Similarities Between 1984 And Metropolis

Values and attitudes may be conveyed through a range of readings through social, cultural and historical context which influence aspects of texts. Within Orwell’s novel ‘1984’ and Lang’s film ‘Metropolis’ (1927) context influences the composers’ choice of language forms and attitudes conveyed through the texts. Metropolis educates audiences of the industrialisation and consequent dystopia of post WWI society. Lang celebrates and critiques post WWI European “Machine Age” as a futuristic dystopian nightmare, where capitalism and technology is distorted. In the novel ‘1984’ , Orwell confronts us with a dystopic, totalitarian regime and condemns the ideals of Soviet-Russian Communism within the context of London, England. Their context influenced …show more content…
Orwell employs complicated mechanisms in 1984 considering it was written before the era of computers, to exert a large scale control of economic production and sources of information. The use of fearsome machinery to inflict torture upon those it deems enemies such as the Ministry of Love which is in charge of political torture and is used on Winston to psychologically and physically manipulate him to follow the parties beliefs. The telescreens and hidden microphones across the city allows the party to monitor members, “the tele screen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it…..he could be seen as well as heard…at any rate they could plug into your wire if they wanted to”. 1984 reveals that technology, generally perceived as working towards moral good, can facilitate most diabolical evil. Both texts explore the impact of advancements in technology through social and historical influences which filter these two texts to their influences in the novel and film reveal the invaded privacy and overwhelming industrialisation of the 1920s. However in 1984, Orwell employs technology as a mental threat to ensure the people don’t cross the party and their rules. On the other hand Lang uses technology to depict capitalism and oppress the lower class workers through their daily jobs of running …show more content…
Lang depicts the physical manipulation of the working underclass made to keep the city running for the opulent ruling class who live in luxurious above ground skyscrapers, whilst the underclass toil in subterranean hellish nightmare. Lang uses imagery to convey the elite status of the ruling class of Metropolis by using german expressionism styling, physically elite with freedom in movement in contrast to the underclass who are not distinguished as individuals and no form of self identity or self worth is valued. No benefits or acknowledgement of the underclass’s hard work to physically running the city 24/7 with little to no breaks. Likewise Orwell condemns psychological manipulation as he produces psychological stimuli designed to overwhelm the minds capacity for independent thought of the public, “You must love Big Brother. It is not enough to obey him: you must love him” represents the psychological infliction of undermining the independence for the public. Giant TVs in citizens rooms blasts constant propaganda designed to make failures of the party appear to be triumphant successes regardless of the wrong doings. TVs monitor the behaviour of citizens around the streets and inside their own homes, continuously reminding them through omnipresent signs reading “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU”, whilst authorities scrutinise them. The party undermines family structure by inducting