MovieChat Forums > Metropolis (1927) Discussion > Was anyone attracted to Maria like I was...

Was anyone attracted to Maria like I was?

posted 14 years ago by solidgameboy12-1
25 replies | jump to latest

I just watched this movie a few hours ago, and the one image that doesn't escape my mind's eye (besides the Metropolis itself, the large number of extras, the Robot, ETC) is Bridgette Helm, who plays Maria.

When she's Maria, she was absolutely gorgeous, actually, I would be more inclined to say she was cute.

Now, as Man Machine Maria, I'd say not so much, although I get the feeling that was supposed to be intentional.

Am I the only one, or was anyone taken by Ms. Helm's Maria character (Beauty Wise)?

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] hbenthow 14 years ago

I found her beautiful as the both the good and evil Marias.

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[–] Dumb_Pirate 14 years ago

She was very captivating. One scene has really stuck with me since my first viewing of this film yesterday... It is when Maria begins far away from the camera and then she moves towards you and before you know it she is almost right in front of you. I'm not a master of film-work and camera panning and all that, but the way that was filmed was incredible to me. The way she starts off far away and then moves towards you... It's hard to explain, in that moment it really felt like she was walking right towards me and almost out of the screen... I'm gonna have to re-watch that scene, the technique really worked on me.

Her character was lovely, for sure

---
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[–] DrkBlueXG-1 10 years ago

She was very captivating. One scene has really stuck with me since my first viewing of this film yesterday... It is when Maria begins far away from the camera and then she moves towards you and before you know it she is almost right in front of you. I'm not a master of film-work and camera panning and all that, but the way that was filmed was incredible to me. The way she starts off far away and then moves towards you... It's hard to explain, in that moment it really felt like she was walking right towards me and almost out of the screen... I'm gonna have to re-watch that scene, the technique really worked on me.

This. It's those eyes and the way she tilts her head in when she gets closer. Mesmerizing!

[–] ttrek-1 14 years ago

It was a silent film thing. You had no voice, so you had to let your face and body do all your talking.

Besides, it wasn't cliche when it was made. It practically INVENTED the cliche. It was all the crap that abused that particular style of acting that made it cliche.

Flynn 24

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] ttrek-1 14 years ago

You can't do a silent film without the stage-style, larger then life acting. They are not exclusive.

You have to have both or else you are just missing the point of the style of film.

You want to have normal acting? Then make a modern film, with normal audio.

Flynn 24

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] DrAngst 14 years ago

You're dealing with german expressionism here, the acting in a film such as Metropolis was never intended to be naturalistic.

Personally, I find Helm's performance to be very captivating and don't have any problem with the excessive emoting since that's a product of expressionism.

I also appreciate the physically grueling aspects of that role, at 19 years old she was stuck in the robot suit for days at a time while Lang and is crew painstakingly perfected the superimpositions required for the transformation sequence.

[–] jeffandsarah-1 13 years ago

Yeah, now they need exaggerated explosions, a mile wide.

[–] Samus Aran 9 years ago

Lol, too true.

[–] Squeeth2 14 years ago

No but I'd have given robobabe one.

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[–] reaseltbim 14 years ago

I might be the only one in the world that thinks this... but, I actually really liked her as the Machine, more than as the real Maria
I know i probably sound crazy for saying it, but, I mean I agree with the OP, I thought she was beautiful, but, for some reason, when she was playing the Machine, I really liked her,
and about her acting, I really liked it as well as the machine, I thought she really was great, is one of the things about this movie that caught my attention the most, I think I liked her a little more than when she was playing the real Maria...

I'll look down, and whisper no

[–] a_kubrickfan 13 years ago

I have a crush on Machine Maria.

[–] eadwinn 13 years ago

I find myself attracted to lots of silent movie actresses... there's somethin' about it.

[–] jeffandsarah-1 13 years ago

Beautiful compliant sultry silent women. Whats not to like?

[–] rwsmith29456 13 years ago

She's practically the only woman in the movie except for some worker-women and she wasn't picked because she was ugly. From the story Lang had in mind that she would be half saint and half erotica with some jerky robot thrown in. The erotic part seems to span across decades and beautiful is beautiful. I mean aside from the constume, make up, etc. she is still a pretty woman.

[–] Way2killathread 13 years ago

Indeed, she was the epitome of striking, classic beauty. Her profile was MAGNIFICENT, reminded me of many ancient statue and sculpture of godesses made throughout history, particularly the ones from ancient Greece.