Metropolis Scene Analysis - extreme mental state

 Close analysis of a key scene in Metropolis

- Freder's mania 

sound, cinematography, lighting, performance, mise-en-scene, narrative theory, and spectator positioning.

Themes: man vs machine, future fears, technology overtaking society, morality, social class division, 

- Divided in a LS, the chiaroscuro, low-key lighting emphasises Rotwang in an intense silhouette, his sci-fi machinery lit behind, positioned alongside his constructed villainy; the cause of Freder's distress as he runs to his father. Rotwang is framed, like his introduction, as separate from everyone, an outsider: villain.  

- The music is the leitmotif of the man-machine; a fantastically curious and light legato tune signalling the robot's enigmatic power. 

- The man-machine allies with Fredersen in their two-shot framing, the robot sensually gazing up while Fredersen looks intently, his gestural motif of a clutching hand kept to his side - perhaps a suggestion of recoil before the man-machine similar to his initial reaction to it, a suggestion of inferiority perhaps (Strauss binary oppositions man vs machine).

- there is a sexuality in the robot; fears of female sexuality? lust, deadly sin. spectator positioned to perceive this sexuality as a moral downfall in villain construction; the antithesis to holy Maria (the 'Virgin Mary').

- leitmotif continues through scene further reminding the spectator of the robot's enigma. 

- A close-up on Fredersen's familiar expression, his gestural grasp an action code (Barthes) prompting the spectator to engage with the driving plot in the succeeding cut.

- the lighting is graduated against the minimalist backdrop focusing the spectator on him. 

- the leitmotif cuts as Fredersen grasps his hands to high-pitched repeated brass in cue to the intertitle - a sinister connotation matching the villainous plans

- plot development:  Fredersen replaces Maria with a machine doppelgänger to 'destroy their belief in this woman'. This foreshadows a conflict between the workers and this man-machine, fulfilling the binary opposite of man versus machine.

- In a matched CU of the man-machine, the music intensifies in volume, a layering of a crescendo and percussion as the robot slowly nods, one eye closed expressionistically linking back to its initial creation - when the robot's eye twitched - and creating asymmetry in the face, something sub-human and evil with unnaturally dark eyes - mise-en-scene - and a malicious smirk. Villain positioning (Propp) foreshadows conflict with hero Freder. 

- Freder's dramatic horror signals The Ordeal in his hero's journey (Campbell): facing his fears at believing Maria is aligned with his father, catalysing a manic breakdown.

- German Expressionism: extreme mental state

- The music changes to a high-pitched whistling with a brass notes as both groups notice each other. Expressionistic connotations of mental state. 

- Fredersen grasping the man-machine around the shoulders, very close proximity, without an immediate recoil at seeing Freder, they remain close signifying their allied schemes: Further distance cemented between Freder and his father. 

- is there an intimacy? Hel? Fredersen puts his hand around its waist. 

- theatrical exaggeration in performance, large gestures of horror, face in an expressionistic disbelief, slowly retreating back, frozen in shock. Shaking hands, bodily tension  

- The close-up and central framing emphasises his reaction, his performance occupying the whole frame. 

- The brass music builds to a crescendo

A montage of Freder's extreme mental state:

- German expressionism: special effects, a montage of titles: 'Maria!' spinning around the frame, flashes of circular light in cue to the crescendo. 

- Freder waves his hand across his face suggesting his disbelief and increasing hallucinatory mania. 

- a blurred MS of Fredersen and the robot indicating to the spectator that Freder is losing consciousness; a cutback to his expression as he opens his mouth anguished. 

- an intertitle of 'Maria!': Freder believes the man-machine is her and suffers a manic breakdown. 

- double exposure: an overlay of the room spinning around a LS of Fredersen and the robot, again indicating Freder's mental instability. 

- music is chaotically legato, fluctuating in pitch with occasional brass notes to mirror the chaotic imagery and Freder's extreme mental state

- German expressionism: special effects, hand drawn expressionistic flashes as Freder theatrically covers his face with his arms in a LS. 

- brass notes at each flash, establishing a fast pace and unsettling the spectator

- German expressionism: the mise-en-scene (flashes) are an externalisation of Freder's mental state positioning the spectator within Freder's perspective.  

-Freder's performance (captured in VLS) indicates he's on the verge of toppling over, an increasing sense of instability, waving arms in an attempt to regain balance, but the sharply cut series of shots connote his losing control as they are suggested - from the scene being captured from Freder's perspective - to flash before his mind. 

- double exposure layering of robot's frontal expression whirling circularly in the frame expressing Freder's hallucinatory mania. 

- 2 brass notes, continued in cue with a second flashing of bright lights (expressionistically hand drawn), Freder's losing consciousness. 

A series of fast-paced (short duration) shots:

- Fredersen aligned with archetypal villains of man-machine and Rotwang in a series of close-up match-cuts; further distance between him and Freder.

- a flashback to Rotwang discussing Hel with Fredersen - interesting because Freder was absent the; this serves to position the spectator within the chaotic narrative development rather than act from Freder's POV. 

- narrative foreshadowing the yoshiwara sequence that cross-cuts with the 7 deadly sins and death. 

- expressionistic double exposure, whirling pattern around the edges of the frame signifying this is happening in Freder's mind, seperate from reality.

- theme in film: a literal future fear foreshadowed.  

- second double exposure, more intense that previous shot of the man-machine, whirling faces cemented into Freder's mind. 

- the man machine is motifed far more than anything else in this montage symbolically representing the film's themes of technology/machinery overtaking society; the robot's cemented presence dominating Freder's mind. 

- the music loses a pattern and becomes chaotic mirroring Freder's failing stability. 

-special effects: swirling pattern encapsulating him, restricting him in the frame (interesting how the camera remains at a LS rather than a typical CU considering it concerns his mental state; perhaps Lang does this to make Freder small and vulnerable in the frame juxtaposing to the CU of the man-machine, Fredersen, death, and Rotwang)

- a rapid series of expressionistic flashes, swirls, spots of light across the screen: mental turmoil. also connotes urgency, danger, warning. 

- extreme sense of urgency positioned to the spectator through the rapid editing, sound, and special effects.

- the spectator throughout the scene is encouraged to become active, a theatrical engagement with Freder's distress.

- the music mirrors Freder's metaphysical falling in a fast pace and rhythm. 

- the illusion is created that Freder is falling into a dark abyss of his mind from the special effects trailing downwards, fast movement across the screen. 

- the apotheosis of his extreme mental state.