Metropolis 1927 film: Encyclopedia II - Metropolis 1927 film - Architecture & visual effects

Metropolis 1927 film - Architecture & visual effects

The film features special effects and set design that still impress modern audiences with their visual impact—the film contains cinematic and thematic links to German Expressionism, though the architecture as portrayed in the film appears based on contemporary Modernism and Art Deco. The latter a brand-new style in Europe at the time, had not reached mass production yet and was considered an emblem of the bourgeois class, and similarly associated with the ruling class in the film.

Rotwang's Art Deco laboratory, with its lights and industrial machinery is considered by some to be a forerunner of the Streamline Moderne style, highly influential on the look of Frankenstein style laboratories and 'mad science' in pop culture. When applied to science fiction, this style is sometimes called Raygun Gothic.

The effects expert, Eugen Schüfftan, created innovative visual displays widely acclaimed in following years. Among the effects used are miniatures of the city, a camera on a swing, and most notably, the so-called Schüfftan process, later also used by Alfred Hitchcock.

The Maschinenmensch, actually played by Brigitte Helm was created by Walter Schultze-Mittendorf. A chance discovery of a sample of "plastic wood" (a kneadable substance designed as wood-filler) allowed him to sculpt the costume like a suit of armour over a plaster cast of the actress. Spraypainted a mix of silver and bronze, it helped create some of the most memorable moments on film. Helm suffered greatly during the filming of these scenes, wearing this rigid and uncomfortable costume, cutting and bruising her. But Fritz Lang insisted on her playing the part, even if nobody would know it was her.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Architecture & visual effects", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki