The 1927 Film Metropolis Created a Dystopian Vision of What the World Would Look Like in 2026–and It Hits Close to Home

From the film Metropolis DMZ – GESELLSCHAFT ¦ S. Koller ¦ Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" is considered a milestone in German expressionist film. However, for some years now, a conspiracy theory has been circulating that claims that the film is more than just a cinematic masterpiece. Allegedly, it contains encrypted messages that point to a secret power elite. Curiously, I have embarked on a search for traces to shed light on the background to this th…

The 1927 Film Metropolis Created a Dystopian Vision of What the World Would Look Like in 2026–and It Hits Close to Home

Ultra-tall high-rises against dark skies. A huge distance between the rich and the poor. Robber barons at the helm of large-scale industrial operations that turn man into machine. Machines that have become intelligent enough to displace man. These have all been standard elements of dystopian visions so long that few of us could manage to imagine a grim future without including at least a couple of them. We’ve all seen these elements used before,…