The film, considered one of the first feature-length sci-fi films, stars Gustav Fröhlich, Alfred Abel, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, and Brigitte Helm. The film’s production spanned 17 months, from 1925 to 1926, and cost over five million Reichsmarks, equivalent to approximately $21 million today. Set against the backdrop of a futuristic urban dystopia, “Metropolis” was made during Germany’s Weimar period. The film’s narrative centers on Freder, the privileged son of the city’s ruler, and Maria, a compassionate figure revered by the workers. Together, they strive to bridge the immense divide between the city’s social classes, aiming to unite the workers with Joh Fredersen, the city master. The film’s core message is encapsulated in its final inter-title: “The Mediator Between the Head and the Hands Must Be the Heart.” Eugen Schüfftan, a pioneering effects expert, was responsible for creating the groundbreaking visual effects in Metropolis. His work included the use of miniatures to depict the city, as well as a camera mounted on a swing to create dynamic perspectives. Most notably, Schüfftan developed the innovative Schüfftan process, which employed mirrors to give the illusion that actors were interacting with miniature sets. This technique was so effective that it was adopted by Alfred Hitchcock just two years later in his 1929 film Blackmail. The iconic Maschinenmensch—the robot created by the character Rotwang in an attempt to resurrect his lost love, Hel—was the work of sculptor Walter Schulze-Mittendorff. To create this striking figure, a full-body plaster cast was taken of actress Brigitte Helm, and the costume was meticulously constructed around it. Schulze-Mittendorff made a fortunate discovery of a material known as “plastic wood,” a pliable substance originally designed as wood filler. This material allowed him to craft a costume that not only had a metallic appearance but also provided some limited flexibility. Despite this, the rigid and uncomfortable nature of the costume caused Helm to sustain cuts and bruises while portraying the robot. Metropolis is now considered one of the greatest and most influential films in cinematic history. It achieved significant recognition by ranking 67th in Sight and Sound’s 2022 critics’ poll and continues to receive widespread critical acclaim. In 2001, the film was honored by being inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, making it the first film to receive this distinction.
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