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  • Essay / Intertextual Perspectives in Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" and George Orwell's "1984"

    In a modernist age, we assume that human freedoms and fundamental rights are unfettered and that the social structure is constructed to create order and peace. Metropolis by Fritz Lang highlights the futility of revolts and the use of force to solve a problem that is part of the system, as well as the need to pull ourselves together and attack the problem at its roots. While George Orwell's 1984 focuses on preventing a totalitarian and fascist system from taking over as well as its invasion of human freedoms. Although their context and implementation of their perspectives are very different, Lang and Orwell both explore the flaws of social constructs while persuading their contextual audience to realize the problems they create. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In the age of the capitalist machine age, Fritz Lang's Metropolis reflects the manipulation and control of the upper echelon, through the employment of social constructs. In the opening scenes of Lang's Metropolis, the clock and siren symbolized the surveillance system and systematic flow within the city, where as soon as the clock struck ten, the proletarians organized for a team change. This scene contrasts with Lang's contextual setting during the Weimar Republic, where revolts, anxiety, and discontent were rampant in Germany. Following this scene, we could see the workers moving in synchrony, looking at the ground as they trudged through the tunnel. This comprehensive picture reflects the loss of their sensitivity and unique individuality as they learn to discipline themselves and behave in the expected manner. Although Metropolis reflects a completely different realm compared to the contextual era of the Weimer Republic, Lang emphasizes the importance of human emotions, but he also emphasizes the need for law and order. The exclamatory language “Kill them – the machines –!! » reflects the extent to which proletarians are blinded by social constructions as they are anchored in their lives. By creating a reversal of his environment, Lang attempts to persuade and connect with his audience to clarify that problems created by the system cannot be solved by force but must be addressed through social constructs. Similar to Lang's Metropolis, Orwell's 1984 dystopian film reflects ephemerality. of happiness and freedom within its characters to provoke fear in the inner machinations of the contextual audience. The juxtaposition "If you loved someone, you loved them, and when you had nothing else to give, you still gave them love" highlights Winston's passion that he once had , while his collision with a totalitarian regime takes away his humanity. The repetition of the word "love", being a universal emotion, allows the audience to connect with Winston while experiencing his point of view. Orwell's experience and vision of the Spanish Civil War is recreated through the nightmarish atrocities committed by the Party and its regime as they establish absolute control and authority over the masses. The hyperbole “every sound you made was heard and, except in the dark, every movement was scrutinized” induces a sense of permanent visibility and control on the part of the totalitarian government. This establishment of surveillance restricts action and deteriorates the mental strength of the individual, privacy without freedom is only an illusion. The metaphysical paradox "until they become conscious,..