Similarities Between 1984 And Metropolis

George Orwell’s 1984 is more than just a novel, it is a warning to a potential dystopian society of the future. Written in 1949, Orwell envisioned a totalitarian government under the figurehead Big Brother. In this totalitarian society, every thought and action is carefully examined for any sign of rebellion against the ruling party. Emotion has been abolished and love is nonexistent; an entire new language is being drafted to reduce human thought to the bare minimum. In a society such as the one portrayed in 1984, one is hardly human. In George Orwell’s 1984, the party uses fear, oppression, and propaganda to strip the people of their humanity.

1984 examines a future under the rule of a totalitarian society. One of the unique notes about Orwell's 1984, is the views that Orwell presents on humanity, and human nature. Orwell presents humanity as divided into two sides- the dominant, and the submissive, with few quickly-eradicated anomalies in between. Human nature, however, is universal, and all humans

This hope is reflected by Lang’s interwar context, as whilst it had been affected by post war political instability, it had not been influenced by further social and physical catastrophes of WWII. In Metropolis, the masses achieve their hopes via rebellion, reflective of Weimar’s democratic governments that struggled to achieve acceptance of their right to rule from its people. The film opens with the epigraph “the mediator between head and hands must be the heart”, which foreshadows Freder’s realisation that the working and elite must work together to achieve progress. The metonymy in the titles that claim “the hands that did not understand the brain” suggest that workers do not understand the fruits of their labour, and that it may be more inspired if they had this knowledge. This importance of social class communication is emphasised as Lang alludes to a distorted version of the Tower of Babel, in saying they “speak the same language but could not communicate”, highlighting that the social classes have distinct perceptions of a functional society and that Frederson’s metropolis reflects only capitalist gain. The ordered mise en scene of the final shot of the workers in disciplined formation shows achievement of social unity. Thus, Lang thoroughly highlights the importance of social class communication to hold common values in the pursuit of positive societal progress, which he views as

Context plays a large role in the portrayal of values as it influences the composer’s thoughts about society. It is evident that the respective context of Fritz Lang has greatly influenced the portrayal of significant values in his film, Metropolis; similarly these values have also been shaped in George Orwell’s novel, 1984. The values portrayed in both these texts include the political values of authority and control, which is influenced by the totalitarian societies in which Lang and Orwell live, and the value of individual identity, shaped by individuals becoming slaves to technology, which is influenced by the composer’s context of the machine age. Fritz Lang’s context has greatly influenced the way in which the political values of authority

The comparative study of perspectives offered by Fritz Lang’s German Expressionist silent film, Metropolis (1927) and George Orwell’s novel 1984 (1949) encourages a heightened understanding of the values and contemporary issues of the composers’ social and historical context. Lang reflects the Weimar Republic’s preoccupation with World War 1 reconstruction and manifests the growing tension between idealism and progress central to ‘Machine Age’ Germany to advocate for unity between the upper and working class. Orwell’s cautionary novel instead reflects on the communist regimes of Adolf Hitler (Germany) and Joseph Stalin (Russia) to warn against despotic governments and advocate for democratic socialism. Both texts envisage a dystopian future

George Orwell’s “1984” perfectly captures a potential dystopia that would occur to the human race if a totalitarian government was present. As a result of this, Orwell identifies the purpose of the novel: to warn people what could possibly happen if they were not careful. A totalitarian government is similar to a dictatorship and demands complete obedience. Orwell focused on what type of plot would be most beneficial, how the plot would impact the audience, and how the subplot builds on a conflict within the story. By using a progressive plot structure in the novel “1984”, Orwell creates an effective way of telling his story to the reader.

