Metropolis

1927153 minutesNot Rated

6.1

Arcplot Score

📊 Solid

Unverified

⭐ 8.3IMDb

🍅 97%Rotten Tomatoes

Ⓜ️ 98/100Metacritic

🎬 8.1TMDb

📊 2.9Popularity

🏆7 wins & 6 nominations total

Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi

Directed by: Fritz Lang

Sometime in the future, the city of Metropolis is home to a Utopian society where its wealthy residents live a carefree life. One of those is Freder Fredersen. One day, he spots a beautiful woman with a group of children, she and the children quickly disappear. Trying to follow her, he is horrified to find an underground world of workers who apparently run the machinery that keeps the Utopian world above ground functioning. One of the few people above ground who knows about the world below is Freder's father, John Fredersen, who is the founder and master of Metropolis. Freder learns that the woman is called Maria, who espouses the need to join the "hands" - the workers - to the "head" - those in power above - by a mediator who will act as the "heart". Freder wants to help the plight of the workers in their struggle for a better life. But when John learns of what Maria is advocating and that Freder has joined their cause, with the assistance of an old colleague. an inventor called Rotwang, who turns out to be But their nemesis goes to works towards quashing a proposed uprising, with Maria at the centre of their plan. John, unaware that Rotwang has his own agenda., makes plans that include shutting down the machines, with the prospect of unleashing total anarchy both above and below ground.

Box Office

Budget:$5.3M

Revenue:$1.4M

Profit:$-3.9M

Arcplot Score Breakdown

Beat Timing Precision3.8/10

Emotional Arc Impact7.5/10

Thematic Consistency7/10

Overall Score6.1/10

Beat Sheet

15 plot points

Opening Image

1 min

Theme Stated

10 min

Set-Up

25 min

Catalyst

45 min

Debate

60 min

Break Into Two

70 min

B Story

80 min

Fun and Games

90 min

Midpoint

105 min

Bad Guys Close In

120 min

All Is Lost

135 min

Dark Night of the Soul

145 min

Break Into Three

150 min

Finale

152 min

Final Image

153 min

Emotional Arc

+100-10

Plot Points

Opening Image

1 min

City of the future: towering skyscrapers, workers laboring underground. Contrast between rich and poor. Futuristic, oppressive environment. Sets tone for class struggle.

Theme Stated

10 min

Freder sees workers suffering. Question emerges: How to bridge divide between classes? Theme of heart/machine, humanity, and reconciliation stated.

Set-Up

25 min

Freder lives in luxury, sheltered from workers. Meets Maria for first time preaching compassion. Workers’ misery shown. Society in tension. Stakes: inequality and revolt.

Catalyst

45 min

Maria inspires workers to hope and resist. Freder falls for Maria, wants to act. Motivation for change and conflict established.

Debate

60 min

Freder struggles to understand social structures. Should he confront his father Joh Fredersen? Can he bridge worlds? Moral and emotional dilemma.

Break Into Two

70 min

Freder ventures to workers’ world, witnesses suffering firsthand. Begins transformation from naive to active agent. Action world begins.

B Story

80 min

Maria’s influence spreads among workers. Brotherhood develops. Love story with Freder deepens. Emotional core strengthens plot.

Fun and Games

90 min

Freder and workers plan rebellion. Scenes of underground sabotage. Contrast of city above and below. Tension and excitement. Exploration of society’s machinery literal and metaphorical.

Midpoint

105 min

Rotwang and robot Maria chaos unleashed. False victory: rebellion spirals out of control. Stakes increase; danger everywhere.

#10

Bad Guys Close In

120 min

Robot Maria manipulates workers. City descends into chaos. Freder captured. Authority and rebellion collide. Emotional and physical stakes at peak.

#11

All Is Lost

135 min

Workers riot. Freder loses hope. Maria endangered. Class war seems inevitable. Despair and failure dominate.

#12

Dark Night of the Soul

145 min

Freder questions if unity is possible. Reflects on love, duty, and humanity. Moment of deepest crisis.

#13

Break Into Three

150 min

Freder rallies workers, confronts his father. Plan to reconcile classes initiated. Hope returns.

#14

Finale

152 min

Workers and leaders unite. Heart mediates between head and hands. City restored, understanding achieved. Love triumphs, social harmony implied.

#15

Final Image

153 min

Freder and Maria clasp hands. Symbol of reconciliation and hope. Humanity and compassion prevail. Ends with vision of unity and future prosperity.