Metropolis

Metropolis: 1927, directed by Fritz Lang.

Metropolis was and is ground-breaking. This was the first time that audiences had ever been introduced to the idea of aa mechanical human. Being shot on celluloid film means that a lot of this masterpiece has been lost to time, however what we have left of it is breath-taking. Metropolis was shot over 17 months at a cost of more than 5 million Reichsmarks, or the equivalent to 21 million euros. Metropolis details a futuristic urban dystopia in which wealthy Freder (son of the city master) and Maria (a god-like figure to the lower class workers of the city) pull together to bridge the gap between classes. The social commentary within this film is executed perfectly. The divide between classes is so clear and even as literal as the rich living above, in towering buildings, looking down on the poor who dwell underground, tending to the churning mechanics keeping the city alive. The style of acting in this film is very highly choreographed, with the actor's movements seeming almost like a dance, especially surrounding the workers and their synchronised attempts at surmising to the city's demands. The city's hierarchy (and the city itself) soon crumbles as the lower class rebel, proving that this seemingly perfect society that the rich have built for themselves can only function if the lower class stay politely submissive. This film, even having been made nearly 100 years ago, has a sense of style unmatched by any other film and a message that still carries the same weight now as it did upon it's release. It has been massively influential upon the film industry and will continue to be for a very long time.