Metropolis

Doubling, a principal technique in expressionism, is a principal element in “Metropolis”, directed by Fritz Lang. World on Film’s author Martha Nochimson poses a ponderous question at the beginning of her discussion on “Metropolis”, “Can science fiction be Expressionist?” The plot contorts and twists under this lense, with crucial points of the plot encircling expressionism: the perceived mounting pressure in the underworld of the futuristic city, the doubling of Maria as a main protagonist and antagonist, and the failures of leadership as it relates to Germany as a society. There seems a divergence between the plot of the film and its depiction of the selfsame plot – the story itself depicts and carries more of what is (arguably meant to be) identifiably expressionistic. Much of the film, including Maria’s doubling, while having significant frame construction, do not require the shots themselves to create the expressionism the movie is so iconic for having.

For its story, I personally thought the movie was more expressionistic for its depiction of Maria more so than any other element the movie had to offer, with many of the frames and scenes of the movie dressed more to impress the audience than to narrate the story. Wide frames of the underworld beneath the city and sprawling shots of the gleaming metropolis above pay much greater attention to creating the world wherein which the story takes place and less to set up for a plot that creates what is essentially expressionistic.