H. G. Wells reviews "Metropolis" (1927)

Re:H. G. Wells reviews "Metropolis" (1927) by lqet on Monday November 30, 2020 @06:37PM (#25260473)

Watched it a few years ago. The filming and scenery is very impressive, but the story - not so much. Here are some German reviews from 1927:

  "Thea von Harbou invents an impossible plot that is crammed with motifs. Nothing but emotional phrases. Dreadful. A serious topic cruelly kitsched up. Effects not because the story demands them, but because the film wants to show its tricks. The end, the tearful reconciliation between employer and employee - awful."

  "Take ten tons of horror, pour a tenth of sentimentality over it, cook it up with social sensitivity and spice it up with mysticism as needed, stir it up with marks (seven million) and you get a topnotch colossal film."

   "The director apparently had an utopian film in mind that should contain the major contemporary currents. Something for everyone: the "Metropolis" for the bourgeoisie, the assault on the machines for the workers, the collective for the Social Democrats, a good heart and the spirit of the savior for the Christians. Apart from the kitschy content, the film's technical performance is undoubtedly excellent and unmatched to date."

If you want to see a great Fritz Lang movie, watch "M" (1931). It's much, much better [0].

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_I2akJ0k2w

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Re:H. G. Wells reviews "Metropolis" (1927) by pmoriarty on Monday November 30, 2020 @07:17PM (#25260775)

"If you want to see a great Fritz Lang movie, watch "M" (1931). It's much, much better"

As a huge Fritz Lang fan, I strongly disagree.

M is a darling of mainstream film critics, but in my opinion it's absolutely atrocious, massively overrated, and not worthy of shining Metropolis' boots.

That said, Lang has some other masterpieces I would recommend, like Kremhild's Revenge and the Dr Mabuse series. I'd watch those long before touching M.

Back to those German reviews of Metropolis, I wouldn't put a lot of stock in to proto-Nazi Germany's discounting "sentimentality" in Metropolis. We know where hard-hearted disavowals of sentimentality led.

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Re:H. G. Wells reviews "Metropolis" (1927) by dpoochieni on Monday November 30, 2020 @07:35PM (#25260878)

The nazi regime was the most sentimental thing ever. It was vicious AF but they were all so romantic and corny as it came to the german nation and its heroes. All those calls for patriotism, and nationalism, where if anything emotional. Why do you think the culture minister was such a powerful figure? The nazi were the most disgusting sentimentalists ever.

I get why your assumption they disregarded sentiments exists; we are living in very similar times where undue public importance is given to sentiments. And we would like to think they were completely different to us, but the reality is we live in similarly sentimental times.

Edit: looked up on the author of that review, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Ihering, apparently liberal-left leaning and not a darling of the Nazis.

PS. if you want a trip into weirdness, watch the uncut version of Metropolis. Weird mystic religion they got over there.

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Re:H. G. Wells reviews "Metropolis" (1927) by watwut on Tuesday December 01, 2020 @02:27AM (#25263188)

Yes, when it comes to patriotism and appeal to masses.

But also, as ideology, they did looked down on huge range of sentiments. Feelings related to empathy, sadness, actual romance anything like that was seen as weakness and feminine. They were not ok with sentimentality as we normally mean the word. Sentimental movies were not what they approved, because that makes you feel empathetic and gentle and that was bad.

They were ok with only some emotions, notably the ones that makes you more likely to join the fight. Like, relatedly, they were homophobic a lot, but Triumph of Will has clear aspects of homoeroticism.

(For the record, it is not nazi only thing. Any movement that seeks military domination and genocide is going to have similar preferences. Emphaty does not go well with the plans, irrational loyalty to state/party/whatever does. )

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Re:H. G. Wells reviews "Metropolis" (1927) by everybodyknows on Monday November 30, 2020 @07:59PM (#25261031)

I'd add to that list Spies, which like Dr Mabuse works the plot device of a power-mad evil genius -- Rudolf Klein-Rogge, in a weirdly fascinating performance.

A fairly good transfer is available on Netflix DVD.

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Re:H. G. Wells reviews "Metropolis" (1927) by lqet on Monday November 30, 2020 @07:34PM (#25260873)

> I wouldn't put a lot of stock in to proto-Nazi Germany's discounting "sentimentality" in Metropolis.

I think this is being way too harsh on the critics. Sadly, I forgot to add the sources above. The first quote is from a liberal newspaper, the second is from a satirical magazine (Simplicissimus [0], certainly above suspicion when it cames to Nazism) and the last one is from a communist newspaper. H. G. Wells himself notices a "sauce of sentimentality".

> We know where hard-hearted disavowals of sentimentality led.

I don't want to start the discussion whether Metropolis is a pro-Nazi film (it isn't), but we certainly know where a hard-hearted embrace of kitsch sentimentality led.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplicissimus

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Re:H. G. Wells reviews "Metropolis" (1927) by vmception on Monday November 30, 2020 @07:09PM (#25260720)

Many cult classics had similar reviews at the time. Total flops full of honesty, where somehow someway we are supposed to forget that and never question the significance of a film once it was entered cult classic territory.

No, I won't name one as it would ironically dilute my point.

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Re:H. G. Wells reviews "Metropolis" (1927) by senectus1 on Monday November 30, 2020 @07:03PM (#25260667)

> The filming and scenery is very impressive, but the story - not so much.

Perfect summary.

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