METROPOLIS BEYOND
In 2026, in a futuristic city called Metropolis where skyscrapers tower high, it appeared that advanced civilization had brought peace and prosperity. However, the reality was a thoroughly hierarchical society polarized into a limited ruling class living on the upper floors and a working class enduring harsh labor underground.
One day, Freder, the son of the ruling elite, meets Maria, a young woman from the working class, and for the first time learns the harsh reality of the oppressed underground society.
"The mediator between the brain and the hands must be the heart."
Maria prophesies the coming of a "heart" to mediate between the "brain" (ruling class) and the "hands" (working class). Inspired by her words, the workers begin to strike. Freder realizes he is destined to become that mediator.
Fredersen, the ruler and Freder’s father, sees this as a threat and orders the inventor Rotwang to send a robot duplicate of Maria into the underground to sow discord among the workers.
However, Rotwang harbors his own plan — the complete destruction of Metropolis. The false Maria incites debauchery and radical violence, driving the workers into a frenzy. They destroy the power source, causing the underground city to flood.
Realizing their mistake, the enraged workers turn on the false Maria and burn her at the stake. In the flames, she is revealed to be a machine. The tragedy forces the people to confront the true meaning of Maria’s words: the heart must mediate between brain and hands.