Zach Wilson--General Topic 5

Silent film is a medium which is largely regarded by today's overstimulated culture to be obsolete, but in the early 20th century, it was the premier form of entertainment.  During this period, the early filmmakers made films which illustrated everyday life, such as a train ride, or a clown.  One of the first films to break this mold was Fritz Lang's classic silent film, Metropolis.  It was one of the first films to portray a political or religious message, and did so through the portrayal of a futuristic dystopian community.  Metropolis confronted the classism of the early 20th century and asserted a more socialist ideal for society. There is a separation between the rich, who work in the high skyscrapers, and the workers, who labor on the ground.  Maria, one of the main characters, compares the rise of the rich to the Tower of Babel.  This comparison is a linkage of economics, religion, and politics.
Man is seen as dangerously pursuing and feeding his own greed, by constructing a rift between the average man and the wealthy man.  This is a story which has a religious foundation.  The Tower of Babel was originally constructed because man had forgot about God, and thought that he could build a way to the heavens on his own.  This is a recasting of that story into 20th century themes, where man forgets God because of his invocation of capitalism and democracy in the place of religion.