In the future, the society of Metropolis is divided in two social classes: the workers, who live in the underground below the machines level, and the dominant classes that lives on the surface. The workers are controlled by their leader Maria (Brigitte Helm),who wants to find a mediator between the upper class lords and the workers, since she believes that a heart would be necessary between brains and muscles. Maria meets Freder Fredersen (Gustav Fröhlich),the son of the Lord of Metropolis Johhan Fredersen (Alfred Abel),in a meeting of the workers, and they fall in love for each other. Meanwhile, Johhan decides that the workers are no longer necessary for Metropolis, and uses a robot pretending to be Maria to promote a revolution of the working class and eliminate them.

"Metropolis" is a fantastic futuristic view of the fight of classes. When "Metropolis" was shot, it was a romantic revolutionary period of mankind history, with socialist movements around the world. Fritz Lang directed and wrote the screenplay of this masterpiece certainly inspired in this historical moment and defending a position of agreement and understanding between both sides, showing that they need each other. I wonder how this great director was able to produce such special effects in 1927, with very primitive cameras and equipment. The city of Metropolis is visibly inspired in New York. The performance of Brigitte Helm is stunning in her double role, and this movie is mandatory for any person that says that like cinema as an art. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "Metropolis"

Note: On 05 March 2019, I saw this film again on Blu-Ray.

Fritz Lang's groundbreaking landmark remains one of the biggest mysteries in the world of cinema. How can a movie that'll soon turn 80 years old still look so disturbingly futuristic?? The screenplay by Thea Von Harbou is still very haunting and courageously assails social issues that are of all ages. The world has been divided into two main categories: thinkers & workers! If you belong to the first category, you can lead a life of luxury above ground but if you're a worker, your life isn't worth a penny, and you're doomed to perilous labor underground. The further expansions and intrigues in the screenplay are too astonishing to spoil, so I strongly advise that you check out the film yourself. It's essential viewing, anyway! "Metropolis" is a very demanding film-experience and definitely not always entertaining. But, as it is often the case with silent-cinema classics, the respect and admiration you'll develop during watching it will widely excel the enjoyment-aspect. Fritz' brutal visual style still looks innovative and few directors since were able to re-create a similarly nightmarish composition of horizontal and vertical lines. Many supposedly 'restored' versions have been released over the years (in 1984 and 2002, for example) but the 1926-version is still the finest in my opinion, even though that one already isn't as detailed and punctual as Lang intended it. "Metropolis" perhaps is THE most important and influential movie ever made. "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Star Wars" and "Blade Runner" owe their existence (or at least their power) to it.

I am so happy that I saw this film again recently on Turner Classic Movies. I first saw it many years ago on a cheap public domain videotape and I was not that impressed by the film. The print was of dubious quality and the story itself not overly impressive. BUT, when TCM released a newly restored version, the print was nearly pristine, the new orchestra music was fantastic and actually fit the film and, more importantly, the film was significantly longer--by about 20 minutes! It seems that over the years, so much of this film was cut here and there and the film degraded so much, that anyone watching these inferior versions is strongly recommended to see it again in its better form. Now this better form isn't 100% perfect, as there were a few tiny places where they had to insert stills to complete the scenes (a practice becoming more and more common with restored silent films and even some sound ones like LOST HORIZON).

The story, now that I see it in its original form, isn't really just a sci-fi movie per se--and that is what elevates it to greatness. Instead, it's a wonderful allegory about alienation and modern society. It's talk of unions and revolution was very potent stuff in its day and considering what was going on in Germany at the time, the over-blown sci-fi aspect of the film ignores the struggle between Communism and a Fascism. Superb direction, sets and a grandeur few films of the day can come close to equaling. An absolute must-see.