Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
CONTEXT LIST
• Sci-fi- how the genre links to Metropolis and how its changed to now.
• Dystopia- the origins and how it ties into Metropolis
• Disaster and Robots-
SCI-FI
Fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major
social or environmental changes, frequently portraying space or time travel and life
on other planets.
What makes Metropolis sci-fi apart from its architecture is also its
imagined future, both in terms of industrialization and technology,
which can be seen through is introduction of the M-Machine and the
heart machine. FIGURE 2,MR. ROBOT CREATOR
TURNING SCI-FI CLASSIC METROPOLIS
INTO TV MINISERIES, (2016)
Another is its social change, displayed through the extreme capitalism
with its class divide and working conditions for the lower class in
comparison to the higher class where our protagonist derives.
The genre had existed before, but the design of this film helped to “Earlier science fiction films, such as “A
shape it into what we know today, so by enlarge the film was Trip to the Moon” played science
considered Sc-fi at the time, but it carries through or modern definition. fiction for laughs. Fritz Lang created
the first serious science fiction epic,
giving us a glimpse into the
future” (1927: Metropolis - How Cinema
Changed the Way We See the Future, 2016)
• Quote 1 http://www.mtv.com/news/2766021/whats-the-big-deal-metropolis-1927/
While science fiction had been part of movies since the beginning (you've seen images from the 1902 short "A
Trip to the Moon"), there had been very few feature-length forays into the genre before Metropolis. The
definition of "science fiction" is somewhat fluid, and not every film from the silent era is accounted for today.
But we can say with some confidence that Metropoliswas, at most, the 20th sci-fi movie of at least 60 minutes
in length, and probably more like the 15th or 16th.
• Quote 2 http://www.utopiaanddystopia.com/dystopian-movies/metropolis/
• It is science fiction film that provided the first visual image of far future
• Quote 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLxe92EgT9Y
•
SCI-FI NOW AND THEN
“Influenced the visual codes
of cinema, change what science
fiction looks like and our collective
vision of the future”
• Sc-fi as a genre had existed before Metropolis, however its Noir, (2017)
Lang’s unique style and design for the M-Machine that influenced
the way we see modern science fiction today- with examples
stemming from Rotwang’s mad scientist design and lab to the city
scape design.
“A heavy architectural influence an bee seen
through Blade Runner, another sci-fi film which was
also plagued by edits and cuts that impacted the
original meaning.” (1927: Metropolis - How Cinema
Changed the Way We See the Future, 2016)
Dystopia
Fig 4. Dystopia, [Unknown]
Dystopia is a futuristic world/setting where the illusion of a perfect society
is maintained through
Cooperate, technological, moral, totalitarian control. It creates
exaggerated worst cases scenarios.
To comment on the current trends, social norms and political system.
Origin of Dystopia And It’s Audience
The origin of the word Dystopia and Utopia came from Sir Thomas
(1748-1535) the books were
Written in in Latin.
‘’The first known use of the term dystopia appeared in a speech before
the British Parliament by Greg Webber
and John Stuart Mill in 1868. In that speech, Mill said,
"It is, perhaps, too complimentary to call them Utopians, they ought
rather to be called dys-topians, or caco-topians’’
4 October 2017 newworldencyclopedia
Modern Dystopia And It’s Audience
Modern dystopia became popular again due to
the success of the Hunger Games trilogy written by Suzanne Collins.
Set in post-apocalyptic North American totalitarian state.
Even though the idea of dystopia is not new,
• We’ll be exploring the sub-genres that are derived from Sci-Fi. By doing so
we hope to link the multiple sub-genres seen in the film to the main theme of
Sci-fi.
• We’ll be exploring Sci-fi, Dystopia, a bit of Disaster, and Machine (Robots)vs
Humans.
DISASTER
• Disaster makes up the last section of the film, as this is when the city of the workers and society begins to crumble due to the actions of humans from both
worlds, but mostly from the robot.
• “Catastrophes can take so many different forms - but they are mostly man-made or natural. They can be either impending or ongoing, or set in a distant
future, or they can exist locally or globally. The most-commonly portrayed disasters in films are:
• natural or environmental disasters or destruction (earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tropical storms, etc.)
