Film Review - Metropolis - MINGONGFilm Review of Metropolis @ mingong.org Metropolis (1927) directed...

6
Film Review of Metropolis @ mingong.org Metropolis (1927) directed by Fritz Lang If I could recommend only one movie to watch, then this is it. No other film encapsulates the crisis of mankind on its evolutionary progress so brilliantly as this oeuvre. It is moreover astonishing how an almost 90 year old piece can be so timely in its message: The mediator between head and hands must be the heart. Fritz Lange was without doubt along with Aldous Huxley, George Orwell and H.G. Wells one of the grand visionaries in the first half of the 20 th century. But why did he turn into such a visionary? Let’s look at the historical context of Metropolis for a moment. 1927 was a year of extraordinary political turmoil, scientific discovery and technological progress, in which all the below events took place: 1 Belgian astrophysicist Georges Lemaitre proposes the Big Bang Theory. Socialists riot in Vienna. A general strike follows acquittal of Nazis for political murder. The first solo transatlantic flight: Charles Lindbergh flies “The Spirit of St. Louis” across the Atlantic nonstop and solo, direct from New York City to Paris. French- born New York Hotel Owner Raymond Orteig offers the $25,000 Orteig Prize for the first successful flight. Six aviators lost their lives in pursuit of the Orteig Prize Prior To Lindbergh. The Holland Tunnel under the Hudson River opens on November 13th 1927, connecting New York City (Manhattan) with Jersey. Tunnel Length approximately 2.55 miles Long. Philo T. Farnsworth demonstrates the first all-electronic television. Fossil remains of "Peking man" (likely about 350,000 to 400,000 years old) are discovered by Davidson Black. Earthquake measuring 8.6 on Richter scale strikes Xining, China killing 200,000; making it one of the ten most deadly earthquakes in history. Chiang Kai-shek, Sun Yat-sen’s successor as leader of the Nationalist Party, launches the White Terror against the Communist Party, beginning of nationwide purge of left-wing activists. Leon Trotsky is expelled from the Communist Party and Josef Stalin takes control. Trotsky was one of the leaders of the Russian October Revolution (1917). Fritz Lang was born 1890 into a bourgeoisie family in Vienna, the capital of the decaying Habsburg Empire, which broke apart in WWI and is by some dubbed as the post- nationalist forerunner to the EU. It’s last decades though, were radiant like a shooting star falling from the sky and detonating on the planet’s surface. Art Nouveau flourished in Vienna as Secession under the guidance of famous names like Gustav Klimt, Otto Wagner and Koloman Moser, in German cities as Jugendstil, proposing a "total" art style, embracing architecture, graphic art, interior design, and most of the decorative arts including as well as the fine arts. Rudolf Steiner founds Anthroposophy, a philosophy, which postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual

Transcript of Film Review - Metropolis - MINGONGFilm Review of Metropolis @ mingong.org Metropolis (1927) directed...

[email protected]

Metropolis(1927)directedbyFritzLangIfIcouldrecommendonlyonemovietowatch,thenthisisit.Nootherfilmencapsulatesthecrisisofmankindonitsevolutionaryprogresssobrilliantlyasthisoeuvre.Itismoreoverastonishinghowanalmost90yearoldpiececanbesotimelyinitsmessage:Themediatorbetweenheadandhandsmustbetheheart.FritzLangewaswithoutdoubtalongwithAldousHuxley,GeorgeOrwellandH.G.Wellsoneofthegrandvisionariesinthefirsthalfofthe20thcentury.Butwhydidheturnintosuchavisionary?Let’slookatthehistoricalcontextofMetropolisforamoment.1927wasayearofextraordinarypoliticalturmoil,scientificdiscoveryandtechnologicalprogress,inwhichallthebeloweventstookplace:1

� BelgianastrophysicistGeorgesLemaitreproposestheBigBangTheory.� SocialistsriotinVienna.AgeneralstrikefollowsacquittalofNazisforpolitical

murder.� Thefirstsolotransatlanticflight:CharlesLindberghflies“TheSpiritofSt.Louis”

acrosstheAtlanticnonstopandsolo,directfromNewYorkCitytoParis.French-bornNewYorkHotelOwnerRaymondOrteigoffersthe$25,000OrteigPrizeforthefirstsuccessfulflight.SixaviatorslosttheirlivesinpursuitoftheOrteigPrizePriorToLindbergh.

� TheHollandTunnelundertheHudsonRiveropensonNovember13th1927,connectingNewYorkCity(Manhattan)withJersey.TunnelLengthapproximately2.55milesLong.

