7-9.30 ETERNAL GARDENS One day, as he and his friends play games in the lush, private Eternal Gardens, TC“bestowed upon their sons the Eternal Gardens” Dialogue Card or Dialogue Intertitles – “Which of you ladies today shall have the honour of entertaining Master Freder, Joh Fredersen’s son?” Euphemism and word choice are of note Note the women are ‘prepared’ and objectified – make up/rehearsal of movements The however is playful and energetic until the real reason emerges – se*ual gratification – note the body language and resistance of the girl? Contrast with the lack of energy of workers. Peacock – symbol – Glory? Immortality? Vanity? Recalls the ‘Pleasure Gardens’ at the Palace of Versailles – allusion to French Revolution 9.30-13 ETERNAL GARDENS AND they are interrupted by a beautiful girl, accompanied by a group of workers’ children. They are quickly ejected, DC- “Look. These are your brothers.” A direct appeal to the viewer and an indirect appeal to the ‘Sons’ Accentuated by Close ups of Maria staring at Freder (and viewer) – appealing to our hearts [see the message quote] Freder his heart – is it Romantic love? (and therefore adhering to the dominant film culture of Romantic Cinema) or is he conscious and alive to his humanity? Note the slow pan and p-o-v shot of the Eternal Gardens as Freder absorbs his understanding of decadence and waste. He realises it is a misrepresentation of the central tenets of the gardens. Contrast the costuming of ‘pure’ Maria with the girls of the gardens. Iris use also represents ‘good’ Maria 13-17 MACHINE-HALLS/NETHER WORLDS/MOLOCH but Freder is transfixed by the girl–and decides to follow her down to the grim Lower City machine rooms. As he watches, a worker collapses at his station and an enormous machine (known as the M-Machine) violently explodes and kills dozens of workers. In the smoke, Freder has a vision of the M-machine as Moloch, the god of fire, gobbling up chained slaves offered in sacrifice. Music is frenzied to begin the scene It becomes rhythmic to accentuate that man is an integral part of the machinery Struggle of the man to keep up is highlighted by despair in facial expression – pace of machinery is incongruous to man’s capability.
Josaphat tells Freder that: DC “this woman, at whose feet all sins are heaped, is also named Maria,” (religious allusion to Eve and feminist perspective highlighted) Note that key women in film are ‘pure and vir*inal’ or ‘cheapened and destructive’ and that it is the same Maria who gives sermons to the workers in the catacombs. The shift whistle sounds, signaling for the workers to go the catacombs, and Freder tells Josaphat that it is time for the mediator to appear at last. Freder and Josaphat descend into the Lower City. Fredersen instructs the Thin Man that the workers should not be stopped, no matter what they decide to do. 96-102 ROTWANG/CATACOMBS He sets off to meet Rotwang, who is still holding the real Maria prisoner. Rotwang explains to her that the false Maria only seems to follow Fredersen’s orders – when in fact she obeys Rotwang’s will alone. DC “Joh Fredersen wants to let those in the depths use force and do wrong so that he can claim the right to use force against them” [see 1984 and criminal activity] At the secret meeting in the catacombs, the false Maria urges the workers to rebel and destroy the Lower City’s machines. Note how Maria incites them - passion and inflammatory words (personal magnetism and an understanding of crowd psychology – see Hitler and the ‘Beer Hall Putsch’ of 1921-1923) [Link to the Two Minutes of Hate in 1984] Her body language with outstretched arms pleads and invites the workers to her cause Her position in the places her above the others to demonstrate her power and magnetism High angle shots looking down on the workers Her hand movements make her like a conjurer DC “You’ve waited long enough! Your time has come!” Reaction shots of the workers is frenzied DC “Who is living fodder for the machines in Metropolis?” RQs as weapon DC “Who smears the machine joints with their won marrow?” DC “Who feeds the machines with their own flesh?” DC “Death to the Machines!”
Maria / The Robot…………………………. Brigitte Helm Rotwang……………………………………. Rudolf Josephat…………………………………….. Theodor Loos Grot (Foreman)…………………………….. Heinrich George Slim OR The Thin Man……………………..Fritz Rasp Master of Ceremonies……………………… Heinrich Gotho Georgi, 11811……………………………… Erwin Biswanger Mafinus…………………………………….. Hans Leo Jan………………………………………….. Olaf Storm IRONY OF SOCIAL COMMENTARY (AND RUMOUR) – FRITZ LANG Forced Helm to wear the robot costume – which was oppressive and stifling even though it would not be seen by the viewer. High unemployment – meant that he was able to exploit extras – all 36,000 of them shaved their heads for example - Helm and 500 children from the poorest districts of had to work for fourteen days in a pool of water that Lang intentionally kept at a low temperature Use of real fire which burnt Helm’s dress Ordering extras (mainly children) to throw themselves towards powerful jets of water when filming the flooding of the worker's city – waist deep water and crowded mis-en-scene was dangerous. Helm dragged by the hair when lifted up to the pyre HANDS MOTIF Instruments of action Pleading - Freder/Maria Harsh, oppressive and angular – Fredersen/Rotwang/Slim Troubled, worried and gentler – Josephat/Workers Connected – Freder and and Josephat Threatening – Slim/Fredersen DOPPLEGANGERS/MIRRORING Pure Maria and Robot Maria Rotwang and Fredersen Freder and Josephat Freder and Georgy Freder and Fredersen INFLUENCE OF FILM IN SCI-FI GENRE