Metropolis: Freder and the Temple of Moloch

Metropolis: Freder and the Temple of Moloch
Freder, son of the ruler of Metropolis, is a member of the upper class who dwell far above the city and lead lives of leisure and extravagance. After a chance encounter, Freder becomes infatuated with Maria, a member of the working class who dwell and work far below the surface.
Although it is forbidden for the upper class to enter the lower levels of Metropolis, Freder dons a disguise and descends into the worker’s city to find her. For the first time he witnesses the machine that runs the city and the plight of the workers who tend it. While Freder looks on, a worker struggles to control a malfunction. The worker fails in his efforts and the machine explodes, expelling a cloud of toxic steam and gas that kills many workers.
Freder is appalled at seeing the workers sacrifice their lives and begins to hallucinate that the machine is the temple of Moloch, a biblical god to whom human sacrifices are fed. As his hallucination begins to fade, he watches the workers dutifully returning to the machine as their fallen comrades are carried away on stretchers.
Imagery from Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" (1927).
Imagery edited and re-mixed by Dave Tilton.
Music "Freder and the Temple of Moloch" by Dave Tilton ©2024.
For more re-interpretations of Metropolis, see my Metropolis Revisited play list. @dave-carta/playlists

[@sarahminer6014]

WW1, Revolution,WW2,Cold War. Clearly visual illustration time.

[@rafkong]

Creepy how Hollywood showed us what they believe in 100 years ago

[@StoneInMySandal]

The satire is accurate because this was reality then, and now. Feeding people to the machine to make money was already a trope in the 1870s.

[@yvandaniel8050]

Fantastic soundtrack!

[@dave-carta]

Thanks! The imagery in Metropolis is inspiring,

[@yvandaniel8050]

@@dave-carta It is said that Denis Villeneuve will make an adaptation of Rendez-vous with Rama: A team of astronauts are sent on a mission to explore a giant interstellar spaceship hurtling toward the sun. Based on the novel by Arthur C. Clarke. I am certain that if Denis Villeneuve would watch your videos he would ask you to join the team for this adaptation... Just saying...

[@dave-carta]

@@yvandaniel8050 I am truly and totally flattered.