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The German Take on Gotham

By: Eileen Jones

Fritz Lang’s masterful visual depiction of class stratification in Metropolis remains unrivaled by its would-be inheritors.

In 1924, master German filmmaker Fritz Lang first caught a glimpse of New York City from the deck of an ocean liner. It was this vision, he claimed, that inspired his landmark 1927 film Metropolis. The Berlin sophisticate was supposedly overwhelmed by the towering architectural splendor and angst-ridden mortal struggle of the city. “I felt […]

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In 1924, master German filmmaker Fritz Lang first caught a glimpse of New York City from the deck of an ocean liner. It was this vision, he claimed, that inspired his landmark 1927 film Metropolis. The Berlin sophisticate was supposedly overwhelmed by the towering architectural splendor and angst-ridden mortal struggle of the city. “I felt […]

Medium

In 1924, master German filmmaker Fritz Lang first caught a glimpse of New York City from the deck of an ocean liner. It was this vision, he claimed, that inspired his landmark 1927 film Metropolis. The Berlin sophisticate was supposedly overwhelmed by the towering architectural splendor and angst-ridden mortal struggle of the city. “I felt […]

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In 1924, master German filmmaker Fritz Lang first caught a glimpse of New York City from the deck of an ocean liner. It was this vision, he claimed, that inspired his landmark 1927 film Metropolis. The Berlin sophisticate was supposedly overwhelmed by the towering architectural splendor and angst-ridden mortal struggle of the city. “I felt […]