As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead!
You can watch Metropolis (1927) here or here:
For full shownotes visit the watch page for this episode on the website: https://www.everyscififilm.com/watch
Description
After losing World War I Germany entered a time of economic hardship and political turmoil. In 1918 the Monarchy abdicated. The country was financially crippled by the reparations enforced by The Treaty of Versailles and German democracy began.
From 1918 until Hitler came to power in 1933 is known as the Weimar period. A time of political upheaval and artistic creativity. German Art and Cinema were thriving while the left and right were wrangling for control of the country.
In 1927 Fritz Lang made what is to this day considered one of the greatest films of all time. It is based on a story by Thea Von Harbou, his wife at the time, who went on to collaborate with Nazi Party on multiple films.
The ongoing influence of Metropolis on film is immense. Films like Blade Runner, Fifth Element, Frankenstein, Batman, and more recently Poor Things have all been influenced by it. And yet, the film itself was not a hit.
Luckily we have two luminary experts to help us understand the film, the society it came from and the themes it portrays.
The experts
Sonja Fritzsche is a professor of German Studies and an author/editor for many books about science fiction. She has taught courses on science fiction, utopia and Metropolis.
Noah Isenberg is a film historian and best-selling author. He is a professor at the University of Texas and editor of the book Weimar Cinema: An Essential Guide to Classic Films of the Era.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction, shownotes clarification and guests
02:30 Weimar: economics, Hitler and creative legacy
11:05 Fritz Lang
15:00 Thea Von Harbou
18:41 Lang's Jewish heritage and Harbou's Nazism
21:05 The rediscovery of missing Metropolis reels
22:05 Lang's visual virtuosity
26:05 Fear of the future and the three faces of Utopia
27:50 The virgin, the whore and the workers unions
31:41 Critical reception Vs visual spectacle
35:32 Religious themes
37:37 The Nazi connection
45:23 Lang's future: M, Woman in the Moon, Film Noir
48:25 Is Metropolis the most influential sci-fi film of all time?
50:36 Conclusions and recommendations
NEXT EPISODE!
We will be looking at Frankenstein and speaking about monsters and their role in storytelling and science fiction. You can watch Frankenstein (1931) here.
Or check Just Watch for where it is available.
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