Metropolis (1927)

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A ground-breaking film in technological advances and it can only be applauded for the scale of its creation and the advancements it makes, however being a silent and over-acted film it is difficult for the modern audience to sit through all 2 ½ hours of the film without getting slightly bored.

It is a film that has been made to both portray a political message but also to demonstrate huge technological advances in German cinema. Its latter goal was achieved in such a way that it makes this film an instant must-see for anyone who is studying the progression of technology in cinema. Obviously the nearly 90 year old techniques do not compare to modern CGI effects and this means that the age of the film must be ever present in the minds of the audience.

In its former goal of conveying a message it can be argued that this film has failed. There are strong arguments from both sides that this is either a Communist sympathising film, due to the workers uprising, or a Fascist film, as the workers rebellion fails. From this observers view point it is a cautionary tale for Capitalists, keep the hands happy and healthy otherwise the head will suffer. For a film of 2 and ½ hours one would hope that a clear message could have been gleaned from it but to this day people are still debating somewhat.

The acting often plays second fiddle to the other elements in this film that make it famous. This is probably not done by accident. The acting is over the top, a habit of the silent era as the words are trying to be expressed through their faces and body language, however this makes a lot of scenes comical and ruins some sequences. Brigitte Helm in particular has a very odd way of running away from a pursuer which made the audience chuckle instead of fear for her.

This film is a piece of history and a masterpiece of its age, it is unfortunate that not every element is equally impressive. It is a must watch film to see how cinema has managed to make such huge leaps in the few years that it has been around but it is not a film to curl up to and watch on  a relaxing weekend.