In the great city of Metropolis, almost all work is done by robots, and tension is growing between humans and machines, which might break into a war for world domination. Based on the cult manga by Osamu Tezuka, Metropolis is also an homage to Fritz Lang’s classic of the same name.
Metropolis is a city of skyscrapers, the stronghold of human civilization where almost all work is done by robots, although not everybody likes that. Mad scientist Dr. Laughton is hired by the evil Duke Red to create Tima—a robot who looks exactly like Red’s deceased daughter—to help him become the ruler of the entire planet. As Tima mysteriously disappears, riots, intrigue, and political assassinations spread throughout the city.
Based on the 1940s’ work by "the god of manga" Osamu Tezuka, the film is less expressionist, but more political than the original manga. While Tezuka admitted that he had never seen Fritz Lang’s classic in its entirety and simply borrowed the name he liked for a completely different story, the anime’s director Rintaro and screenwriter Katsuhiro Otomo reintroduced some the themes from the German film into Tezuka’s story to create one of the best contemporary animated films.
Metropolis
Director: Rintaro
Japan, 2001. 108 min. 0+
