Metropolis is an animated science fiction movie that was released in 2001, directed by a Japanese professional Rintarō and having a screenplay from Katsuhiro Otomo. This film is somewhat based on Osamu Tezuka’s manga published in 1949 which was influenced by the silent classical film from 1927 named the same as its title. It showcases a futuristic city where there is inequality between humans and robots, which coexist, where artificial intelligence, class struggles and humanity themes can be explored – in the movie “Metropolis.”
Synopsis
In a multi-layered city-state, Metropolis which is a developed industrial city-state exhibiting a general sketch of a quite well-developed technologically oriented society with an established caste system impoverished classes being below, ‘working’ within the robots in the Generation and Mining. On the horizon, it is possible to see the Ziggurat — the bone structure adulthood — cold and austere — built under the order of the most influential man of the metropolis. The Duke Red is its author. And now the infuriated Duke Red seeks to destroy his enemies. For this purpose, he hires Dr. Laughton, who promises to make from the dead daughter of the Duke the fighting robot.
Shunsaku Ban, a private investigator from Japan, has a few pressing issues that need resolving, including dealing with his nephew Kenichi, who shows great promise as a detective but seems to have lost his focus. Both arrive in Metropolis on a mission and their sights are set on an extremely elusive scientist known as Dr. Laughton, who is guilty of crimes against humanity. Quite predictably, their line of inquiry eventually leads them to one of Laughton’s labs, which gets blown up by Rock a marduk in anti-robot faction who also happens to be a son of a famous warlord Duke Red. As for Rock, he hasn’t met Tima before and thinks she’s a literal Terminator sent to wipe out humanity which, in his case, is true. Kenichi and Tima fall into the waterworks and drift apart from Shunsaku during the mayhem.
As events unfold, Kenichi and Tima begin to get close amidst all the trouble. It’s almost as if they were meant to be together. As time passes by, it becomes clear that Tima unconsciously believes she is human despite being a robot. On the other hand, Shunsaku’s objectives are completely different, as he’s busy looking for Kenichi through a city riddled with social inequality along with the tensions of an imminent conflict between humans and robots. One thing is clear, Tima has drawn the attention of Rock, who will do anything to stop her, which leads to the decisive fight that takes place on the top of Ziggurat. In this fight, Tima learns the cruel truth of what she is, and for the first time, begins questioning the reason behind her existence. It’s a bitter revelation that can alter the fate of all robots as well as the relationship between man and machine.
Cast & Crew
- Director: Rintaro
- Screenplay: Katsuhiro Otomo
- Original Manga: Osamu Tezuka
- Voice Cast:
- Tima – Yuka Imoto
- Kenichi – Kei Kobayashi
- Shunsaku Ban – Kōsei Tomita
- Duke Red – Tarō Ishida
- Rock – Kōki Okada
- Dr. Laughton – Junpei Takiguchi
- Pero – Norio Wakamoto
IMDb Ratings
47 artists have added reviews on IMDb that rated the film “Metropolis 7.2 out of 10”, and about 23,000 of users had voted for it. The film received a number of favorable reviews for its spectacular imagery and great dramatisation. Critically lauded as “a very visual film”, Roger Ebert wrote, the “Lang film is exploited allowing for an intelligent and active evaluation, and a non-stop sci-fi tale chases it.”
Such a revolutionary combination of the classic style of drawing pictures and computer animation was too appreciated as it made the film in its entirety’s story more interesting with a shot-inflating perspective.
Critical Reception �Metropolis� has earned a walkover critique regarding both gian creativity. Rotten Tomatoes cites a 73% approval rating gaining an average of 6.8/10 with respect to rating. The assessment states: “Visually stunning anime film, set in a futuristically designed city that is full of intricate features.” This statement and a rather wide range of perspectives, regarding a film, the plot centers around anime, egdison sawiyah widjaya 1 lora shanti intan english literature…
It is a futuristic film. At the center, lies a city with complex themes including AI, a class struggle, and what it even means to be alive or human. Audiences have connected with the film The film teases both Tezuka’s manga and Lang’s original work which has been noticed for the positive intertextuality enhancement. The film stands out in various aspects, one of which is the style of animation that is a fusion of old-school two-dimensional animation with computer graphics imagery.
Visual and Musical Elements The animation in “Metropolis” is perhaps the most marketed facet as it employs the use of computer graphics, picture enhancement and futuristic image nostalgia. The movie notable takes its roots from the Art Deco architecture and steampunk orientation in art direction finally making it an eye-candy. Throughout the movie, the majority of the soundtrack-accentuated jazz and different orchestras, was composed by Honda Toshiyuki and suits the ambiance in the movie. In the movie, the underscore of tension is provided by Ray Charles’s “I Can’t Stop Loving You” which sounds very interesting against the developing action.
Themes and AnalysisConsidered by some as a focused love story narrated in the sci-fi genre, the movie ‘Metropolis’ nicely explores the themes of identity, consciousness, and socio- cultural hierarchies. Scenes in Metropolis depicting Tima’s quest of self-who-is-Tima, reigns an everlasting question about the meaning of humanity. The organization of the city itself can stand as an archetype of contemporary concerns regarding class struggle and oppression. Another perspective within the movie is related to the moral issues surrounding AI, and what may become of society upon evolution of technology devoid of ethics.
Conclusion
The film Metropolis is one of the most incredible ones in anime, with elaborate story lines and even more impressive animation. The film assists the viewer to comprehend the relations of the past and the present, Affirmative with the occurrence of any Timeless questions. What I mean is, this film portrays a stronger sense of mankind and does not let you be the same after witnessing such a miracle. The pleasure of encapsulating both visualization and story line, make Metropolis effective.
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