Fritz Lang's Metropolis

In 1927 Cinema was still in its relative infancy. The great German auteur, Fritz Lang would revolutionize the film industry with his first masterpiece, Metropolis. Nearly eleven years earlier D.W. Griffith had established the "grammar of cinema" with his epic masterpiece, The Birth of a Nation. The subsequent decade would showcase spectacles (Ben-Hur, Intolerance), comedies (The Gold Rush, The General), and dramatic classics (Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, The Last Laugh). Cinematic Science Fiction would be attempted as early as 1902 with Melie's A Voyage to the Moon, however it would take nearly a quarter of a century for Sci-Fi to reveal its technical brilliance and possibilities with Lang's masterpiece. While an incredibly innovative, beautiful, and groundbreaking film, Lang's narrative (from a treatment and screenplay by his wife and artistic partner, Thea von Harbou), continues - or is the beginning - of the lazy and apologetic "White Savior" cinematic trope that has continued from Lawrence of Arabia thru Dances with Wolves, and most recently, Avatar and Dune. This week Mr. Chavez & I go back to the argument that we have made before and will continue to make regarding this insulting and problemtic cinematic trope. Each generation seems to want to tell its own version of this story without recognizing the inherent hypocrisy of a society and culture victimized by the elite while simultaneously needing to be saved by a blonde-haired, blue-eyed messiah (in this case a billionaire suddenly aware of his "mediator destiny" and responsibility to his "brothers"). Yes, we recognize the technical and production brilliance of this film, while at the same time being unable to ignore (or excuse) the obvious and insulting simplicity of its narrative. It is possible to simultaneoulsy admire and take issue with a work of art. Take a listen and ask yourself if you agree. Let us know what you think. As always, we can be reached at [email protected] - Many, Many Thanks.

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