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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
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.
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.
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
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
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."
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