Metropolis

I watched Fritz Lang's classic Metropolis for the first time last night and it set me thinking on a few topics.

Firstly, it seems another example of how utterly brilliant the generations Germany lost to the madness of two world wars were; Lang, for example, left Germany rather than accept Hitler's incredible offer to make him head of the German film industry. Fritz Stern focusses upon scientists as his book is centred around Einstein but the artistic output of Germans of that era whenever given a chance was equally impressive. In so many fields it could, in Raymond Aron's words, "have been Germany's century"

Secondly, I really liked the impressionistic style. I've seen another Iranian film, Bashu/Little Stranger, since I saw Kimia and it was a more emotive affair but I'm still not sold on the realist style. The visual splendour and allegorical approach of Metropolis seems to me to carry far more meaning.