� PhiloT.Farnsworthdemonstratesthefirstall-electronictelevision.� Fossilremainsof"Pekingman"(likelyabout350,000to400,000yearsold)are

discoveredbyDavidsonBlack.� Earthquakemeasuring8.6onRichterscalestrikesXining,Chinakilling200,000;

makingitoneofthetenmostdeadlyearthquakesinhistory.� ChiangKai-shek,SunYat-sen’ssuccessorasleaderoftheNationalistParty,

launchestheWhiteTerroragainsttheCommunistParty,beginningofnationwidepurgeofleft-wingactivists.

� LeonTrotskyisexpelledfromtheCommunistPartyandJosefStalintakescontrol.TrotskywasoneoftheleadersoftheRussianOctoberRevolution(1917).

FritzLangwasborn1890intoabourgeoisiefamilyinVienna,thecapitalofthedecayingHabsburgEmpire,whichbrokeapartinWWIandisbysomedubbedasthepost-nationalistforerunnertotheEU.It’slastdecadesthough,wereradiantlikeashootingstarfallingfromtheskyanddetonatingontheplanet’ssurface.ArtNouveauflourishedinViennaasSecessionundertheguidanceoffamousnameslikeGustavKlimt,OttoWagnerandKolomanMoser,inGermancitiesasJugendstil,proposinga"total"artstyle,embracingarchitecture,graphicart,interiordesign,andmostofthedecorativeartsincludingaswellasthefinearts.RudolfSteinerfoundsAnthroposophy,aphilosophy,whichpostulatestheexistenceofanobjective,intellectuallycomprehensiblespiritual

[email protected]

worldthatisaccessiblebydirectexperiencethroughinnerdevelopment.SigmundFreudpublisheshistreatiesonpsychoanalysis.SatiricKarlKrauswritestheplayTheLastDaysofMankind,inwhichhebrilliantlyrantsagainstwar,theall-corruptingpowerofthemedia,againsttheiniquitiesofmoneyandindustryintheserviceofslaughter,againsteverykindoffoolishandobsessivenationalism,againstthepeddlingofvacuousabsurdity,whetherinreligionorpoliticsofanypersuasion,againstirrationalimperialambitions,againstthemadnessthatsendsmenouttodieinthebeliefthatallthesethingsactuallymeansomething.TheodorHerzlwroteinthetidesofrisingnationalismDerJudenstaat,proposingthestructureandbeliefsofwhatpoliticalZionismwas;hefoundedtheWorldZionistOrganizationinViennaandinitiatedtheFirstZionistCongressinBaselin1897,whicheventuallyledtotheformationoftheStateofIsrael.Technologicalandculturaldevelopmentattheandendofthe19thcenturyinmostEuropeannationscanonlybecomparedtowhatcurrentlyisexperiencedinChina.Viennawasoneoftheepicenters,sharingmuchofitsdynamicswithLondon,ParisandBerlinandonecanonlyunderstandthiseraofmindbogglingprogressifexperiencingitinpersonaorreadingStefanZweig’slastworkTheWorldofYesterday:MemoriesofaEuropean,anautobiography,whichdetailstheconvulsionsofEuropebetweenthe1880iesand1940.AllofEuropeunderwentsweepingchangesonthelabormarketlikeChinadoesduringthelast30years.Countriesareinthegripofurbanization.Millionsofhave-notsleaveserfdom-likelivesinthecountrysidewiththehopeofbetterexistencesincities.Theindustrialrevolution2.0,i.e.electrifiedmachineryboostsproductivity.Massmanufacturingspreadswiththeemergenceoftheautomotiveindustrylikeaglobalfever.AndViennawasattheepicenterofitall.WhenresearchingforthisreviewIranintoabookwrittenbyPrincetonUniversityculturalhistorianCarlE.Schorskein1981,whichistitledFin-de-SiecleVienna:PoliticsandCulture.Ijustwanttoquotehereanotherreader’sreviewtounderlinemytheoryaboutLang:CarlE.SchorskehasaptlychosenViennatoexplorethedevelopmentofthebirthofmodernism.Attheturnofthecentury,Vienna,withitswidelaneRingstrasseandintellectualattractingcaféswasastage;anditisonlyfittingthatpeoplestrodeacrossthisstagewithasenseofpurposeandgraduerwhichinfluencesmuchofwhatwethinkofas"modern"whetheritbeart,musicorthought.FromSchnitzlertoFreudtoKlimt,SchorskeshowshowthestagelikefacadeofViennawasbuiltduringaneraofdecay;anerawheretheempirefounditselfonthebrinkofdestructionandtheindustrialrevolutionhadcleanlyseveredpeoples'tiestotraditionswhichhadgivenlifemeaning.Andtheloamofdecay,awell-springofdesperation,causedthegreatthinkersofViennatosearchforsomethingtoholdontoasonecenturyslippedintothenext.Schorke,withacleanprosestyle,capturesthesearchformeaningacrossanumberofintellectualandculturalmovementsinVienna.ThehistoryofViennaattheturnofthecenturyreadslikethehistoryofmodernthoughtandSchorskedoesaremarkablejobofconvincinghisreadersthat,truly,thedesperationfeltattheendoftheHapsburgempirewasnotmerelyanAustrianphenomena,butaculturalwavewhichsweptacrosstheworldandwhich,onstage,inpsychologyandinart,stillcarriesinitswakethemostcontemporaryofideas.2Langwasbornintotheepicenterofthemostdramaticerasofmankind:empoweredbytechnology,butyetunfittowieldthisnewmight,itloosesit’snewlywonfreedomfromsocialstructuresandthejokeofmanuallabortothedemonsofnationalismandeventuallywar.ThisnegativesentimentaboutmankindhavinglostoutonthechangetoleapintoaneweragivesMetropolisapessimisticatmosphere,whichshouldbeparadigmaticforGermanexpressionism.

