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What’s more, Freder sees the monotony and violence of the jobs people have to perform. He decides early on to switch places with a worker whose job is to sync two large clock hands with various bulbs that randomly light up. Within one day, Freder is screaming to the heavens, begging for the end of the day. On the one hand, this is somewhat melodramatic, but it’s also pretty striking in the imagery. The real crux of the story comes when Freder’s father colludes with a mad scientist to create a humanoid robot with the face of Maria. The robot Maria will incite the workers to rebellion and violence, and once this happens, Joh can attack the workers with so-called justification. The rest of the film involves Freder’s attempt to save Maria and become the mediator who, in the words of the film, “must be the heart”.

What makes Metropolis stand out even now is its scope and style. Of course, most German films of this era are known for their expressionism, skewed perspectives, angled designs, and horrifying images. Metropolis is the peak of such films, providing the template for so many films’ stories and shots. Metropolis is the most expensive silent film ever made, which may seem a bit odd to those of you who think of Charlie Chaplin when they think of silent movies (and this isn’t wrong of you, by the way). However, when you watch this movie, you’re watching a film on the same level as anything from the Hollywood blockbuster machine. The work that’s done in Metropolis is as masterful and technically proficient as the work of modern masters like Christopher Nolan. From the production design - which makes Metropolis seem like a real, if hellish, place - to the costumes, this is a spectacle of the highest order.

What may be most impressive is that this film has been a technical marvel for decades, even when it was even less of a whole. The longest known version of the film premiered in Germany in 1927, running 153 minutes long. It was cut and edited extensively before it premiered in the United States, and the speed of the film stock was changed, making the original U.S. version as unimpressive as possible. Over the years, the film has been restored in stages, but it wasn’t until 2008, when a copy of the entire film was found in Argentina, allowing nearly 25 minutes of the movie to be added and integrated into what was already being shown on television or released on DVD. Now, of course, you can pre-order the Blu-ray or DVD, with only one notable section where footage is completely vanished.

It’s rare, of course, these days for a movie that’s so old to have such a triumphant finale. When Metropolis was released in the States, critics panned it partly because it made no sense (that’s due to the shoddy editing, of course). Its reputation has grown, and its influence is notable in so many movies that are much more well-known. What I found so surprising and inspiring about Metropolis is not its message, which may sound radical to some but is really quite common for most dystopian stories. What I found so notable is that, alongside other true, towering classics of film like Citizen Kane, Metropolis deserves its reputation wholeheartedly. Sometimes, movies of a certain age are dubbed classics, and they don’t hold up. For an 83-year old film to hold up and resonate even now is truly remarkable. Put Metropolis on your Netflix queue, and fast. You won’t regret it.

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