*Almost. As with all episodes of this podcast there are spoilers ahead!You can watch Metropolis (1927) here or here: For full shownotes visit the watch page for this episode on the website: https://www.everyscififilm.com/watchDescriptionAfter losing World War I Germany entered a time of economic hardship and political turmoil. In 1918 the Monarchy abdicated. The country was financially crippled by the reparations enforced by The Treaty of Versailles and German democracy began.From 1918 until Hitler came to power in 1933 is known as the Weimar period. A time of political upheaval and artistic creativity. German Art and Cinema were thriving while the left and right were wrangling for control of the country. In 1927 Fritz Lang made what is to this day considered one of the greatest films of all time. It is based on a story by Thea Von Harbou, his wife at the time, who went on to collaborate with Nazi Party on multiple films. The ongoing influence of Metropolis on film is immense. Films like Blade Runner, Fifth Element, Frankenstein, Batman, and more recently Poor Things have all been influenced by it. And yet, the film itself was not a hit.Luckily we have two luminary experts to help us understand the film, the society it came from and the themes it portrays. The expertsSonja Fritzsche is a professor of German Studies and an author/editor for many books about science fiction. She has taught courses on science fiction, utopia and Metropolis.Noah Isenberg is a film historian and best-selling author. He is a professor at the University of Texas and editor of the book Weimar Cinema: An Essential Guide to Classic Films of the Era.Chapters00:00 Introduction, shownotes clarification and guests02:30 Weimar: economics, Hitler and creative legacy11:05 Fritz Lang15:00 Thea Von Harbou18:41 Lang’s Jewish heritage and Harbou’s Nazism21:05 The rediscovery of missing Metropolis reels22:05 Lang’s visual virtuosity26:05 Fear of the future and the three faces of Utopia27:50 The virgin, the whore and the workers unions31:41 Critical reception Vs visual spectacle35:32 Religious themes37:37 The Nazi connection45:23 Lang’s future: M, Woman in the Moon, Film Noir48:25 Is Metropolis the most influential sci-fi film of all time?50:36 Conclusions and recommendationsNEXT EPISODE!We will be looking at Frankenstein and speaking about monsters and their role in storytelling and science fiction. You can watch Frankenstein (1931) here.Or check Just Watch for where it is available. Send me a text message.