[email protected]

Metropolisconveysadystopianfutureofaglamorouscityfortheeliteontheplanet’ssurfaceandaconcentrationcamplikeundergroundworldfortheworkingclassmajorityofmankind.Thephysicalseparationofsocietyinanupperworld,i.e.classandlowerworld,i.e.classisinitselfastrikeofgenius,whichLangprobablyborrowedfromtheEnglishfatherofsciencefiction,H.G.Wells,whoportraysasimilardivisionofsocietyinhis1895novelTheTimeMachine.LangmostcertainlyreadthatnovelinhisyouthandWellsprobablythoughtthatLangstolemuchmorefromhimthanonlythisidea,becausehebashedMetropolisinhis1927reviewwrittenfortheNewYorkTimes.Icouldnothelpbuttoimmediatelyassociatethedivisionofsocietyandtheaccumulationofwealthinthehandsofonlyafewwiththe2013workoftheFrencheconomistThomasPiketty:Capitalinthe21stCentury.Thecentralthesisofthebookisthatinequalityisnotanaccident,butratherafeatureofcapitalism,andcanonlybereversedthroughstateinterventionism.Thebookthusarguesthat,unlesscapitalismisreformed,theverydemocraticorderwillbethreatened.Piketty’shistoricalresearchshowsthatmoderninequalityisreachingagainpre-WWIlevels.Capital’snaturalaccumulationwiththeelites,whichfollowsthesimpleformular(r)evenueoncapital>economic(g)rowth,wasonlydivertedbythetwoworldwars,thegreatdepressionandthepostWWIIsocialistredistributionfrom1930to1975.Pikettypredictsaworldofloweconomicgrowthandextremeinequalityfortheyearstocomeanddismissestheideathatburstsofproductivityresultingfromtechnologicaladvancescanbereliedontoreturnsustainedeconomicgrowth;weshouldnotexpect"amorejustandrationalorder"toarisebasedon"capricesoftechnology,"andreturnoninvestmentcanincreasewhentechnologycanbesubstitutedforpeople.ItseemsthatFritzLangunderstoodthenegativeimpactofpatrimonialcapitalismlongbeforeThomasPiketty,andmoreoversucceededincastingtheseideasintoamasterpieceofart.TheextraordinaryachievementfrommypointofperspectiveisneverthelessthatLangdarestoconnecthiseconomicscritiquewithareligiousargument;somethingaLSEprofessorofeconomicsisperdefinitioneminasecularandwidelyatheistscienceworldnotallowedtodo.HisportrayaloftheundergroundworkinggirlMariaasJesusfortheworkingmasses,wholiketheearlyChristiansconveneinthecatacombsdeepbelowthecityoftheelites,isawonderfulgender-reversedinterpretationoftheSecondGreatCommandment:Lovethyneighborasthyself.

