Metropolis- Fritz Lang 1927

Escher: The New Tower of Babel


Above image courtesy of Escher: The New Tower Of Babel

Metropolis depicts a futuristic dystopian society, whereby the autocratic bourgeoisie rule the proletariat in a constant capitalist struggle.

The architecture portrayed in the film focuses on elements of early Art Deco and Modernist movements, it is this futuristic opulence so grandiose in scale which was the forerunner to many, Raygun Gothic and Streamline Moderne, however the elaborate detail and true sense of Art Deco elegance is lost in later incarnations, it is this that keeps me returning to sets of Metropolis and ultimately the idea of Art Deco Futurism for inspiration.

Maria`s mantra, 'The mediator between the head and the hands must always be the heart.'

Metropolis

Above images courtesy of Fritz Lang: Metropolis