Open ClassicCINEMA
Back to the collection

OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1561

Metropolis

1927153 minGermany
Science fictionDrama
Video edition
Internet Archive
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: English.
This copy runs
148:57
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Internet Archive · Fritz Lang · Internet Archive source edition

Synopsis

Above a city of factories, towers and underground workers, Freder lives in comfort until a visit to the machine rooms changes his understanding of the world. His encounter with Maria draws him into a struggle between his father's authority, a desperate workforce and an inventor whose mechanical imitation of Maria threatens to turn hope into violence.

Cast

DirectorsFritz Lang

Historical context

Made in the Weimar Republic, Metropolis turns the tensions of an industrial society into a monumental city. Its divided spaces make class conflict visible: leisure belongs above ground, while exhausting labor sustains it below. The film combines modern architecture with religious and Gothic imagery.

Inspirations

Thea von Harbou developed the story alongside her novel of the same name. This is an imagined future, rather than a reconstruction of an actual uprising; its factory world gives a concrete form to fears about technology and social inequality.

Behind the scenes

Miniature buildings, elaborate sets and the Schüfftan mirror process helped create the city. Versions were shortened after the premiere, and later restorations recovered material from different surviving prints. Their running times vary, so the selected copy's duration is listed separately.

Reception and legacy

The film's robot and skyline became enduring images of science-fiction cinema. Its visual achievement and its proposed reconciliation between workers and rulers have inspired admiration as well as political debate.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and creditsUNESCO — Memory of the WorldImage: Horst von Harbou / Wikimedia Commons — Public domain

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 18, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Audience rating

Loading ratings…

Keep exploring

Collection