I grew up with this film, so I didn't think anything of it when I watched it in school. And I was shocked when I invited numerous friends over to see it, only to find that they had fallen asleep on the couch and floor within twenty minutes. There is not one man I love for writing such an original story and carrying it out with such perfection as Fritz Lang. Yes, some of his other works were questionable, but you could understand where he was coming from. He's sitting on a cloud right now being envious of the technology we have today.
I had always seen the version with the 70's/80's soundtrack, so when I saw the original untouched version, I almost went to sleep myself. But in the beginning of the film, Fritz Lang does say that he regrets that he was not a man of the ear so much as the eye. His visual effects were stunning while his music left something to be desired, and it was his greatest downfall. Not until they put a new soundtrack to it and added lost footage (and lost pictures to slide across the screen as a scene) did the masses come to appreciate the marvel that is metropolis.
The affection between Maria and Freder was something idealistic and provocative as it was two people attracted to eachother and drawn to one another by the powers that they held. Maria was calm and understanding, organized and wise. Freder had the authority to bring things together and the willingness to give up his richly comfort to bring "the many" the same rights that "the few" did not deserve but partook of.
Freder's father and Rotwang, the twisted inventor, had such great chemistry on screen as the two men who had lost their mutual love to childbirth. Rotwang's obsession with Hel, the love of his life and the mother of Freder, reminds me something of Ernest Hemingway. I saw that "Love and War" movie with Sandra Bullock and Chris O'Donnel and I was unsatisfied with the ending (because the guy didn't get the girl), but I can relate his obsession with Agnes to Rotwang. And Freder's father, the master of the city, had never been in want of anything and had found the plans to the catacombs where the oppressed workers were congregating. His obsession throughout the movie is that he wants control over them and does not want them to overthrow his empire. He has no idea that they could merely be coming together for the sake of a bible study.
There was some aggrivation, when the movie came out, over Maria, the bible study teacher. Her role as "pastor" created some controversy and there were many angry over it. But it was fought with the concept that we allow women to teach our children, and the workers--being uneducated-were as children.
I feel sorry for the woman who played Maria, as she discovered that with her success in the role, it was a defeaning blow to her career. She played a quiet, loving woman teaching the bible to oppressed laborers, a robot, and a robot gone wild (which was party-central). So well did she embody this that when she sought to further her career, she was turned down. No one would have her. Why? Because she was TOO GOOD. What is that supposed to mean? Simply put, she showed that she was the best and no one thought their movie was adequate for her. This was the top for her and the end.
This movie is startling as it is beautiful, especially for a man limited to what 1920's technology could give him. But the dream was large and it could not be muffled, despite the handicap of special effects of the time.
Fritz Lang sits right next to Peter Jackson and George Lucas in my own hall of fame, and I hope that if you have not seen this movie, you will endevour to do so in the near future.