Theme Of Control In Metropolis

The understanding of control stems from a rise in power that can corrupt individuals and societies who maintain upon it. This is evident through Fritz Lang’s Film “Metropolis” as he gathers understanding from events within his context. These events mainly include the German loss of World War I and the rise of the Weimar Republic and its values. These events are captured to depict a rising society who uses its workers to benefit from their suffering. In a similar fashion, this is also depicted through the English novelist George Orwell’s political satire “Nineteen Eighty Four”. “Nineteen Eighty Four” incorporates elements of Orwell’s world, particularly the rise and fall of Nazism, the rise of Stalinism, Totalitarianism and Fascism to depict …show more content…
In Lang’s context, after the defeat of Germany after World War I, the country experienced massive debt and hyperinflation forcing the German country to modernise its industrial base to become more efficient in a new Machine age. This is already referenced by the beginning of the film with machines moving frantically alongside a quick score. The workers who work alongside in tempo with each other and the machines, which also occurs in the Moloch scene symbolically becomes the machines themselves. This control or tempo is further emphasised by the clothing in which they wear, whilst walking in unison to each other, aided by a depressing score, adds a sense of injustice. The workers who live in the workers city also appear to live in slum like architecture below the Metropolis above. This becomes completely contrasted as the film shifts from the workers city to the Metropolis above to represent the achievements with high rise buildings, the use of technology and motorways as well as transport to represent the high social norm and the affluent. This is further provided as the uplifting also gives effect of control as the workers become oppressed by John Fredersen to maintain the Metropolis. What becomes depicted is a totalitarian figurehead who manipulates/controls the …show more content…
This is depicted through a dystopian post war setting of London, to represent the threats of political oppression. This setting depicted is controlled by the “Inner Party” whilst the “Outer Party” are its workers to maintain what is left in the destruction amidst a global war. The party controls its workers through mass surveillance, torture and “Newspeak” to dumb down the population. “Newspeak” was influenced by Stalinist Russia and Fascist Spain and Germany of Orwell’s time. “Newspeak” was implemented to ensure the oppression of the and ‘Proles’ by the ‘party’, influenced by the real world actions of the Nazi Party and Stalin. ‘Newspeak’ was captured through the black humour in the character Syme’s explanation “Don’t you see the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of though? . . . It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words.” The use of black humour is used to demonstrate the destruction of language via ‘Newspeak’ and oppression of the minds of the ‘Proles’ through the manipulation of language with beauty providing reflection of the Party’s motto “Ignorance is strength.” The dumbing down of society via ‘Newspeak’ to rid of ‘Oldspeak’ the formal/proper language of English reflects the quote “whoever controls the past, controls the present and whoever controls the