Metropolis: In Relation to the Weimar Republic

            Metropolisis a visual representation of the German society during the Weimar Republic.  It is the director, Fritz Lang’s ideas about the failing government around him.  There are a number of elements that we can bring up that portray this time in German history.  I want to analyze how the economy, class conflicts, religion, as well as the rising idea of totalitarianism and revolution in the film can all relate back to the Weimar Republic.  

            Let us first discuss the economy.  During the Weimar Republic, Germany was in a state of huge hyperinflation. The economy in Germany took a drastic turn for the worse around 1923. This was due mainly because Germany was forced to pay reparations to the Allied forces after the First World War. This caused a huge devaluation of their currency.  By the end of 1923, $1 was equal to about 4,200,000,000,000 marks.  That is an absurd number.  However, in 1924 they made some progress by switching their currency, and with some aid from the United States.  In 1927 the standard of living went up and the cost of living went down, so this was all positive news for German economy.  During this time, the industrial output number was huge, almost doubled what it was prewar.  I think that we see this particular aspect shown throughout the film Metropolis.  Most of the characters in the film that are nameless are very poor.  We can tell this by their clothes, their jobs, and where they live.  Only the few elite get to reside in Metropolis and dine on expensive meals.  

            This also brings up the idea of class struggle during the time of the Weimar Republic.  On top of a failing economy, this was a combination for disaster.  “Unemployment meant that the lower classes waned towards the left wing.  A lack of national pride led to right wing movements gaining in popularity.  Economic disasters led to the middle classes and even the aristocrats looking to the extremities for answers.”("School History")  Classes are depicted in the film quite clearly.  The sets and area space are all designed in an upward fashion.  What I mean is that there is always a hierarchy in the set designs.  In the city of Metropolis, there are huge skyscrapers, and Joh Fredersen’s office is atop the tallest one.  The laborers are forced to work underground, and even there, the machines have different levels, organizing the citizens further.  

            Another element that also segregates certain groups is religion.  The two major religious groups in Germany during the Weimar Republic were Protestants and Catholics.  Only about 1% of the population was Jewish.("http://weimar.facinghistory.org/content/religion")  I thought that all the Christian imagery was quite fascinating and very telling of the times.  I am not really sure if that is at all Anti-Semitic, but there is a chance. More so than that, I feel like organized religion in general was a key factor here.  Maria was their leader, and they were buying every word she said. Even when her evil counter part was telling them to destroy the machines, the workers were obedient.  The real Maria is like the Virgin Mary, always dressed in light colors and saving the children. When she is preaching to the workers underground, she is a symbol of hope to the failing nation.  The notion that Rotwang is going to “resurrect” Hel is also very Christian. To add to this, I thought that the statues of the figures representing the 7 deadly sins, along with death were quite powerful.  Especially the scene where they come to life, this implies the reality of these Christian beliefs.  I also noticed a very large number of crosses in Maria’s churchlike venue for the workers. This seems to be saying that this is the resounding religion in Germany, and that most people are adhering to it. That being said, upon watching the film again, I noticed that there are a few instances where stars are shown. When we are first presented with Hel in robot form, there is a huge star behind her.  It is not the Star of David, just a regular five pointed star, but I have seen a number of other German films and these motifs are always depicted as symbolizing Jews.  In this case, I think that we can assume she is meant to represent the “other,” or that 1%. The same goes for Rotwang.  On top of all of the doors in his house, there are stars.  This could also be because there was a fear throughout Germany that the Jewish population was going to take over, and become “worldly” Jews.

            Revolution seems to be an emotion that is seen in a few key scenes in Metropolis.  The memorable scene where the workers destroy the “Moloch” machine, “illustrates the resentment that had been boiling beneath the surface of the lower class since the Industrial Revolution.”("Computer Certification Centers")  I also want to add in that while I was watching this film, the soundtrack had an impact on me. When the workers were about to destroy the main machine, the music that was playing in the background was very reminiscent of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.”  The original song is about Russia’s defense against Napoleon’s invasion of Moscow, so this too harkens back to the idea of revolution.  We also see hints at an uprising when Maria is addressing the machine workers towards the beginning of the film.

Clearly, this film has a bigger agenda than just telling a story about some machine workers.  I think that the idea of critical thinking is one that seems to be longed for, as it also did during the early 1900s.  What I mean by this is that scholarly activity was not really booming at this time in Germany.  I realize that the Frankfurt school was established already, but it was still in its infancy.  This film seems to be saying that these harsh industrial jobs are for the weak minded, and that they needed to get away from these jobs and focus more on social researches and new technological advances.  The workers were so easily persuaded throughout the film, and I think that is evident in the mob scenes where they refer to Maria as a witch.  No one is using any rational thinking, and the crowds are always shown in big groups.  This shows us that the masses are not individualistic or intelligent. Using mind control for the greater good was also some of the ideas behind Nazism.  Metropolis could also be thought of as a precursor to the totalitarian age in the sense that the workingman was looking for a leader to guide them.  They all looked toward Maria, because she seemed saintly, and represented a beacon of hope for them.  All of these emotions would emerge full force within a decade’s time when Hitler would take power in 1933.  This thesis is common among German films of this time. (Myles)

As I have shown, Metropolis is a film that reflects the state of and the mentality of the society in which it comes from.  Through the visual elements of economy, class conflicts, religion, and the notions of totalitarianism and revolution, Metropolissuccessfully depicts the period of the Weimar Republic in Germany.