The relative investigation of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four has contributed notably to the intertextual mindsets of mans enduring angst of unlimited mechanical headway. Provided by the two texts, depictions of dystopian societies which encounter technological elevation offer a variety of social, political and personal insights allowing the audience to develop an understanding of the values formed throughout the periods. Metropolis figuratively represents the consequential fractured world after WWI, displaying public inequality brought on by the appearance of the Weimar Republic which was identified as a time dependent on technology and the growth of industrialisation. Nineteen Eighty-Four portrays Orwell's

A comparative study of texts reveals how enduring values and attitudes are reshaped by their differing contexts, and heightens our understanding of the perspectives they offer. Both Lang’s film Metropolis (1927) and Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 (1949) didactically explore how despotic social institutions compromise an individual’s inherent humanity. However, they ultimately diverge in their representation of man’s potential to prevail against such power structures, reflecting the “Golden Years” optimism and post-WWII pessimism respectively. In Metropolis, Lang condemns the oppression of the working class in a capitalist society that values profit over the sanctity of human life. Signed in 1919, the Treaty of Versailles catalysed hyperinflation,

In the City of the Workers (Stadt der Arbeiter in the original German), an establishing shot of the buildings and workers show each to be the same, their lack of individuality a stark contrast to the city above, depicted with bright lighting and modern technology. In a similar way, Freder swaps costumes with Georgy, a worker known only by the number 11811 inscribed into his cap. His gain of individuality is depicted by his change in body language, a two shot of him and Freder showing the contrast between the two. As each man moves to his new life, however, they find it to be starkly different to their expectations. Lang’s use of mise-en-scene and costuming to convey his ideas about individuality fit into his Expressionist background, as he is relying on visual metaphors to relay its

George Orwell’s exemplar novel, 1984, takes a look at a society which is tainted by a facade orchestrated by the hands of the government that runs an exploited society. The novel investigates how effective the tactics assembled by the government truly are and how they continue to control the minds of innocent citizens. In spite of the fact, that this book focuses primarily on apocalypse-like fiction, the shocking comparisons that are drawn between the novel and present day society is something very hard to swallow. Orwell’s advanced novel of heavy and biased government supremacy proves that certain aspects of the novel is more than relevant in today’s society.

George Orwell’s 1949 novel, 1984, depicts a dystopian future dominated by an all-controlling authoritarian government and with it a very powerful message about socialism, authoritarianism, and class hierarchy. The book is organized in such a fashion that focuses little on plot, character development, or dialogue, but instead uses the story and setting as a gateway to the underlying political commentary on the function and absolutism of government and the balance and interaction between social classes. George Orwell’s 1984 provides a startling commentary on authoritarianism and absolutist governments in relation to socialism, bringing to light the flaws in a Marxist “glorious revolution” in describing the effects of class struggles.

Texts often reflect upon problems faced by a society, it the time of the texts creation. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell and Metropolis by Fritz Lang take the social context of their time to deliver a warning to society. Through their deliverance of their messages, they explore the impact of oppression and rebellion and how that has an impact on society, as well as, introspectively.

Metropolis was made during the Weimar Period, Germany’s first attempt at creating a democracy, and due to Lang having a Jewish heritage, he grew quite fearful of the Nazi’s regime whereas his wife grew to sympathise with the Nazi’s and soon joined NSDAP in 1932. In Metropolis, the city is presented as a swarming mass of people; who are either of the privileged elite, or of the repressed, impoverished commonalities (casualties). This film was written post WW1 and Lang uses his film techniques of symbolism, futuristic landscapes and metaphors to construct a political message that tapped into Germany’s power struggles, issues of poverty and conflict, and fears for the

The exploitation of power obtained through social manipulation can have detrimental effects on both individuals and society, often leading to rebellion. This notion is explored in Fritz Lang's film 'Metropolis' (1927) in which the period of industrialisation in post WWI Germany is reflected, highlighting his fear of a socially repressive society that parallels with George Orwell's 1949 novel ‘1984’. Whilst they share similar concerns regarding the machine age capitalist society, Orwell constructs a distinct ideological framework that functions on intellectual suppression through characteristics of both

In maintaining our identity and in essence our humanity, through the upholding of our own values, attitudes and beliefs; being an individual is a critical aspect of human psyche. The comparative study of the intertextual perspectives within Metropolis by Fritz Lang and 1984 by George Orwell leads to an enhanced understanding of the oppressive measures that strip individuality through a forced submission and conformity to the ideologies set by the higher powers. Metropolis scopes a dystopian society wherein through systematic dehumanisation the underground city workers become merely extensions of the machine that serves as the foundations of Metropolis city. In 1984 explores the victimised civilians of Oceania deprived of individuality under