There are some of you who are shocked... some who don't see the point of silent films at all. But this film has, apparently, inspired generations of film makers. But not having grown up watching silent films, I had a hard time following the plot, especially given how few dialogue cards were in the film. Much of the weight of the emotion of the film rests on the overly-stylized acting and guessing on my part.

An additional hinderance is that between the Berlin premiere and the US premiere, the film was heavily re-edited and when it was shown in America, the score and film speed were confused, so that much of the film was disjointed. Truly, the pacing of the music and the plot did not seem to go together. There are at least two major plot points that have been missing time out of mind, though were potentially rediscovered in recent years; this does not help one to follow the plot.

However, here is what cannot be denied: there is something absolutely terrifying about the robot, which is in fact inhabited by Brigitte Helm rather than by a stunt double. This seems to be a brilliant move, in so far as it lends physical credibility to Helm's portrayal of her character's robot replacement. The set designs are breathtaking, both in their scale and scope; but they are also remarkable in that the feel and style of the design was familiar to the 1927 audience, likely making the film feel more realistic and possible... always necessary when you are aiming for a willing suspension of disbelief. And that part with Death dancing in the cathedral is just freakishly funny.

As to the plot. Even with the missing scenes, the feel of 1920's Germany and it's "everyone plays their part" fascism is up front and we see why this has been said to be one of Hitler's favorite films. Freder is the privileged son of the man who seems to run the city and it's underground city of workers (doing what, I don't know, but it's deadly and dangerous). At the beginning of the film we see Freder galavanting with others of his social class in a large garden. Their revelries are interrupted by Maria, a young worker, who brings the children of the underground workers to see how the "other half lives" - or perhaps, to show the other half what they are doing to these children? Freder is entranced by Maria and follows her down to the worker's city and discovers the toils of the working class.

Long story short: Freder takes up the cause of the workers, while his father's henchman-inventor, Rotwang, transforms his robot creation into the image of Maria and transforms her message of peace into a message of violence and revolt against the thinking class. Freder uncovers this plot and seeks to save Maria and the workers... he is Maria's expected mediator between the hand (the workers) and the heart (the thinkers). Freder and Maria save the children of the workers after the workers had abandoned them in a spree of rioting and burning the robot Maria at the stake; the two gain the trust of both classes, and Freder unites his father and the foreman in a handshake.

There is a great deal about which I do not know, facism and film making being two of those things. But in terms of storytelling, it is obvious that Freder is a Christ-figure... at least, a semi-Christ figure. He seeks to bring reconciliation between two very different kinds of people. Whether he brings good to those people is questionable. I don't think it is ever really spelled out what Maria or Freder want for the workers... one wonders, what is the purpose of their plight? What are they bringing to those weary, underground workers? What change will happen in their life? Is it really for their good?