Metropolis

49 Replies
PHOTO PROMPT © Anne Higa

Freder splashed his way through the stench of the workers’ subterranean street.  Fresh from his pleasure garden two thousand feet above the ground, he felt suffocated being as far below that long-lost surface.

He never knew that the masses lived like this!  Perhaps H. G. Wells was prophetic and humans were splitting into the leisure-class Eloi and working-class Morlocks.

Did his father know what the rule of his 1% did to those 99% who created that lavish lifestyle in the clouds?

He would find Maria, join he people.

“The Mediator Between the Head and the Hands Must Be the Heart.”

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word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.  This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo © Anne Higa. Read more or join in by following the InLinkz “linky“.

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The photo made me think of an underground city, or a city’s underground. A poor area with the upper-class’ sewage running unchecked into the poor’s domain. Which led me to the movie Metropolis. Freder is the main character of the movie, with Maria the female lead. His father is the head of the elites and runs the city. She is from the poor worker’s city and is trying to find a way for the rich Capitalists and the poor Workers to get together. The last line of the story is the last line of the movie.

49 thoughts on “Metropolis”

            1. trentpmcd Post author

              I had a version on VHS, but it wasn’t that one – I thought it was when I bought it and was disappointed, but after a few watches, I still loved it. I did see the rock one once, but I don’t remember when or who I was with…

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  5. Nobbinmaug

    Intriguing take. I have Metropolis in my watchlist. I know it’s supposed to be great. I just have to find the right time when I’m focused enough to watch a two-and-a-half-hour silent movie. I haven’t watched many silent movies that didn’t star Charlie Chaplin.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      There was a version from back in the 80s that used a lot of current pop and rock stars as the sound track. It’s only about 90 minutes, so a great introduction (It is the version I first saw).

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        1. trentpmcd Post author

          It was a pet project of composer/producer Giorgio Moroder, who is better known for his work with disco (think the synth background to Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”). He got a lot of big names, like Freddie Mercury and Pat Benatar to perform on the soundtrack.

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  6. Bear

    I haven’t seen that movie, but this did remind me of the episode of StarTrek that featured the city in the clouds, and the trogolites who worked in the mines. Great story.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      It was perhaps the first full length sci-fi movie ever, and had what is still one of the greatest robots ever. I’m sure Gene Roddenberry knew it when he wrote that Star Trek episode. thanks :)

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  13. jenne49

    I don’t know the movie, but I’ll look out for it.
    It’s frightening how history and fantasy always seem to come back to the basic injustice between the few who have and the many who have not. Will we ever learn? I really like this piece. And the hope because the protagonist is going to take action.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      The movie is one of the classics of the silent film era and has perhaps the greatest robot on film (CP3O from Star Wars is based on “her”). We do seem to learn and even the playing field a little to give all a chance, but it seems that we we are back to that huge gulf between the haves and have-nots. Thanks – I do always like a little hope :)

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Thanks, Robbie. If I am going strictly by the movie Metropolis, he is very successful – not only does he save the works’ children, kills the bad guy, and in the end he does bridge the two worlds so they can live in accord.

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