Fritz Lang

psychological control of the masses and is able to present a pessimistic future for humanity to a great extent. However, Fritz Lang only reflects this pessimistic perspective of society to a limited extent in his film “Metropolis” (1927), as he demonstrates the humanity of society and the power of the individual to oppose the authoritarian power structure. Orwell is able to maintain…

Lang and Orwell’s seminal texts both express their concerns of the imbalance of power in totalitarian regimes. In Fritz Lang’s German expressionist film Metropolis (1927) the totalitarian control is from the industry. Whereas, the novel 1984 (1948) by George Orwell focuses on the extremes of political power. The dystopian worlds Lang and Orwell create through a range of literary and film techniques though, differ in response to their respective contexts. Both composers are critical the way…

This paper will seek to understand the concept of femininity in Weimar Germany through the lens of expressionist film. Using the case study of Fritz Lang’s 1927 film Metropolis, this paper will display how expressionism was used as a tool through which visionaries could bring to light questions of social change. Embedded in the film Metropolis are strong themes indicative of the prevailing changes brought upon Weimar Germany with respect to gender roles. The loss of the First World War was a…

effectively explore autocratic control imposed on societies through the manipulation of technologies, oppressive nature of fascist regimes and its effects and the necessary role of a mediator in denying extreme values of societal regimes. Orwell and Lang denounce manipulation of modernized technology as a mechanism of autocratic control. Specifically, Orwell highlights the destructive effects of psychological manipulation on Oceanian society. Technology is used to manipulate society in…

A comparison of two texts can result in a heightened understanding of the value, significance and context of each through the differing perspectives they present on the same thematic concerns. [Q] Fritz Lang’s 1927 expressionist film Metropolis portrays the loss of human autonomy through the lens of the rise of industrialisation in Weimar Germany and conveys the message of the importance of mediation. Contrastingly, George Orwell’s 1948 dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) explores the…

How would you compare the ideas, values and attitudes reflected in Metropolis and 1984? Humanist concerns usually stretch across time and this is apparent in my comparative study of the attitudes Fritz Lang and George Orwell have towards certain ideas and values. These composers present ideas of individual oppression and values towards personal freedom and love through their specific textual form — the film Metropolis and novel 1984. Influential of Lang’s concerns during Weimar Republic in…

had a roof over their heads. Charlie Chaplin vision of the industrialized society is that one had to work hard even if it meant having to find another job. The workers whole life revolved working because that’s all they knew in order to survive. Fritz Lang version of the industrialized society was work till death workers had no choice if they wanted to work or not. The workers were known to be unhuman and working was all they will ever know. However, in both films ended in a happy ending. In…

Night and Fog, a short war documentary filmed ten years after world war two, was directed by Alain Resnais opened up with depicting the heavily guarded landscapes surrounding the concentration camps in color. While some scenes were portrayed in color, the majority of the film was depicted in black and white. This film was narrated in French by Michel Bouquet. Displaying Nazi terrorism, this film was proven to be disturbing among many audiences. The Nazi’s dehumanized the members of the…

originated in America. Film Noir is a practice of noir genre which plots are centered on crime dramas around 1940s and 1950s time frame, during which it was believed to be first practiced. At its peak, film noir polished many directors’ names such as Fritz Lang, Billy Wilder, and Otto Preminger. During the early 1940s, the effects of World War II influenced many people, most likely emigrants from Europe who brought with them to the United States stories and tales about the war…

The film Metropolis by Fritz Lang tells the story of a futuristic city, a city that might as well be called paradise. Yet this paradise has a secret, a secret going into the depths of the city where hell is overflowing, where workers operate the giant machines that run the world above. A careless leader, Joh Fredersen, controls the city. As he works in his office in a big building towering above the city, his spoilt son, Freder, lives like royalty in the Eternal Gardens where everything goes the…