[email protected]

Thediscussionofaloomingdisruptionofthelabormarketthroughnewautomationtechnologiesbecomesrecentlymorefrequent,thereforeitmakessensetoaskwhichtakeMetropolishasonartificialintelligenceanditsimpactonmankind.MartinFordexplainsinhis2015bookRiseoftheRobots–TechnologyandtheThreatofaJoblessFuturethatartificialgeneralintelligence,shortAGI,mightbeachievedinonlyaviewyearsfromnow.Severalcompaniesworkonalgorithms,whichcanprocessbigdataandderivesmartconclusionthereof.IBMoutperformedwithitsdevelopmentsalreadytheworld’sbestchessplayersandJeopardy!contestants.ManymobilephoneusershaveadvancedalgorithmsinstalledontheirdeviceslikeApple’sSirispeechrecognition.ItseemsthereforethatthequestionisnotifAIintelligencecanbedeveloped,butwhenandhowmankindwillencountersingularity.Technologicalsingularitywasfirstdiscussedin1958byStanislawUlam.Itisthehypotheticaleventinwhichanupgradableintelligentagententersa'runawayreaction'ofself-improvementcycles,witheachnewandmoreintelligentgenerationappearingmoreandmorerapidly,causinganintelligenceexplosionandresultinginapowerfulsuper-intelligence,whosecognitiveabilitiescouldbequalitativelyasfarabovehumans,ashumanintelligenceisaboveapeintelligence.ThequestionfromapsychologicalpointofviewisherebyifIQistheonlyfactorthatshouldbetakenintoaccounttobeabletospeakofasuper-intelligence.ModernempiricalstudiesofEQe.g.byDanielGolemanhaveshownthatoftwoexecutiveswithsimilarIQ,theonewithhigherEQclearlyoutperformstheotherinthelongtermmanagementofteamsandorganizations.Ibelieveit’sthereforejustifiedtoaskifgeneralhumanintelligenceisreallysofaraboveapeintelligenceifitmissesthehumandimensionandisreducedtopurelytechnologicalprogressandeconomicproductivity.Awhy?andwhatfor?mustinstantaneouslyarisefromsuchanontologicallysheeruselessevolution.

Lang’sincarnationofdestructivetechnologicalprogressisthemadscientistandengineerRotwang,aprodigywhosemostfundamentalmotivationisinflictingrevengetothemayorofMetropolisforhislostloveHel.Helwasthecenterofanménageàtrois,inwhichRotwangsomehownotonlylostHeltoFredersen,Metropolis’mayor-manager,butalsohisownsanity.Rotwang,obsessedbytheideatoresurrectHelfromthedeadasamachine-mancreatureistiedwithgrieftothepastandhasturnedhiscreativeenergytowardsdestruction.AnoversizedsculptureofHel’sheadlocatedinRotwang’shouseinaroomresemblingatombisinscribedwiththewords:Hel,borntobringmehappinessandbenedictiontoallmankind,losttoJohFredersen.Died,givinglifetoFreder,JohFredersen’sson.ItisneverthelessFredersenwhoturnsRotwang’smachine-mancloneofMariaagainsttheworkersandultimatelyagainstthemachines,whichkeepMetropolisinoperation.Fredersen,asymbolicsuperCEO,incarnatinginvestmentbankerandindustrycaptain,bothpoliticallyaswellaseconomicallyinpowerofthecity,wantstodeprivetheworkingclassfromhope,whichisrepresentedbybrotherhoodpreachingMaria.RotwangandFredersenthereforecaptureMariaandsendamachine-manclonebacktotheworker’sunderworld,whereitpreachesdestructionandhate.Fredersen’sson

[email protected]

FrederwhofallsatthebeginningofthemovieinlovewithMariaeventuallyturnsintothemediatorbetweentheworkingclass,thehands,andhisfather,therulerofsociety.LovetoMariahasinstilledempathyinhisheartandassuchempathyforallofmankind.IbelieveitsfairtosaythatLanghadnoideaofAI.Thethoughtofmachineintelligence,inparticulartechnologicalsingularityisnotapparentinthemovieanditseemsthatalthoughamachineisinstilledwithlife,itactsasman’sservant.FredersenasksRotwangtoinstructthemachine-mantosowtheseedsofdiscordamongsttheworkers,butthereisnoideaofthemachineturningevilonitsownbehalflikeHALinStanleyKubrick’s2001.ItisimportantthoughtonoticethatitdoesnotmatterifthemachineturnsevilandintoamaneatingMoloch;theoutcomeisanywaythesame:manfailsonanindividual,organizationalandregimeleveltocreateameaningfulandconstructiveexistence;andonlyaclosetodisasterexperiencereunitesmankind.Metropolis’mayorJohFredersenshakeshandswiththecity’smainmachineoperatorGrotpersonifyinganagreementbetweentheeliteandtheworkingclass.