• accidents (skyscraper fires, plane crashes, ocean liners capsized or struck by icebergs, viruses unleashed)
• planetary-related (asteroids, comets or meteors off-course)
• Criminally-instigated (bombs planted in planes, terrorist conspiracies)
• alien invasions and rampaging creatures/monsters/zombies or viruses (often mutant)
• nuclear-related crises, sometimes prophetically Biblical (nuclear war, Armageddon)
• millennial-related or apocalyptic (the end of the world, or end of the century tales)
• about failed technology or technology-gone awry (computers running amok, plague/scientific error)
• Along with showing the spectacular disaster, these films concentrate on the chaotic events surrounding the disaster, including efforts for survival, the effects
upon individuals and families, and 'what-if' scenarios. The best disaster films comment upon the negative effects of advancing technology, demonstrate the
'hubris' of scientists and other individuals, deliver uplifting moral lessons of sacrifice, and provide a 'how-to' in terms of survival skills.” (Dirks, [unknown])
• The previous quote emphasizes the fact that disaster in this film originates from the hubris of
scientists and the upper class, but more importantly the advancement of technology which
ultimately leads to the collapse of society as they know it. The destruction and disaster that
unfolds is almost apocalyptic and hints the end of man at the hands of technology, which is
quite fascinating because the films goes from being very Sci-Fi and modern to biblically
apocalyptic.
• This disaster due to machines as well as the battle between machine and man is a key part of
the film. Machine/Robots vs Man as a sub-genre has been seen in very many Sci-Fi films but
Metropolis was the first film to consider this as a possibility for the future, which plays into
Germanys fear of the future post WW1.
MACHINE VS MAN
• Within Metropolis, the battle between man and machine is quite prominent.
This film explores the fear that some day technology could take over the roles
that humans have created and that we will rely so heavily on technology that
if its destroyed, we will be thrown back into the dark ages.
• Even in the film, "Rotwang claims, “No one will be able to tell a Machine-Man
from a mortal!”’ (Pynadath, 2008). This theory and fear can be applied to
modern day society whilst also playing into the technology based Disaster
trope and the AI/Robots trope.
• Metropolis contains a wide variety of genres and has been influencing a lot of
films even to this day. It set the bar for modern Sci-fi and influenced what
other Genres, such as Dystopia and Disaster films would be like.
Illustrative Bibliography
Figure 2, MR. ROBOT CREATOR TURNING SCI-FI CLASSIC METROPOLIS INTO TV MINISERIES, (2016), [ONLINE IMAGE], AT;
https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/sci-fi-classic-metropolis-getting-remade-miniseries-mr-robot-creator, (Accessed; 27/09/18)
Figure 3, The Return of Neo-Noir, (2017), [Online Image], AT: https://www.sothetheorygoes.com/film-noir/, (Accessed; 27/09/18)
Fig 6. The City of the Future, (2010), [Concept Art], AT:https://voxeurop.eu/ro/content/article/161601-ce-europa-2034, (Accessed: 27/09/18)
Disaster: Figure 7, Metropilis, 1927 [Film Still] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Metropolis-film-1927 (Accessed 27th September 2018)
Machine vs Man: Figure 8, Rotwang and his robotic invention: Metropolis, 1927 [Film Still] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Metropolis-film-1927 (Accessed 27th
September 2018)
Inte re sting litera ture[U nknow n] The C urious O rig in o f the W o rd ‘D ystop ia ’ , A T:
http s:/ /interesting litera ture.com / 2 0 1 6 / 0 4 / 1 1 / the -curious-orig in-of-the -w ord -d ystop ia / (A ccessed 2 6 Sep tem b er 2 0 1 8 )
K rie g er, J. (2 0 1 5 ), C ha ra cte ristics o f D ystop ia n Fictio n, A T: http s://w w w .slid esha re.net/Leonie K rieg er/cha ra cteristics-of-d ysto p ia n-fiction (A ccessed 2 6 S ep tem b er 2 0 1 8 )
Bibliography
M a chine vs Mtha n: Pyna d a th, D (2 0 0 8 ) A t: http :// p e op le.ict.usc.ed u/~ p yna d a th/EvilA I/m a ria .htm l
A cce ssed 2 7 Sep te m b e r 2 0 1 8
Snid er, E. (2 0 1 1 ), W H A T'S TH E B IG D EA L?: M ETR O P O LIS (1 9 2 7 ), A T: H TTP://W W W .M TV .C O M /N EW S /2 7 6 6 0 2 1 /W H A TS -TH E-BIG -D EA L-M ETRO P O LIS -1 9 2 7 / , (A C ESS ED ; 2 7 /0 9 / 1 8 )