Film Screening: Metropolis

A sprawling city lies at the heart of legendary director Fritz Lang’s vision of 2027: one where the wealthy cruise around in flying automobiles, languish in towering penthouses, and cavort in lush gardens far above the ground. Meanwhile, far below, the denizens of the dismal workers’ city struggle to survive every day. Unrest between the disillusioned working class and society’s elite reaches its breaking point when Freder, the son of the city’s richest and most powerful man, becomes aware of the inhumane conditions under which the working class must exist. As he falls in love with Maria, who preaches to the workers about a better world in which the “head” and “hands” of the city live side-by-side, Freder is determined to become the “heart” that brings these two groups together. What he is not prepared for is the chaos that this mission will unleash. Will he manage to unite these two opposing forces, or will the city fall to ruin?

If you would like to participate in our pre- and post-movie discussion in German (6:00pm – 9:15pm), please email germancourses-boston@goethe.de

Director: Fritz Lang
Germany 1927
Blu Ray, 148. min