ItcanbejustlysaidthatMetropolisdoesnotonlydrawfromanintellectuallystaggeringplot,butalsofromvisualperfection.ThefilmiswithoutdoubtoneofthegreatestpiecesofartworkandonecouldextractmanymoresplendidstillsthanIalreadydidforthisreview.AsoneofthespearsofGermanexpressionism,itblazesthetrailfornationalsocialistpropagandaartincombiningapolitical(andinthecaseofthemovieratherenlightening)messagewithvisualvirtuosity.IhaverunonlyrecentlyinaweirdarticletitledHitlerasArtDirectoraboutJewishAmericandesigncriticStevenHellerandhisfascinationfortheGermanNaziParty’sbrandinganddesignhandbook.Ibelieveit’sagoodguessthattheNazi’sbuilttheirpropagandamachineryonthemeritsoffindesiècleart,BauhausarchitectureandGermanexpressionism.Metropolisitselfisshownasacity,whichinitsentiretycomesfromthesketchboardofaBauhausarchitect,muchresemblingamixtureofBatman’sGothamCityandmodernShanghai.ThereissomuchresemblancewithNaziGermanyinthemovieasIknowitfromhistorylessonsanddocumentariesthatonereallymustaskifNationalSocialismdidnotfeellikesomethingquitenaturaltofollowtheyearsafterWWI.ThePartyingenuouslybuiltontheworkofthemostbrilliantartistswhothemselveswherepushedtowardsnewfrontiersbythesocialandpoliticalturmoilofthelate19thandearly20thcentury.SomescenesofMetropolismademeaskthechickenandeggquestion:whatcamefirst?LangorHitler?Theworker’scityresemblesaconcentrationcamp,Rotwang’slaboratoryisbrandedwithapentagramthatlooksliketheStarofDavid.DidLanganticipatethehorrorsofWWIIordidHilterdrawfromLanginhisgranddesignoftheGermannation?ItisaninterestinghistoricaldetailthatNazipropagandaministerJosephGoebbelsofferedLangthepositionHeadofGermanfilmstudiosUFA.Langdidnotonlyturndownthisoffer,healsodecidedduringthatmeetingwithGoebbelstoleaveGermany.Hiswife,writerandactressTheavonHarboustartedtosympathizewiththeNazisintheearly

[email protected]

1930sandjoindedtheNDSDAPin1940.Theydivorcedin1933despitetheircongenialcollaborationduringtheWeimarRepublic.NotonlyAlfredHitchcockwouldbeinfluencedbyGermanexpressionismbuttheentirefilmnoirgenrewhichdominatedtheUScinemathroughoutthe1940iesand50ieswouldbeheritagetothepracticeofusingextremedistortionsinexpressiontoshowaninneremotionalrealityratherthanwhatisonthesurface.

Oneissomehowalwaysattheriskofbeinglabeledadoomsdaypreacher,whentryingtopointoutparallelsbetweenthechaoticpastandthepresent.Whateverrisk,ItakethisleapoffaithtosummarizeFritzLang’sMetropolisanditsrelevancefortodaybyreferringtothreeauthorswhodescribeaspectofourmodernworld,truenowandthen.

� ThomasPikettyshowedinhis2013bookCapitalinthe21stCentury,thatwearereachingsimilarwealthconcentrationlevelsasbeforeWWI,andarguesthat,unlesscapitalismisreformed,theverydemocraticorderwillbethreatened.

� HenryKissingerpointsinhis2014bookWorldOrderout,thatChina’semergenceaseconomicandpoliticalgiantiscomparabletotheriseofBismarck’sGermanybeforeWWI.Bothcountrieschangedanexistingbalanceofpower,whicheventuallyleadtowar.

� MartinFordelaboratesinhis2015titleRiseofRobots–TechnologyandtheThreatofaJoblessFuturethatautomationtechnologyhasreachedalevelofsophistication,whichhasalreadystartedtodestroythelabormarket,asweknowit.Anaccelerationofthisprocesswithdisruptiveconsequencesistobeexpectedinthenextfivetothenyears.

Threesmartpeopleindependentlycometotheconclusionthatmankindfacesineconomic,politicalandtechnologicalperspectiveachallenge,whichwaslastfacedbeforethetwoworldwars.Arewereadytofaceitthistime;andcanMetropolis’messagebeunderstood?

1ThehistoricalcontextnoteshavebeencopieddirectlyfromWikipedia2Tolearnmoreaboutfin-de-siecleVienna,tryArthurSchnitler's"TheRoadintotheOpen."FredericMorton's,"ANervousSplendor"andHildeSpiel's,"Vienna'sGoldenautumn."