Comparing 1984 And Metropolis
Through evocative parallels, a comparative study of texts allows for the composer’s didactic vision to be demonstrated through integration of context and form. Fritz Lang’s German cinematic masterpiece Metropolis (1927) and George Orwell’s emblematic literary classic 1984 (1949) are very much products of their time, galvanised by the profound conundrums and pessimistic predictions of their own cultural and societal contexts. Although remarkably divergent due to absolute contextual disparity, both texts are alike in their thematic complexity, regardless of how differently their timeless themes are expressed. Therefore, both text’s distinct treatment of the consequences of technological encroachment and freedom in oppressive political landscapes
magnifies our understanding of these profound values.
Inspired by the cultural angst of Weimar Republic’s rapid industrialisation, Lang’s Metropolis is a romantic reaction to modernity. The opening mis-en-scene personifies the Volkisch fear that German workers would eventually become cogs in a machine. Here, the heavily stylised acting of the workers, which mirror the German expressionist genre, in conjunction with the rhythmic movement of the wheels of the machines, interlock like gears. Consequently, the montage reflects the aesthetics of Art Deco in which all aspects of nature are mechanised as the workers become components of one vast machine - a ‘metropolis’. The overarching prognosis of the film delves into the consequence of widespread industrialisation resulting in the dehumanisation of individuals, along with the execrable loss of human worth. Such a notion is supported through religious allusion of the Machine-Man being mechanically fed to the Ammonite sacrificial god, Moloch, where a low angle shot towards Moloch incites a sense of inferiority from the audience’s perspective to comment on the monopoly of power generated through technology. Furthermore, the set design and positioning of the Machine-Man beneath a pentacle, symbolic of paganism, suggests the use of arcane knowledge in the creation of the robot, presenting a didactic message about the perils of mankind’s subversion of the natural order in the grey areas of scientific research. By virtue of exploring capitalism’s plutocratic commodification of humanity, Lang’s censorious outlook on scientific modernity consolidates the prevailing values of his social ethos.
magnifies our understanding of these profound values.
Inspired by the cultural angst of Weimar Republic’s rapid industrialisation, Lang’s Metropolis is a romantic reaction to modernity. The opening mis-en-scene personifies the Volkisch fear that German workers would eventually become cogs in a machine. Here, the heavily stylised acting of the workers, which mirror the German expressionist genre, in conjunction with the rhythmic movement of the wheels of the machines, interlock like gears. Consequently, the montage reflects the aesthetics of Art Deco in which all aspects of nature are mechanised as the workers become components of one vast machine - a ‘metropolis’. The overarching prognosis of the film delves into the consequence of widespread industrialisation resulting in the dehumanisation of individuals, along with the execrable loss of human worth. Such a notion is supported through religious allusion of the Machine-Man being mechanically fed to the Ammonite sacrificial god, Moloch, where a low angle shot towards Moloch incites a sense of inferiority from the audience’s perspective to comment on the monopoly of power generated through technology. Furthermore, the set design and positioning of the Machine-Man beneath a pentacle, symbolic of paganism, suggests the use of arcane knowledge in the creation of the robot, presenting a didactic message about the perils of mankind’s subversion of the natural order in the grey areas of scientific research. By virtue of exploring capitalism’s plutocratic commodification of humanity, Lang’s censorious outlook on scientific modernity consolidates the prevailing values of his social ethos.