MovieChat Forums > Metropolis (1927) Discussion > A shortcoming in the opening that future...

A shortcoming in the opening that future films learn from...

posted 9 years ago by kartoon-1
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Without bad-mouthing this film because I know that silent films were the infancy of film-making and therefore shouldn't be begrudged chronological short-comings I would like to point out how film-making creates better drama by having chronology work differently in later films.

The movie begins with the beaten-down working class trudging miserably off to their gruelling routine keeping the city glowing and then the scene shifts to the shining, gleaming city and the privileged upper class enjoying the fruits of the working classes toil.

For more emotional impact and drama later films would open up with the shining city first and its happy utopian society. THEN the hero would go underground and see to his horror the misery of those slaving away to keep him in luxury.

This way the let-down of the revelation that things are not so great is more shocking.

We always improve things by learning from imperfections of previous works.

[–] Soodinum 8 years ago

It's not an imperfection. There's no absolute rule about which to show first.

You just stated your opinion. That doesn't make it objectively an imperfection in the film.

[–] kartoon-1 8 years ago

True, but it makes for better drama.

To have the opening scene show the shining utopian city builds the audiences emotions up only to dash them with the depressing scene of the near-slave labor conditions of the working class creates more dramatic impact.

Reversing that gives too much away because by seeing the misery of the working class first makes the utopian city despicable right off and doesn't have that impact of a let-down.

The old saying 'Appearances are deceiving' is best conveyed this way.

That's all I'm saying.