Fritz Lang's masterpiece was produced in 1927, and it is considered the first science-fiction movie, and one of the best dystopian movies of all time. Even with limited visual effects, the silent Metropolis represents very well a creepy vision of the future, which was enough to influence so many artists and to be inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. Metropolis uses the architecture to express deep social inequalities. These futurist urbanscapes are a result of the Art Deco movement mixed with Lang's first impressions of New York. "The buildings seemed to be a vertical sail, scintillating and very light, a luxurious backdrop, suspended in the dark sky to dazzle, distract and hypnotize." (Lang)
"Metropolis takes place in 2026, where people are divided into two groups: poor workers living beneath the ground and the rich who enjoy a futuristic city of luxury. The tense balance of these two societies is realized through images that are among the most famous of the 20th century, many of which pre-empt such science fiction classics as Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. Lavish and spectacular, with elaborate sets and jawdropping production values, Metropolis stands today as a testament to Lang's ambitious vision of what cinema could be."
(Metropolis trailer)
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