I am reviewing the original script for Metropolis by both Fritz Lang and Thea von Harbou for a Visual Culture seminar discussion. I find it curious that Lang's final film includes a different representation of women's roles (vamp vs. virgin) than Harbou's does. I am not really surprised, but it is interesting to see how film as evolved, or not, as the case may be.
Harbou is certainly a product of her time, but her explanation for why Rotwang creates a female 'robot' is much clearer in her screenplay than it is in the movie where the Vamp 'bot is referred to as a Machine Man.
As I have been reading about Laura Mulvey's analysis of the gaze in film and Donna Haraway's Cyborg Manifesto, I have had a different experience when contemplating this visually compelling film.
Hi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteAny idea how I might gain access to the original Lang/Harbou script? I'm involved with a new scoring for the renovated Metropolis and the composer would love to work with the script. Thanks!