The Influence of ‘Metropolis’ in ‘The Creator’ (2023)

‘Metropolis’ (1927) and ‘The Creator’ (2023)

Metropolis has had a great impact on science fiction and has influenced many films to this day. The comparisons are evident in Gareth Edwards ‘The Creator’ which came out late last year.

 

Metropolis proposed the idea of robots being indistinguishable from humankind through Rotwang’s creation of Maria the Robot. One of the climactic moments in the film is when Maria the Robot is created which happens in the second act however the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) is at the very start of the film hinting to troubles between machine and people. Both films start with a montage of technology and machinery. While Metropolis has a chaotic montage to show the franticness of machines and the struggle of working in a factory the music in this montage is relentless and creates a stressful and tense atmosphere, The Creator’s montage creates a slow and hopeful atmosphere towards the development of technology, the music is light-hearted and calm painting the advancement of robotics in a positive light. We see the progression of technological advancement in this montage which eventually reaches the uncertain world of artificial intelligence. The montage is brought to an abrupt end due to a nuclear explosion which changes the tone of the film dramatically.

 

Both films contain a destruction of an advanced and substantial city at the hands of robotics. Metropolis is crumbles due to Maria the Robot sparking a rebellion against the elite class and destroys the machinery that was keeping the city operating. The civilians fled for their lives including young, innocent children. In The Creator, a nuclear warhead is detonated in Los Angeles which incinerated nearly one million people including innocent children. This changes the attitudes towards AI which were positive and hopeful at the very start of the film and now are seen as sinful and cruel due to these robots calling for the nuclear warhead to be detonated. It shows the flaws of artificial intelligence that can be catastrophic. This is also seen in Metropolis due to the flaws in Maria the Robot which resulted in mass destruction and nearly the deaths of innocents. It instils the idea and belief that robots will not be able to replace humans which provides the spectator which comfort due to the threat posed by advancing technology. It highlights the failure of AI and its inevitable turn against humankind and the world. 

 

Both protagonists in the two films experience extreme emotional states which is a theme that is common in German Expressionist cinema. Freder experiences of the horror he witnessed in the factory which caused him to become severely ill as he was overcome with emotion. Joshua (the protagonist) in The Creator experience the loss of his wife and unborn child. Both exhibit the intense emotional events that are seen in everyday life which creates a relatable element to a film which set in a future time which is not as relatable for the spectator. 

Both films cleverly use the common fear of technology of the time to appeal to the spectator. Back in 1927 it is the move towards machinery in factories which people had fears of it taking their jobs which is reflected at the start between the comparison of the workers to the quickness and efficiency of machinery. Now in 2024  there is rising fear of the evolution of artificial intelligence and the fear that it will take over jobs and potentially the world. The film talks about the opposites of AI and humankind. Both use Strauss' theory of binary opposites of human v machine to articulate this fear.