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Karl Marx's Influence in Films of the 1930's


            Themes from Karl Marx's Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts are clearly visible in both films Metropolis and À Nous la Liberté. In particular, the dehumanization of workers, into what Marx called a "cattle - like existence", echoes throughout both movies, albeit in different degrees. À Nous la Liberté and Metropolis both use powerful imagery to portray the alienation of workers as they are endlessly cosigned to repetitive tasks, making them seem more like cogs in a machine than humans. In the opening scenes of Metropolis, Fritz Lang uses a montage of machines and workers to draw similarities between the two. Workers are lined up in neat and orderly lines with the same clothes and posture. Their moves are synchronized, much like that of a machine. Like programmed robots, they do not communicate with each other. À Nous la Liberté opens up with a similar scene; workers in prison on an assembly line. They are all dressed the same and seated in a neat and orderly fashion. Although they don't communicate with each other individually, they are allowed to sing together while working. When their shift is over, the workers march out in an orderly line like drones. A bit further into the movie, there is the scene at a factory that has the same elements of the opening scene in prison; orderly lines, uniforms, and very little communication between the workers. These images further reinforce the Marxist theme of the worker being viewed as more of a machine or commodity rather than a human.
             While both films carry Marx's sentiments about servitude and exploiting the individual, Metropolis has a much deeper Marxist influence than À Nous la Liberté. Clair's movie has a more subtle view of the dehumanization of the work force. The separation between labor and capital is blurred. There seems to be some upward mobility within society as shown by Louis rising to the top of his industry, despite his background.


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