Metropolis: Futurism or Fascism

Fritz Lang’s Metropolis is the mother of modern sci-fi. The once incomplete film codified the cyberpunk genre decades before Blade Runner and Neuromancer, incorporating cybernetic limbs, humanoid robots, a technocratic dystopian mega city run by a super computer, and class consciousness. Yet this film was also a Nazi staple of propaganda and beloved by Hitler. Even its makers – Fritz Lang and Thea von Harbou – diverged greatly when it came to the Third Reich, with Lang (of Jewish descent) fleeing and Harbou staying loyal to the regime.

We’ll discuss the legacy and future of Metropolis followed by a screening of the nearly restored 2:27 hour movie scored by the New Pollutants.