Metropolis remains one of the most important science fiction dystopias of all time, and one that holds up almost a century later. Here’s why you need to watch it as soon as possible — and how to stream the movie for free online right now.
METROPOLIS’ INFLUENCE extends far beyond its own adaptations and iterations though. The silent cinema classic was a clear influence on films like Blade Runner, Frankenstein, and Dr. Strangelove, and it’s been paid homage to over the years by different artists across multiple different mediums — including in comic books and pop music.
But none of the homages, imitations, or adaptations of Metropolis quite match up to the original. It’s a staggering piece of work, one that feels uniquely of its time and eternally relevant.
Made in 1927 during Germany’s Weimar Republic era, Metropolis is a 153-minute black-and-white film, and one of the biggest and grandest ever made during the silent era. It’s set in a futuristic city where the wealthy and privileged live above ground in proud skyscrapers, while the workers are forced to live underground and work grueling hours operating machinery that powers the city.
The film follows the son of the city’s powerful mastermind as he becomes invested in the plight of the workers and attempts to bridge the vast chasm separating the city’s classes. Throughout its runtime, Metropolis touches on themes of industrialization, poverty, economic inequality, and corporate apathy — subjects that were relevant in 1927 and remain so to this day.
The film doesn’t just communicate its themes through its narrative though. In fact, to distill Metropolis down to a simple plot synopsis is to rob it of much of its power.
The weight of Metropolis comes through the bombast of its musical score, the emotive faces of its characters, and the visual ache that throbs through the bones of every city worker. It’s in the film’s stark black and white photography, the smoke and steam shown billowing from the machines, the rigidity of its massive skyscrapers, and the way that the city’s buildings and machinery dwarf even the most powerful and privileged of its citizens...
https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/metropolis-streaming-online-free-science-fiction-movies-may-june-2021
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