Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Biblical allusions in the film Metropolis



Futuristic film Metropolis was made in 1927 by German film maker Fritz Lang which makes it's dystopian vision even that much more astonishing. Some reviewers believe the film alludes more to the occult than to Biblical signage but this writer believes there are just too many scenes not only depicting bible passages but biblical scenes and pictures from the story of the Tower of Babel to the woman riding the seven headed beast in the book of Revelation to dismiss a biblical based story line.

Scenes from Metropolis have been copied for decades not only in film but in music videos in recent times by artists like Freddie Mercury of Queen, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga. Beyonce is seen in a video in a metallic robotic costume almost exactly like the "Machine man" of Metropolis. It's probably no coincidence that these highly influential pop stars adored by millions world wide would copy and emulate the machine man in the film which turns into an exact evil twin of the good and saintly character Maria, but instead of leading her adoring large crowd of followers to godliness,goodness and righteousness corrupts them and leads them to debauchery, fulfillment of selfish and lustful pleasures and creates class division and anarchy.

The main character Freder is definitely a Christ like figure and is even called the "Mediator" which is straight out of the bible, "There is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 2:5. Freder is the mediator that Maria has been telling the oppressed underground workers of Metropolis who have no hope and spend their entire lives slaving at mundane tasks is coming and will save them. Maria whom Freder sees and seems to fall in love with at first sight is a "Minister" of sorts that preaches to the slave like workers from an underground pulpit backed by numerous crosses of many sizes and the depiction of the Christian church and Christianity cannot be dismissed.

Freder while underground searching for the saintly Maria watches an explosion that blows up the main "heart machine" and he has a strange vision of the gigantic machine being fed hundreds of slaves who turn out to be the workers.
Across the screen is flashed "MOLOCH" which is again alluding to the bible in Leviticus 20:3  "And I will set my face against that man, and cut him off from among his people, because he has given of his children unto Molech, to defile my Sanctuary, and profane my holy name.

This strange vision of Moloch being fed the workers has a profound effect on Freder, who then goes to his father Joh Fredersen the designer and creator of Metropolis, and owns everything including the workers to tell him what he saw.

One last Bible passage the film flashes on the screen is from Revelation and the Whore of Babylon as the "evil" Maria rises on a seven headed beast in a nightclub where she entertains and seduces all men into corruption and selfishly fulfilling every sensual pleasure which they do. Revelation 17:3-6

The extraordinary vision of Fritz Lang can be seen in Joh Fredersen's office where we see what looks like a television or Vision screen that also serves as a two way communication device not unlike Skype today from his office to the underground. Amazing forethought considering this was 1927.

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